"Cannibal" features an overall more straight forward heavy and aggressive sound when compared to the band's two previous albums. The last two previous albums Shadow Zone and Start a War had a more radio friendly sound featuring much cleaner vocals and a slight toning down of the industrial metal elements. It features more screaming from frontman Wayne Static. The album's sound is very similar to the sound featured on the band's first two albums, "Wisconsin Death Trip" and "Machine", and the more radio-friendly sound the band had used on the albums "Shadow Zone" and "Start a War" is largely absent. The album is often regarded by fans as the band's heaviest album along with the band's second album "Machine". This album is also the first Static-X album to be released through Reprise Records.