CARCASS — Flesh Ripping Sonic Torment (review)

CARCASS — Flesh Ripping Sonic Torment album cover

Demo · 1987 · Grindcore

3/5 · 2023-05-16
UMUR

"Flesh Ripping Sonic Torment" is the first demo release by UK goregrind act Carcass. The thirteen tracks on the 20:20 minutes long demo were recorded more or less live in the studio during one session in the summer of 1987. This was just a few months after guitarist Bill Steer has also become a permanent member of Napalm Death, who at that point had a higher underground profile than Carcass, but Steer´s heart was primarly in Carcass with his two friends Jeff Walker and Ken Owen. The early incarnation of Carcass featured the trio of Steer on guitars, Owen on drums, and the former Electro Hippies lead vocalist Walker bass. The vocals were performed by weirdo Liverpool local Andrew Pek (credited here as Sanjiv), who was only a member of Carcass long enough to sing on this demo and perform one show with them, before the other three opted to share the vocal duties between them. Soon after releasing "Flesh Ripping Sonic Torment", Carcass was signed by Earache Records for the release of their debut full-length studio album "Reek of Putrefaction" (June 1988). All tracks from "Flesh Ripping Sonic Torment" (except "Die In Pain") were re-recorded and included on "Reek of Putrefaction", although some appear with altered titles.

Stylistically this is probably one of the earliest goregrind releases, although US grindcore/death metal band Genocide/Repulsion had done something similar the year before (Impetigo could also be mentioned as a contemporary artists with some similar musical/thematic traits). Carcass just took the next step and added ultra fast blast beats, vile and nasty lyrics/imagery, and a level of chaotic brutality unheard of at that point. You had artists like Siege, Napalm Death, Extreme Noise Terror, Discharge, and Heresy, who all pushed the limits of hardcore punk to the extreme (some more than others), but the added gore/horror elements and murky nature of the early Carcass releases made them stand out from most other contemporary grindcore artists who primarily dealt with sociopolitical lyrical themes (except of course Genocide/Repulsion and Impetigo who also dealt in gore and horror).

The sound quality of the demo is murky, lo-fi, and raw, but a bit surprisingly it´s better and more clear sounding than the ultra murky and noisy sound production on "Reek of Putrefaction", and it´s more audible on "Flesh Ripping Sonic Torment" that Carcass already this early on wrote some pretty sharp, brutal, and catchy riffs. The tracks alternate between mid-paced heavy brutality and chaotic blast beat sections, with Sanjiv´s raw shouting/growing vocals on top. Although his vocals aren´t quite as sick as the vocals which would appear on "Reek of Putrefaction", they are still well performed, effective, and fitting the music perfectly. While this is arguably a seminal goregrind release which along with "Reek of Putrefaction" would influence hordes of artists to play fast grindcore/death metal and produce vile, sick, and outrageous imagery and lyrics, it´s naturally also a very raw, primitive, and unpolished release, which leaves a bit to be desired if you´d like to hear every detail in the mix. Yeah you guessed right, that´s not possible...still a 3 star (60%) rating isn´t all wrong, and it´s definitely worth seeking out for historical value alone, but you may actually also find some ear melting sonic output to enjoy.