UMUR
"Vile" is the 5th full-length studio album by US death metal act Cannibal Corpse. The album was released through Metal Blade Records in May 1996. "Vile" marks a big change in the lineup as lead vocalist and founding member Chris Barnes is replaced by George Fisher, who had previously been a member of Florida death metal act Monstrosity.
Major lineup change or not, "Vile" sounds unmistakably like Cannibal Corpse. Songtitles like "Eaten From Inside", "Orgasm Through Torture", and "Mummified in Barbed Wire" should further emphasize that. Compared to the more organic sounding " The Bleeding (1994)", "Vile" is slightly more brutal. The change on the lead vocalist spot hasn´t changed that part of the music much. George Fisher delivers an intense performance here (with both deep growling and higher pitched screaming) that leaves no doubt that he is a great replacement for Chris Barnes. The playing is as always on a high technical level and the sound production is suitably raw and powerful.
"Vile" was a new start for Cannibal Corpse and the band probably held their breath in anticipation of how the fans would react to their new frontman. I don´t remember having read a single review of "Vile" that specifically points to the change on the lead vocalist spot as an issue though and time and success of subsequent releases by Cannibal Corpse have also proven that the fans embraced George Fisher from day one. "Vile" is upon conclusion a strong release by Cannibal Corpse even though I don´t count it among their best. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is warranted.