This is testing typography layout. Some of my favorite artists, Bob Mould in particular, mix their vocals way down in a lot of tracks so that they don’t overwhelm the guitars. A death metal band like Cannibal Corpse is no different. The Cookie Monster vocals are pretty dull if you’re a casual listenener. But for fans, Barnes’s dulcet tones add another, vital layer of menace to the thrash cake. Even if you can’t understand the lyrics as Barnes is singing them, you KNOW that they’re evil. You know he’s not singing about picking wildflowers. That’s important for any band that wants to scare you with their music. Go 100 percent instrumental and suddenly you’re an art metal band, which isn’t mean enough.