A brief scan through the album credits and it's plain to see that the hype surrounding this quintet has spread itself into every recess in the underground scene as well. Amidst the bludgeoning chaos of its twelve tracks, _Anomalies_ features guest appearances by no less than Barney Greenway (Napalm Death), John Gallagher (Dying Fetus), Brian Hegman (Black Lamb) and Travis Ryan (Cattle Decapitation). And the overall result? Absolutely jaw-dropping.

It's not that _Anomalies_ improves upon its predecessor as much as it's a case of simply trouncing it in every possible respect. It's a sharper, more focused and even more eclectic work than _Lucid Interval_ -- interspersing its manic grinding with solid slabs of southern stoner groove and even the odd moment of melodic singing. Remarkably, no matter how off-kilt the band get, it all seems to blend perfectly together, helped in no small part by Dave Otero's stunning production job.

For a genre that just a few years ago was about as exciting and innovative as a trip to the dentist, it's great to see the fires of creativity burning so brightly once again in the grindcore camp. But for all its Nasums and Pig Destroyers, _Anomalies_ is proof that when it comes to truly experimental extremity, Cephalic Carnage are simply in a class all of their own.