Your vagus implodes, as nausea strikes

Savaging your body in terminal retch

Violent spasms and decaying enzymes

Engulf your throat as you belch
Carcass - 'Vomited Anal Tract'

Often imitated but never bettered¹, Carcass can honestly be described as one of the innovators of grindcore².

Formed in 1985 by guitarist Bill Steer, bass player Jeff Walker, drummer Ken Owen and a vocalist known only as 'Sanjiv' in Liverpool, England. Carcass quickly became known for their often sickening lyrics. Many of the words and phrases used in their songs were taken straight from pathology textbooks and a common theme to their earlier works was putting humans in the position of slaughtered cattle³.

Shortly after recording their first demo Carcass split while Ken Owen went to study Ecology at (name of college). It was during this period that Bill Steer appeared on Napalm Death's seminal debut album Scum⁴. In 1988 the band re-formed as a three piece without Sanjiv and with Bill and Jeff sharing vocal duties. It was this line up that released the legendary Reek of Putrefaction.

In 1989 Bill Steer and Jeff Walker appeared in the Red Dwarf episode Timeslides playing members of the teenage Lister's band 'Smeg and the Heads'.

In 1991 Carcass fell foul of the Obscene Publications Act after complaints had been made relating to the cover art for the albums Reek of Putrefaction and Symphonies of Sickness⁵, the police raided Earache Records and allegedly seized and destroyed all copies of the albums.

Later that year both albums were re-released with much tamer cover art and then in 2004 re-released again with the original art intact⁶.

In 1995 Carcass provided the backing music for a death metal version of Bjork's song Isobel which appeared on her Hyperballad EP.

We Reek of Putrefaction

Sanjiv (vocals - 1985-1987)
Very little is known about Carcass' original vocalist. A small photograph of him is included in the booklet that accompanies Wake up and Smell the Carcass.

Jeff Walker (Vocals, Bass - 1985-1996; 2008)

His debut solo album Welcome to Carcass C**try was released in May 2006.

Bill Steer (Guitar, Vocals - 1985-1996; 2008)

Carcass' true swansong came when Bill quit the band in 1996 having decided that they were getting too commercial. He now fronts blues-rock band Firebird.

Ken Owen (Drums - 1985-1996)

Michael Amott (Guitar 1990-1993; 2008)

Currently plays guitar with Arch Enemy.

Mike Hickey (Guitar - 1993-1995)

Carlo Regadas (Guitar - 1995)

Daniel Erlandsson (Drums - 2008)

Discography

Flesh Ripping Sonic Torment (Demo, 1985)

The demo is included on the 2008 re-release of Reek of Putrefaction.

Symphonies of Sickness (Demo, 1988)

Reek of Putrefaction (MOSH006 - Earache, 1988)

Suffering from a botched production job⁷ Reek of Putrefaction is regarded as both the best and the worst gridcore record ever released, and was John Peel's favourite album of 1988.

Symphonies of Sickness (MOSH018 – Earache, 1989)

Necrotism: Descanting The Insalubrious (MOSH097 - Earache 1991)

Heartwork (MOSH108 - Earache 1993)
Heartwork marked Carcass' true coming-of-age. While it is much more 'musical' than their previous offerings it is still Carcass through and through. This album also saw the final departure of the gore artwork⁸ and the pathology textbook song titles/lyrics.

Swansong (MOSH160 - Earache 1996)

Considered by many fans to be their weakest album Swansong was a moderate commercial success and features songs which are much more accessible to newcomers than any of the previous records.

Wake Up And Smell the Carcass (MOSH161 - Earache 1996)

A modest collection of B-sides and album tracks which take the listener on a backward journey through Carcass' career. Wake Up And Smell the Carcass is most notable because it includes a history of the band, including the only known photograph of original vocalist Sanjiv. An accompanying DVD (MOSH247) was released in 2001.

Choice Cuts (MOSH220 - Earache 2004)

Orginially slated for release in 1999⁹, the Choice Cuts compilation was delayed until 2004 following Ken Owen's near-fatal brain hemhorrage.