Cephalic Carnage

Cephalic Carnage is an American grindcore band formed in 1992 in Denver, Colorado. The band comprises founding members vocalist Lenzig Leal and guitarist Zac Joe, drummer John Merryman and guitarist Steve Goldberg, who both joined in 1996, and bassist Nick Schendzielos, who joined in 2006. Cephalic Carnage has released five studio albums and toured in North America, Europe and Japan.

Cephalic Carnage plays a technically proficient deathgrind style, experiments with other genres and incorporates songs of joke nature into their albums, such as parodies of black metal or metalcore. They refer themselves as "rocky mountain hydro grind".

History

Conforming to Abnormality, Exploiting Dysfunction and Lucid Interval (1992–2003)

Cephalic Carnage formed in Denver, Colorado, in 1992. Vocalist Lenzig Leal and guitarist Zac Joe recorded a demo EP titled Scrape My Lungs in 1993, but the duo took a break until 1996, when they recruited drummer John Merryman, guitarist Steve Goldberg and bassist Doug Williams.^[1][2] Merryman also colaborated with Secret Chiefs 3.^[3] Soon after the reformation, their second demo EP Fortuitous Oddity was released. During 1997, Cephalic Carnage financed its own tour across the United States.^[1][2]

In 1998, the band caught the attention of Italian record label Headfucker Records, which released the band's debut album Conforming to Abnormality that year. After this release, Williams left in 1999 and joined Origin. After he was replaced by Jawsh Mullen, the band toured at the Milwaukee Metalfest in 1998, the Dallas Grindfest, the Ohio Deathfest and the Denver Hatefest in 1999.^[1][2]

In 2000, Cephalic Carnage signed to the American heavy metal record label Relapse Records and released its second album Exploiting Dysfunction, which included a tour with Napalm Death and The Dillinger Escape Plan. Lucid Interval, the band's third album, was recorded in early 2002 and released in August that year.^[1][2] The band toured a month later in Canada^[4] and subsequently in the U.S. with German thrash metal "veterans" Kreator and Destruction.^[2][5] In May 2003 the band undertook the "North American Contamination" tour alongside Mastodon and others. That September, Cephalic Carnage and Madball supported Hatebreed on the North American "Rise of Brutality" tour.^[2]

Anomalies and Xenosapien (2004–present)

In September 2004, the band recorded its next album, Anomalies, with producer Dave Otero. Darren Doane directed a promotional music video for "Dying Will Be the Death of Me",^[2] which premiered at MTV's Headbanger's Ball.^[6] The song is a parody of American metalcore.^[7] In March 2005, Anomalies was released, and the band toured in North America once again.^[2]

Mullen exited in January 2006 to prioritize his education and other acts,^[2] and the band soon found replacement Nick Schendzielos.^[8] In March, the band's recording studio was robbed.^[9] They played several shows in the United States in April, and an extensive European tour followed in June^[2] with Darkest Hour.^[10] The band recorded its next studio album between November and December 2006,^[8] and its release was set for May 2007 under the title Xenosapien. In March 2007, the band supported Brujeria on U.S. dates^[2] and subsequently embarked on "Xenosapien World Tour",^[11] which started in continental Europe on May 4,^[12] continued in United Kingdom and Ireland in May^[2][12] and resumed in the "Summer Slaughter" trek (dubbed the "Summer’s Laughter" by band members)^[13] across the U.S. throughout June and July along with Decapitated among others.^[2][11] The band also filmed a music video for the song "Endless Cycle of Violence".^[11] On November 20, 2007, the band's van was robbed. Their "recent earnings from the tour (close to $4,000), a laptop with more than $2,000 in music-software programs loaded, an iPod and various personal items" were stolen.^[14]

Cephalic Carnage participated in a "mini-tour" of Japan in May 2009, performing in Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo.^[2] In June 2009, Cephalic Carnage, along with Cattle Decapitation and Withered, pulled out of the Blackenedfest tour due to organization problems and said they were "getting on with writing the next full length, (...) as well as finishing construction of our late night poutine stand, where we will serve country-fried giraffe eggs and your favorite French-Canadian specialty."^[15] In October 2009, the band released a music video for the song "Vaporized" while writing a new album and announced a planned concert DVD entitled Live At Your Mom's House.^[16][17]

Musical style

Allmusic describes the style of Cephalic Carnage as "crazy concoction of truly experimental grindcore, death metal, and jazz".^[1] Their music varies from death-grind,^[18][19] technical death metal,^[20] occasional surf rock,^[21] instrumental, to flamenco interludes^[22] or violin-and-sax ambient jams.^[23] Their early style is typically progressive and technically proficient, with some comedic songs. Their later work developed into a more experimental,^[24] complex direction.^[22] Allmusic described the musicianship of Cephalic Carnage as "flawless".^[22] The band dubbed their style "Rocky Mountain hydro-grind".^[25]

Cephalic Carnage is also known for its humorous songs. Popmatters points out some examples: "On past albums, the band has taken satirical swipes at the overtly image-oriented black metal ("Black Metal Sabbath") and the oversaturated, angst-ridden metalcore sound ("Dying Will Be the Death of Me"), and even in live settings, they’re not above taking the odd spontaneous piss-take to bring some levity to a situation. One notorious YouTube clip has a fight starting in the pit at a Cephalic show in Toronto, and in an inspired moment, the band launches into a rousing excerpt from "Eye of the Tiger", to a raucous ovation from the kids."^[20]

Members

Zac Joe

Lenzig Leal

Steve Goldberg

Nick Schendzielos

Discography

References

External links

• Media related to Cephalic Carnage at Wikimedia Commons

Official website

• Cephalic Carnage at MySpace

Interviews, videos

• Making of "Dying Will Be the Death of Me" by Roxwel
• Lenzig Leal interview by Metal Injection
• Cephalic Carnage interview at Neurotic Deathfest
• Making of Xenosapien Webisode #1, Relapse Records
• Making of Xenosapien Webisode #2, Relapse Records