Carcass
Reek of Putrefaction

THE REVIEW

“Reek Of Putrefaction” by Carcass was released way back in 1988, and the three members who composed this album are to be praised solely for giving rise to a musical genre like goregrind, thanks to the themes contained in their songs. It starts with the instrumental “Genital Grinder” and then plunges into oblivion. In fact, Jeff Walker, the bassist/singer, guitarist Bill Steer (also a member of Napalm Death of the seminal “Scum”), and drummer Ken Owen let us feel what the stench of death and the decay of human bodies means, thanks to titles like “Regurgitation Of Giblets,” “Maggot Colony,” “Frenzied Detruncation,” and “Vomited Anal Tract.” The songs that excited me the most are “Foeticide,” “Splattered Cavities,” “Burnt To A Crisp,” and the 20 crackling seconds of “Festerday.” Nonetheless, the prize for the best title goes to the last track “Malignant Defecation.” The production of the album is terrible, to say the least; they would do much better with the subsequent “Symphonies Of Sickness.” All the instruments are recorded poorly, from the inaudible bass to the dirty guitars and the drums, which, when going for the double bass, sound like a soap powder drum, yet reigning over all is Jeff Walker's ravenous and bloodthirsty grunt, so ferocious and inhuman that when speaking of autopsies, vivisections, and more, it seems as though blood drips from his mouth. Music which, like all of goregrind, is not to be taken seriously; otherwise, the unfortunate listener would have serious problems dealing with such macabre fantasies. An album to venerate for devotees of primal grindcore and goregrind, although better production might have highlighted more the intrinsic quality of the record.

If you seek horror in music... “Reek Of Putrefaction” is for you. If Walker's colossal grunts instead trigger nocturnal nightmares, then this is not your cup of tea. I give it the highest rating for its historical importance and for laying the groundwork for a genre like goregrind. Milestone.