Did you ever try to wrestle with a living eel? You'll most likely find out that the slimy creature manages to escape your grasp with ease. I get a similar feeling from Cannibal Corpse's newest output, _Gore Obsessed_. Even after listening to this CD approximately fifteen times, I still seem to be unable to remember anything but the somewhat catchy track "Pit of Zombies" and the Metallica cover "No Remorse" -- the latter unfortunately only for the fact that it's a Metallica cover. While others might have similar feelings about all CC output since _The Bleeding_, I was rather impressed with _Bloodthirst_ [CoC #44] and also enjoyed _Live Cannibalism_ [CoC #52], and might therefore be more disappointed than the ones who have written off Cannibal Corpse years ago. I'm not saying that _Gore Obsessed_ is a bad album -- it's full of 100% typical Cannibal Corpse material, but it fails to leave almost any impression at all due to a lack of more than a few outstanding moments. Production-wise, Jim Kernon's work is leagues above every album they did at Morrissound but is still comes second to the brilliantly heavy job done by Colin Richardson on _Bloodthirst_. For fans of Corpsegrinder-era Cannibal Corpse, _Gore Obsessed_ is definitely a must, but in the death metal world of 2002 I do not see why anyone else would feel the need to buy this record.

[David Rocher: "Awe-inspiring new sound -- courtesy of the genial soundsmith Neil Kernon --, yet bluntly, same gut-gargling stuff; Cannibal Corpse are by now about as predictable a phenomenon in their ultra-brutal pus-sodden microcosm as Iron Maiden are emblematic to the whimsical universe of tight-fitting spandex paraphernalia. With this said, _Gore Obsessed_ remains a thoroughly enjoyable chuck of growling, blasting and surgically mean musical manslaughter assaults, an adrenaline-laced discharge of bellowing, seething death metal hate, with outstanding technicality to boot. Dispensable beyond all doubt, yet strangely compelling and unquestionably vehement; as you will have grasped by now, _Gore Obsessed_ is Cannibal Corpse displaying great proficiency at being their own bad, rotting selves -- all the way down to the risible uncensored cover art."]