Carcass - Reek of Putrefaction/Symphonies of Sickness

Symphonies of Sickness

1. Reek of Putrefaction

2. Exhume to Consume

3. Excoriating Abdominal Emanation

4. Ruptured In Purulence

5. Empathological Necroticism

6. Embryonic Necropsy and Devourment

7. Swarming Vulgar Mass of Infected Virulency

8. Cadaveric Incubator of Endoparasites

9. Slash Dementia

10. Crepitating Bowel Erosion



Reek of Putrefaction

1. Genital Grinder

2. Regurgitation Of Giblets

3. Maggot Colony

4. Pyosisified (Rotten To The Gore)

5. Carbonized Eyesockets

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 On Verrucose Urethra

20. Oxidised Razor Masticator

21. Mucupurulence Excretor

22. Malignant Defecation

Four other albums: “Tools of the Trade”, “Heartwork”, “Swansong” and “Wake up and Smell the Carcass”.

When faced with the urge to vomit or to defecate liquidised faeces your
average person tries their hardest to hold the urge in. However, this does
not make it go away. Eventually, this urge shall pounce upon them when they
don't expect it. Perhaps over some unfortunate commuter sitting near them.

This might be compared to two millenia of Death Denial: ignoring it does
not make death less of a reality, it just makes it more of a surprise when
it happens. Just as the stomach reaches a point where it forces the vomit
out, humans must eventually face up to death. Carcass here have two
recordings to make towards that end, throwing the End to humanity: the most
terrible fates they tried their best to ignore.

As an off-shoot of Napalm Death much of the music remains the same in the
vein of blasting grindcore, being deliberately off-beat yet still (like
Napalm Death) manages to hold rhythm and at points even a distinct
'groove'. The blistering grindcore pace often evolves and is doubled with
slower moving death metalesque passages, akin to most death metal bands of
the same period with a similar ideological mission. Many passages are
interrupted with rough sounding solos, diving over and under the rest of
the instrumental sound.

Symphonies of Sickness carries more of the death metal influence than Reek
of... the songs tend to be longer. more linear and they are performed with
less sloppiness, the more consistent pacing might make for a better
listening experience in terms of a technical point of view, yet the muffled
sounds and hoarse gutteral vocals of Reek of... seemed to convey the
intended message better: nothing living is perfect and beautiful forever,
you are going to die.

The titles of the songs show a blatant sense of humor, being influenced by the titles of other famous songs such as “Yesterday” (“Festerday”) and “Keep on Rocking in the Free World” (“Keep on Rotting in the Free World”) and cliches like “wake up and smell the coffee”, as well as creative attempts to invent titles that sound sick or horrifying.

Carcass eventually fell into regurgitated classic rock idea that were well
executed but not really that meaningful. Their first two albums have stood
the test of time despite that.