CoC : Wicked Innocence - Omnipotence : Review

Wicked Innocence - _Omnipotence_
(Napalm America, 1995)
by: Henry Akeley (7 out of 10)

This Salt Lake City, Utah quintet play an extreme metallic style that showcases big time technical prowess. More importantly, though, they manage to be extremely creative and throw lots of interesting ingredients into the musical mix without diluting the heaviness of the result. Add the occasional dash of 200-proof aggression, and voila!! Wicked Innocence!! Imagine what Cannibal Corpse might sound like if their song structures, riffs, and tempos were about a thousand times stranger, and you've got some idea of the jagged, alien style displayed on _Omnipotence_. Every song on this CD contains about a gazillion changes, often from one far out passage into something even weirder and heavier. It won't all go down real easy the first time, but if you're like me, you'll be craving more and more once you get used to that wacky taste. "Lines" and "The Greys", in particular, both give you lots to chew on: spastic rhythms and cool, mind-bending riffs stirred in together all crazy-like. The guitars could be a bit crunchier, but the overall sound is still good and clear. The songs don't all hang together equally well, and I could do with a little less belching from the vocalist, who otherwise utilizes a variety of brutal styles, and even some real clean tones as well. Overall, I really like their unique brand of super-technical extremity, and I'd recommend this impressive debut to anybody who wants to hear just how far out brutal music can get.

(article published 10/5/1996)

CHATS
6/9/1996	S Hoeltzel	Wicked Innocence: No Rest For the Wicked Innocent

ALBUMS
3/13/2001	A Bromley	7	Wicked Innocence - Opium Empire