Roadrunner "Retaliation" - Carnivore

Under the term "Metalcore" we have a real trend of combining Hardcore attitude with Thrash/Death Metal riffs. But this idea is anything but new, in the 80s that ran under the category "Crossover" (before bands such as FAITH NO MORE, MORDRED, ...) and had bands like D.R.I. and SUICIDAL TENDENCIES as their forerunners. Not to forget Peter Steele's (TYPE O NEGATIVE) first band CARNIVORE and their ultimate hate fest "Retaliation".

For me this album is one of the best Crossover albums of all times. Here the rough catchiness of old VENOM and the mean guitar attacks of a Tony Iommi are hunted through a wind tunnel and then unleashed upon mankind. And where is the connection to Hardcore Punk? Who knows the super fast riffs knows, right? But with all speed CARNIVORE never forgot to put in variety and used several slower, but all the more brutal parts in their songs. If this album hasn't inspired several of today's big Death Metal bands, I'll lick my own anus.

I can't say much about the extreme lyrics, because the free beer pressing of Roadrunner Records back then did not have any, but as our chief Alex had told me a while back, the lyrics are very brutal, but not fascist. The CD has been re-done a while back with several (demo) bonus songs. As extreme Metaller you need to know that. (Online May 20, 2005)