Continuing on in their pot-loving tribute to death metal, Landphil’s (Municipal Waste) Cannabis Corpse output has reached their fifth album to date with Left Hand Pass. Their previous effort, 2014’s From Wisdom to Baked, proved to be a high (bong)water mark, with a more broad array of influences and sources. Left Hand Pass may do little to change said album’s framework, but it’s an enjoyable trip to take.
The musicianship on Left Hand Pass is the album’s strong point. The first release with new(ish) guitarist Ray Suhy, there’s some remarkably sleek melodies hidden within the pure death metal template. The stomp-friendly “Final Exhalation” and driving “In Battle There is No Pot” are just two examples of how catchy the material can be, regardless of tempo. “Chronic Breed” may walk away the winner in this regard, focusing on some absurdly enjoyable grooves above all. But fear not, there’s plenty of straight-ahead death metal brutality to revel in, with “In Dank Purity” and the title track providing plenty of brutality-fueled fodder that should hit the mark for many, without sounding stale and tired. And it wouldn’t be a Cannabis release without marijuana-altered classic death metal song titles, of which “Grass Obliteration,” “Effigy of the Forgetful,” and the completely over the top Nile-esque “Papyrus Containing The Spell To Protect Its Possessor Against Attacks From He Who Is In The Bong Water” are bound to put a smile to most fans’ faces.
Business as usual is a theme of Left Hand Pass, but it shouldn’t stop death metal fans from checking it out. Sonically on par with its predecessor, what is lost in freshness is held up by strong melodies and grooves for all to enjoy.