CARCASS „“Reek of Putrefaction” CD/DVD”

Music: Goregrind
Country: England
Web site: www.myspace.com/carcass
Cool Songs: Regurgitation of Giblets, Vomitted Anal Tract, Fermenting Innards

In 1988, three youths from Liverpool, England—Ken Owen, Bill Steer and Jeff Walker—created “Reek of Putrefaction,” the first full-length album by CARCASS. The said album was of such a vile nature that it spawned a legion of fans and imitators that still exists after twenty years. The group had invented an amalgamation of grind, death metal and crusty punk known as goregrind. “Reek” definitely included its share of gore. Jeff Walker and crew used medical books to create scenarios so far out one can only laugh, and cut out pictures of various human maladies and cadavers to grace the album’s cover in collage form. Twenty years since this monumental release, Earache Records has reissued “Reek of Putrefaction” with bloody bonus features.

The 2008 version of “Reek of Putrefaction” retains the horrific cover art found on the original, but comes in a gatefold package. All the photos in the original gallery of gore are intact, including images of dissected heads and aborted fetuses. The package also includes lyrics to “Reek of Putrefaction,” as well as lyrics to the group’s demo album, “Flesh Ripping Sonic Torment,” which listeners can hear at the end of the “Reek” disc. This package also includes a DVD titled “The Pathologist’s Report Part I-Incubation.”

“Reek of Putrefaction” defined and still defines extreme music. Like a pus-oozing abscess, guttural, pitch-shifted and screamed vocals lie low in the mix. The noisy middle and low end production rumbles speakers like intestinal tracts ready to erupt black-tar shit. The deep tuning was quite revolutionary for the time, many of the grind and death bands of today that tune to that setting have CARCASS to thank for inspiration.

Even though the lyrics are nearly impossible to make out due to the harsh nature of the group’s vocals and production, an investigation of the lyrics is mandatory. CARCASS creates surreal scenarios such as purging your colon through your mouth (‘Vomited Anal-Tract’) or consuming rotten human guts (‘Fermenting Innards’).

One of the grossest lines (each song is equally pungent) comes during ‘Fermenting Innards.’ CARCASS writes, “Your pulverized torso languishes in its pool of pus/Minced, cancerous viscera—gore seeps from the guts/My fetid fetish is to excavate the moulding rot/I drool my gastic juices as I chomp on your blood clots.”

After ingesting the twenty-three fetid chunks that comprise “Reek of Putrefaction,” listeners journey back even further into the group’s very first recording: the “Flesh Ripping Sonic Torment” demo. Most of the tracks appear on “Reek,” but these renditions sound different. These tracks seem less chaotic and the recording is, surprisingly, cleaner than the later album. Also, this is the only recording featuring the “legendary” Sanjiv on vocals.

With each CARCASS reissue, Earache has included a documentary DVD titled “The Pathologist’s Report.” The film accompanying this recording details the early history of the band, including the recording of “Reek of Putrefaction.” Ken, Bill and Jeff explain how the group started, their influences, Bill’s time in Napalm Death, the lyrics and much more.

This is not the first re-issue of “Reek of Putrefaction.” Earache rereleased the album in 1989, but this version contains elements not present on past releases such as the documentary DVD. The 2008 version of “Reek of Putrefaction” has great appeal to collectors, and is perfect for those who do not have this groundbreaking recording.

note: 8/10

Tracklist

1. Genital Grinder
2. Regurgitation of Giblets
3. Maggot Colony
4. Pyosisified (Rotten to the Gore)
5. Carbonized Eye Sockets
6. Frenzied Detruncation
7. Vomited Anal Tract
8. Festerday
9. Fermenting Innards
10. Excreted Alive
11. Suppuration
12. Foeticide
13. Microwaved Uterogestation
14. Feast On Dismembered Carnage
15. Splattered Cavities
16. Psychopathologist
17. Burnt to a Crisp
18. Pungent Excruciation
19. Manifestation of Verrucose Urethra
20. Oxidised Razor Masticator
21. Mucopurulence Excretor
22. Malignant Defecation
Total playing time 39:41

“Flesh Ripping Sonic Torment” Demo
1. Genital Grinder
2. Regurgitation of Giblets
3. Festerday
4. Limb From Limb
5. Rotten to the Gore
6. Excreted Alive
7. Malignant Defecation
8. Fermenting Innards
9. Necro-Cannibal Bloodfeast
10. Psychopathologist
11. Die in Pain
12. Pungent Excrutiation
13. Face Meltaaargh
Total playing time 20:20

DVD: “The Pathologist's Report Part I: Incubation”

Line-up

Jeff Walker-Vocals, Bass
Bill Steer-Vocals, Guitar
Ken Owen-Vocals, Drums
Sanjiv-Vocals on Demo