Cephalic Carnage is a band I've never really bothered to check out properly. To a large degree it's because I really couldn't stand Conform to Abnormality. I didn't expect a whole lot from Xenosapian, but the music has changed a lot as to how I remember it. The music nowadays is a peculiar mix of death metal, grindcore and everything from jazz to rock. This bizarre blend gives the music a distinct and nuanced vibe. It's clear that Cephalic Carnage are good songwriters. The music is detailed and often with a spastic approach. On "G.obal O.verhaul. D.evice" the band even adds a bit of saxophone to the music.

Xenosapian is different, but not in a way that it becomes too much. Varied is perhaps the best word to sum up Xenosapian. Often the music is super fast and just as often the band slow down just to do awkward things. Sometimes the music is almost sounding like sludgy doom. The band have an ability to tie it all together so it sounds right and not like a mess. Like most other bands these days Cephalic Carnage have a fat and forceful sound and this puts the icing on the cake. Xenosapian is not a masterpiece, but it made it clear that the bad experience I had with Conform to Abnormality shouldn't prevent me from looking closer at what else the band have put out.