Customer Reviews

Carnivore

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The twisted genius of Pete Steele is now synonymous with the tragi-romantic Gothicism of Type O Negative. However, many Type O fans are oblivious to the fact Pete was once a hardcore hero, in one of the leading bands in the New York crossover scene in the mid to late 80s.
On first listen, this is pretty raw stuff, for it's day. It's a relentless pounding of percussive New York style thrash, reminiscent of Nuclear Assault and SOD, with a leaden guitar sound, double kick drum barrages, Agnostic Front style shout along choruses, and Pete's surprisingly clearly annunciated voice over it all.
Lyrically, the album is as testosterone laden and muscle headed as the music. The subject matter runs through male chauvinism, post-nucear society where the law of the jungle rules, war, motorcycle gangs, um, war, and er... armageddon. Much of Type O's material deals with messed up relationships. Perhaps there are a few clues as to where the inspiration for such things came from:
"I Detect the scent of prey by/Her menstruation/You have been chosen the main course/Congratulations" or the delightful "Testosterone mates with adrenaline/Bearing a son of insane aggression/Women will never know or understand/The power men feel to kill with their hands".
It all sounds rather bleak and sexist, and perhaps it is, but there's something which sets Carnivore apart from thrash metal bands of the time. There are melodies, musical nuances, and subtleties not immediately noticeable up first inspection. An example: In the middle of the pounding track "Male Supremacy" there is an acoustic break in the music, and suddenly Pete Steele's voice comes back in, not as a hardcore shout, but as the threatrical bass singing voice so recogniseable on Type O Negative albums. It's inspirational stuff!
There are hidden melodies and hook lines throughout the album. Many of the tracks could have been heads-down, charge-for-the-finish-line type songs which fly past unnoticed, but instead the listener is drawn in to shout-along choruses and unexpected melodies. You'll find yourself chanting "Armageddon" to the chorus of the track of the same name.
Many 80s thrash and crossover bands never reached the heights Carnivore attained on just their debut, but this remains a little known treasure, when it should have been remembered as a classic, mentioned in the same breath as Nuclear Assault, Exodus, and the dreadfully over rated Testament.

Carnivore is one of the most unique bands ever. No other bands out there sounds like Carnivore. They take thrash metal and combine it with Black Sabbath riffs and a heavy New York Hardcore influence. There is also a Black Flag influence here too. There is so much anger and cynicism in Peter Steels voice, just like Henry Rollins, that adds so much to the vibe of the album and it makes it very relatable to metal heads. Carnivore is fun album with lyrics about nuclear holocaust, armageddon, being a man, drinking beer, riding motorcycles and terrorizing people in a post apocalyptic wasteland. With lyrics like these how can you not love them?

Good heavy cd...very memorable..but yeah musically doesn't compare with the likes of Slayer or Metallica...but this is way worth your money for tracks like "Predator, Carnivore, God Is Dead, and WW 3 and 4"....a definite must for any fan of Peter Steele..or any metal lover in particular...worth your money.

Before he formed the wonderful band Type O Negative, Peter Steele headed this intense thrash band called Carnivore. It is rumored that most of their shows ended within 15 minutes of them taking the stage. This album has more of a death metal feel to it than their speedcore followup "Retalliation." Some of the best tracks are "Carnivore, Male Supremacy, Armageddon, and World Wars III and IV." Be warned.....The lyrics are extremely offensive toward women and people of a christian/catholic background.

This is some classic metal from the earlt hardcore scene in NYC . A must have for fans of Type O Negative !!!

If anybody associates themselves with 80's thrash or hardcore, they had to have crossed paths with Carnivore. Take it or leave it, Carnivore were innovators of crossover thrash, and unlike many other crossover bands, Carnivore get the formula correct.

The debut album, Carnivore, is a lot doomier and thrashier than "Retaliation", but this is probably for the better because "Carnivore" is a vastly more solid release.

