Here we go again! But where does the time go? It's seems like yesterday that we were ringing in 2012! Like last year, we're doing the same holiday-themed countdown of the finest slabs of metal this past year had to offer, voted by the devout scribes here at BraveWords.com! Hence the name The 12 Days Of Metal. What does "slab" actually mean? We're talking studio albums. No compilations, rerecordings, live albums etc… Just pure metal, all killer no filler!

These are the 12 albums (yeah, we still use that old school term!) that you must have in your collection!

Let's rock!

2012 … The 12 Days Of Metal

5) CANNIBAL CORPSE – Torture (Metal Blade)

Although next year (2013) mark the band's 25th year, Tampa-based legends CANNIBAL CORPSE continued their death metal dominance with Torture which placed them in the Top 40 Album charts in both the US and Canada!

"Basically in this band we have two kinds of album titles," bassist Alex Webster explained the simplicity of Torture to BraveWords in January. "We have the lengthier ones that are a bit more descriptive like Eaten Back To Life or The Wretched Spawn and then we have the simple one-word titles like Vile, The Bleeding, Bloodthirst, Kill and now this one, Torture. It's kind of cool being in the position that we're in because it might be a little more difficult for a smaller, less-known death metal band to use a title like Kill or Torture. Something like that works well for some reason. You'll notice a lot of underground bands that have very complex titles. For us we like to keep it simple. There are a lot of songs that relate to torture and execution on this album and it seemed to work for that reason. Naming it something loner and descriptive, I don't know if it would've been as effective."

BraveWords' reviewer Jason Deaville wrote: "Twelve albums in and Cannibal Corpse had once again found what it was that made those early albums so special. I'm not even exactly sure what that is, to be perfectly honest. Yes, Torture is quite parodic at first glance. In fact, I'd say that it's rather condemningly so, with an album cover and song titles not far removed from my high school science textbook doodlings. That said, I'm not quite convinced that it is intended to be self-satire; and, if so, the riffs, structure and pacing usurp any of the preconceived silliness. There seems to be (thankfully) a greater focus on thrash-centric riffing, slower breakdowns and mid-paced groove (à la 'Stripped Raped And Strangled'). The mind-melting technical ferocity of the last few albums has been toned down in favor of a more earthy, organic structure, which, to these ears, might very well have been the one missing ingredient throughout these lacklustre years. The boys in Cannibal Corpse might not be sporting the clothes and attitude of some of their younger/cooler/finger-on-the-pulse peers, but you can bet your ass that those same peers will be lining up at Boutique CC once they get a load of Torture. Such is the continuous influence and legacy of this genre/trend-defining band."

Read the entire review here.

Check out the clip for 'Encased In Concrete' below:

2012 … The 12 Days Of Metal

12) DYING FETUS – Reign Supreme (Relapse Records)

11) SLASH – Apocalyptic Love (Dik Hayd)

10) RUSH – Clockwork Angels (Anthem)

9) THE CULT – Choice Of Weapon (Cooking Vinyl)

8) ANAAL NATHRAKH - Vanitas (Candlelight)

7) KREATOR - Phantom Antichrist (Nuclear Blast)

6) OVERKILL - The Electric Age (eOne)

5) CANNIBAL CORPSE – Torture (Metal Blade)

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