Carnivore Carnivore

Carnivore 'Carnivore' (Roadrunner, 1985)

'Carnivore' is a concept album dealing with a post apocalyptic world where 'cannibalistic neo barbarians' have survived Armageddon and rule the 'harsh reality of their brave new world'. After six generations those who chose to dwell beneath 'the scarred surface of the dying planet' surface and find that the world is not the type of place they want to be as the 'Nuclear Warriors, whose driving forces in life are SEX and VIOLENCE' exact their twisted philosophy of 'kill or be killed-eat or eaten' upon their hapless subterranean victims.

Of course, the members of Carnivore, Petrus T. Steele, Louie Beateaux and Keith Alexander are surface dwellers and the album recounts their futuristic lifestyle of incessant rape and pillage.

As I have mentioned before, you never know whether or not Mr Steele is ever being serious and it's hard to take a romantic paean to oral sex, a recurring theme throughout his career, called 'Carnivore', as anything other than a joke.

I've always been attracted to Carnivore mainly because other people really love them, but I really don't understand why other people love them. The music isn't that good, the production is awful; cavernous but strangely empty with booming vocals and the imagery and lyrics are puerile in the extreme. In addtion, New York Hardcore logos are prominent on the lyric sheet but Carnivore do not sound anything like a New York Hardcore band.

Whilst the majority of this LP is made up of fairly basic hardcore influenced thrash metal, 'Male Supremacy' hints at the magic that Type O Negative would achieve a decade later and 'God is Dead' threatens to break into a Santana song during its chorus. The most notable thing about 'Carnivore' is the truly atrocious illustration on the insert which was drawn by Taggart a notable artist in the NYHC scene. This particular piece has 'Brooklyn Bootboys', bedecked in what could be seen as extremely dodgy symbol, beating up a lone hippy whilst Carnivore play in the background.

Once again Mr Steele courted controversy. Once again I think it is all done to deliberately cause offence, like a lot of great comedy, which Carnivore and Type O Negative did throughout their careers with their tongues placed firmly in cheeks.

Carnivore reformed to play some festival shows prior to Peter Steele's untimely death. I doubt I missed much but the undoubted and unique talent of Steele will be missed.

Peace