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Class 6(66)
Carnivore: Retaliation
15/12/10 || Khlysty
Introduction
It is a well known fact that, before making it be with Type O Negative, dearly departed Pete Steele was a member of the Brooklynese hardcore/thrash crossover band Carnivore, who had so much relation to his latter project as former GD staffer Smalley has with good taste in music. Carnivore was mean, green, hardcore-punk fast and extremely political, writing aggressive songs about Catlicks, nuclear war, death, social inequality, poverty, religion, Reaganomics and other fun-fun-*FUN* subjects. Carnivore, as it happens with all the high-entropy, highly-combustible materials, created two great records (“Carnivore” and “Retaliation”) and split in late 1987, only to reform, mainly to play some shows here and there, for a coupla times, until Pete died in 2010, thus making such a gig highly improbable.
Anyway, “Retaliation” is supposed –rightly so- to be Carnivore’s best effort and one of the definitive “crossover” records; that is, a record that takes the best from thrash metal and hardcore punk and combines them in such a way, as to make the mix as aggressive, ugly and inflammatory as possible. Actually, when I first listened to “Retaliation”, I really though that it was a hardcore punk record, what with its hyperspeed drumming, shouted vocals and simple riffing. It took me quite a few spins to really see the thrash metal elements, like some complex song structures, more technicality that was at the time normally allowed in a “pure” hXc band, y’know, the stuffs that characterize crossoverism. Whatever… “Retaliation” is one hell of a fucken good record for moshing it out, if you catch my drift.
Songwriting
8. Has more in common with bands like Fear, D.R.I. or Nuclear Assault, than with Bay Area thrash of the time. It’s thrash, awrighty, but it’s also hXc. The songs are mainly based on speed and aggression and the band seems to consciously not go for much technicality or flash; instead, they seem totally concerned in making the songs sound as pissed-off and assaulting as possible. Of course, this being as crossover as it gets, the tunes have quite a few parts each, which means that the band members need to be focused, to make things work properly, which, incidentally, they do. Noo Yawk Citey thrash always had these little quirks, when compared with Cali-thrash, and Carnivore is no exception, doing this brutal take on the genre. I like it a lot and so should everyone else. Oh, and Jimi’s “Manic Depression” cover has to be heard to be believed.
Production
7. Sounds a bit muddy and not as powerful as the material calls for. Probably recorded on the cheap and, after all, what do punks need a better production for, right?
Guitars
8. Cool-sounding guitar in this one. Marc Piovanetti’s no Rave Dave or Captain Kirk, but he doesn’t need to be, if you know what I mean. He just has to be noisy and ugly (he tone is positively yucky in the best sense of the word), to shred when need be and to add a coupla leads here and there, adding flava in the otherwise aggressive and intense mix. ‘S okey-dokey, I suppose.
Vocals
7,5. In this here record, good ole Pete is up there with the best of ‘em hardcore punk shouters, never letting up on piss-offedness, ugliness and anger. He shouts and shouts and shouts and, then, shouts some more. Definitely good and proper for the material at hand.
Bass
8. Pete also handles bass duties here and provides the music with some pretty cool bottom end and stability, especially in the warp-speed parts. Also, his bass is detectable, which is a bonus when talking ‘bout thrash or, even, crossover. Good job, man. Wonder why you had to go die. Shit.
Drums
8,5. Louie Beato, what with a name like that, had better beat the living shit outta his kit. Which he does. Very punky, seems to like d-beat as much as anyone else, while also pretty versatile. Good ole Beato.
Lyrics
7. Pretty standard stuff, for the time “Retaliation” came out. Political stuff, war, religion, kittens, doggies, Barbara Bush… y’know the story, so I won’t expand on it.
Cover art
6,5. Also pretty standard. ICBMs, soldiers in anti-radiation suits, awful color scheme. That’s all.
Logo
3. No logo, just the band name in letters like those on old digital watches. Nothing to really write home about.
Booklet
3. The one I have is quite unremarkable.
Overall and ending rant
“Retaliation” is not the kind of record that would appeal to fans of more technically-inclined thrash, as it aims mainly for aggression, assaulting power and punk-informed speed. I tend to consider it as a good example of a record that perfectly represents a specific age, time and band mentality. That’s not to say, of course, that it has no lasting power, or that it has aged badly, ‘cause nothing of the two happens here. It’s still one of the best crossover records and, if one likes his metal with a healthy dose of punk –as I do, from time to time- “Retaliation” is the perfect soundtrack for breaking things up. So, it rightly gets a well-deserved…
- Information
- Released: 1987
- Label: Roadrunner Records
- Website: www.inner-conflict.com
- Band
- Pete Steele: vocals, bass
- Marc Piovanetti: guitar, vocals
- Louie Beato: drums
- Tracklist
- 01. Jack Daniels and pizza
- 02. Angry Neurotic Catholics
- 03. S.M.D.
- 04. Race War
- 05. Ground Zero Brooklyn
- 06. Inner Conflict
- 07. Jesus Hitler
- 08. Technophobia
- 09. Manic Depression
- 10. U.S.A. for U.S.A.
- 11. Five Billion Dead
- 12. Sex and Violence
