Macabre (band)
Encyclopedia
Macabre is an extreme metal
band from Illinois
. They were formed in 1985 in Chicago, Illinois
, and have never had a line-up change. They blend thrash metal
, death metal
, and grindcore
(sometimes with nursery rhymes and folk melodies) to form their own unique style dubbed murder metal. Lyrically, they have a strong focus on serial killer
s, mass murderers and a touch of sick gore humor. Most lyrics are based upon true stories and are about real infamous personalities. The content of the lyrics is historically accurate, and band members actually have known and met with convicted serial killers such as John Wayne Gacy
on a personal level. They also have a side project called the Macabre Minstrels that play acoustic camp fire songs. Their current label is Decomposed Records.
Macabre's music was strongly influenced by US and UK hardcore, grindcore, and death metal acts, ranging from The Accüsed
and Cryptic Slaughter
to Possessed
and Napalm Death
. Macabre's sickening sense of humor alienated casual metal listeners. However, it helped to gain a small but strong cult status among gore metal fans.
Extreme metal
Extreme metal is a loosely defined umbrella term for a number of related heavy metal music subgenres that have developed since the early 1980s. The term usually refers to a more abrasive, harsher, underground, non-commercialized style or sound nearly always associated with genres like black metal,...
band from Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. They were formed in 1985 in Chicago, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, and have never had a line-up change. They blend thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
, death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
, and grindcore
Grindcore
Grindcore is an extreme genre of music that started in the early- to mid-1980s. It draws inspiration from some of the most abrasive music genres – including death metal, industrial music, noise and the more extreme varieties of hardcore punk....
(sometimes with nursery rhymes and folk melodies) to form their own unique style dubbed murder metal. Lyrically, they have a strong focus on serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
s, mass murderers and a touch of sick gore humor. Most lyrics are based upon true stories and are about real infamous personalities. The content of the lyrics is historically accurate, and band members actually have known and met with convicted serial killers such as John Wayne Gacy
John Wayne Gacy
John Wayne Gacy, Jr. was an American serial killer, rapist and clown who sexually assaulted and murdered at least 33 teenage boys and young men between 1972 and 1978. Gacy buried 26 of his victims in the crawlspace of his home, buried three others elsewhere on his property, and discarded the...
on a personal level. They also have a side project called the Macabre Minstrels that play acoustic camp fire songs. Their current label is Decomposed Records.
Macabre's music was strongly influenced by US and UK hardcore, grindcore, and death metal acts, ranging from The Accüsed
The Accüsed
The Accüsed is a crossover thrash band from Seattle, WA, founded in 1981. They are considered to be an important progenitor of the crossover style that bridged the gap between thrashcore and thrash metal, later influencing grindcore and some crust punk bands; as well as an influential band in the...
and Cryptic Slaughter
Cryptic Slaughter
Cryptic Slaughter was a Santa Monica, California-based crossover thrash band.-Biography:Cryptic Slaughter was formed in 1984 by Les Evans , Scott Peterson and Adam Scott , who met through their mutual participation in the American Youth Soccer League . Soon they were joined by Bill Crooks , a...
to Possessed
Possessed (band)
Possessed is an American death metal band, originally formed in 1983. Noted for their fast style of playing and Jeff Becerra's guttural vocals, they are routinely called the first band in the death metal genre...
and Napalm Death
Napalm Death
Napalm Death are a death metal band formed in Birmingham, England in 1981. While none of its original members remain in the group, the lineup of vocalist Mark "Barney" Greenway, bassist Shane Embury, guitarist Mitch Harris and drummer Danny Herrera has remained consistent for most of the band's ...
. Macabre's sickening sense of humor alienated casual metal listeners. However, it helped to gain a small but strong cult status among gore metal fans.
Discography
- Grim Reality (1987)
- Shitlist (1987, 7")
- GloomGloom (album)Gloom is the debut album of Macabre, released in 1989. Several versions of this album exist. Some versions include the Grim Reality EP, other include a few live tracks and two songs from the Grim Reality EP.-Track listing:# "Embalmer"...
(1989) - Nightstalker (1993, 7")
- Sinister SlaughterSinister SlaughterSinister Slaughter is the second full-length album by American Death Metal band Macabre and was released in 1993 by Nuclear Blast Records. The cover artwork is a parody on the Beatles album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band featuring serial killers and mass murderers instead of famous people...
(1993) - Behind the Wall of SleepBehind the Wall of SleepBehind the Wall of Sleep is an EP by Macabre released in 1994 by Nuclear Blast Records. It contains three new tracks and one cover of Black Sabbath's song "Behind the Wall of Sleep" from their 1970 debut album Black Sabbath....
(1994, EP) - UnabomberUnabomber (album)Unabomber is an EP by the American heavy metal band Macabre released in 1999.-Track listing:# "The Unabomber" - Theodore Kaczynski# "Ambassador Hotel" - Jeffrey Dahmer# "The Brain" - Jeffrey Dahmer# "David Brom Took an Axe" - David Brom# "Dr...
(1999, EP) - DahmerDahmer (album)Dahmer is a concept album by American grindcore/death metal band Macabre about Jeffrey Dahmer released in 2000. The songs comprise a biography of the life of Jeffrey Dahmer; therefore they are in chronological order.-Track listing:# "Dog Guts" – 3:15...
(2000) - Capitalist Casualties / Macabre (2000, split with Capitalist CasualtiesCapitalist Casualties-Discography:*Nuclear National Park demo *The Art of Ballistics EP *Disassembly Line LP *Raised Ignorant EP *split EP with The Dread *split EP with Discordance Axis *split EP with Millions of Dead Cops...
) - Macabre Minstrels: Morbid Campfire SongsMacabre Minstrels: Morbid Campfire SongsMorbid Campfire Songs is an EP by the band Macabre Minstrels - a side project of Macabre. It was released in 2002 by Decomposed Records. The EP contains acoustic songs with the tongue-in-cheek lyrics of Macabre...
(2002) - Drill Bit Lobotomy (2003, 7")
- Murder MetalMurder Metal-Track listing:# "Acid Bath Vampire" – 3:46 - John George Haigh# "You're Dying to Be with Me" – 2:43 - Dennis Nilsen# "Fatal Foot Fetish" – 2:08 - Jerry Brudos# "The Hillside Stranglers" – 1:38 - Angelo Buono, Jr...
(2003) - Macabre Electric & Acoustic Two CD Set (2004, 2CD set including the CDs Murder Metal and Macabre Minstrels)
- True Tales of Slaughter and SlayingTrue Tales of Slaughter and SlayingTrue Tales Of Slaughter and Slaying is a live DVD recording by Macabre performing on stage in Dordrecht, Holland.This is the band's debut DVD released for their 20th anniversary.-Track listing:# Zodiac# Jack the Ripper# Serial Killer...
(2006, DVD) - Grim Reality (2009) - re-issue featuring the remastered 80's version and a Neil Kernon remix version
- Human Monsters (2010, EP)
- Grim Scary Tales (2011)
Members
- Corporate Death (Lance Lencioni) - guitars, vocals
- Nefarious (Charles Lescewicz) - bass guitar, vocals
- Dennis the Menace (Dennis Ritchie) - drums