This albums is a classic in every way. Almost every song is memorable and you do, indeed, remember it. A common trademark of Peter Steele's music, especially this album, is the burning sense of humor. All the lyrics are clever and exceptional, and reading the liner notes/lyrics is a treat in itself.

Some noteworthy tracks: Predator, Carnivore, Legion of Doom, Armageddon, World Wars III and IV.

This remastered edition is a major plus, the 3 demo tracks are a really handy bonus to have and give a good primitive sound to some off their later tracks.

Carnivore's 1st cd was perhaps one of the most offensive nasty albums on the mid 80's....this is some hardcore and hateful, ticked off music...very egotistical and how somebody else quoted.."Muscle-Headed" but it all makes for a truly memorable album....song's like "Predator", "Carnivore", and "Armageddon" will have you chanting the catchy little coruses associated with those songs...all of the stuff from "Retaliation" is in this the 1st album...but Pete's voice sounds more uh...digitized? "Retaliation" may have been slightly more heavy as well...but this is still a Peter Steele classic and shouldn't be overlooked by any Steele fan as this too is an interesting listen and a fine chunk of Steele.

This 1985 landmark debut still ranks among the top of my metal collection. Together of course with it's successor 'Retaliation' (1987), the second and final Carnivore instalment. What would have been the third, 'None More Negative', later became 'Slow, deep and hard' , the debut album from singer / writer / bass player Peter Steele's new band Type O Negative.

Carnivore, the band, is brutal, pounding, sawing and grinding, but also surprisingly chique and top notch hardcore metal. Trash, but with a mind behind it. That, and ten gallons of pure blood squirting anger.
The lyrics are 'multi interpretable' at least and 'red-neck tough talk' at most, even more on the 'Retaliation' album. But in his growing 'more mainstream' Type O-carreer Peter Steele apologised numerous times for all the right-winged negativeness in his early, small minded interviews, and as such, the two albums of hatecore, can be seen more as the outings of a frustrated adolescent, than any serious attempt to make political statements.

So the final judgement: Carnivore in the new century gets the benefit of the doubt. The album "Carnivore" here has 'survival of the fitest' as main theme, one would guess. Male supremacy combined with the exploitation of a suggested World War III (and even IV) and such devestating disasters as a thermonucleair holocaust.
'God is dead' is the title of one of the songs, but the message is that he was killed by mankind, and not some 'outer worldly, diabolical force'. The song 'Armageddon' preceeds as does 'Legion of doom', in which a post-world-war gang of barbarian motorcyclists rule the face of the earth, being meat eaters in every way they can.

The title track is a homage to the oral sexual act on a woman, but it's the male who really benefits from the entire ordeal. The opening song 'Predator' with it's electronically sampled sounds of war and mayhem, combines the themes of both sex and survival.
Domination is the key word here, but 'survival' is the driving force behind it. I guess Mr. Steele was or is in his personal life a loner and a survavalist as well. One man who rules all and takes no prisoner, deeply scared he'd be some one's prisonner himself one day.

The enitre Carnivore act itself was pretty dominating as well at that time. The three angry young trashers ruled the stage, wrapped in animal fur and ice hockey gear, and frontman Peter Steele (then selfproclaimed Lord Peterus T. Steele) standing tall at a mere 2 meters, hovering over the audience, taking no sh*t from no one and being a menace all of his own.

This was the first album featuring Pete Steele, later to find considerable fame as front man of Type O Negative. If your a fan of TON, then Carnivore's debut may not appeal to you as much as their second album "Retaliation". The guitar playing is very repetitive, the vocals monotonous, while the songs lack the varied dynamics and inspired lyrics that are the hallmark of Type O's finest moments. In short, this is an average early 1980's thrash album, and only of interest because of what was to follow ...

Awesome cd with powerful riffs, and a great beat, wow Pete's voice sounds diffrnt, this cd is all abt sex, to the end of the world to God, the devil, Christianity and murder, wow awesome, but yes i am a huge type o fan and say to u if u do not like type o's first album slow, deep, and hard, then dont check these guys out, they arent for u, now if u love it witch i do , check this out it rocks, hard to find though...