It’s all in good fun and Cannabis Corpse is nothing if not clever when it comes to song titles and lyrics parodying the likes of Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel, and Deicide. Musically, the chops have always been there, but to use the example of 2009’s The Weeding EP, the songs just weren’t all that memorable. On Beneath the Grow Lights Thou Shalt Rise, the side project of Municipal Waste’s Phil “Land Phil” Hall (guitar/bass) is a significant leap forward in the songwriting department.

Though nothing in the way of a death metal juggernaut, the 12 songs of the new full-length are well played, solid examples of traditional USDM. Even better is that the titles and lyrics have reached a new level of entertaining cleverness, as exemplified by titles like “Lunatic of Pots Creation,” “Dead By Bong,” “Blaze of Torment,” “Where the Kind Lives,” and “Gateways to Inhalation.” Several songs, including “Sworn to the Bag” and “Dead by Bong” (reminding of 21st century Cannibal Corpse) offer genuinely memorable choruses The playing throughout is technically accomplished and the arrangements well developed. The lethal intricacy of “Blaze of Torment” is one of several demonstrative of the latter point. The morbid tones across the album can be downright chilling at times, the piss-taking lyrics notwithstanding.

As a fan of death metal, it is debatable whether I’d purchase Beneath the Grow Lights Thou Shalt Rise, but the decision certainly wouldn’t be an automatic “no.” This is a finely crafted USDM album from a legitimate USDM band, one for which the fun factor cannot be discounted. It’s pretty damn funny and this time around the memories don’t fade so easily.

 

 

 

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