Carnage: Dark Recollections

Carnage was a Swedish death metal band that released one album in their lifespan: “Dark Recollections”. To say that this album (which in its own right is historic) holds a lot of history and influence in the Swedish death metal scene is an understatement.  Carnage, was most notably known for being comprised of members that would eventually go on to form the band, Dismember. However, Carnage would also showcase Micahel Amott, who would go on to join Carcass and Johan Liiva, who with Amott, would form Arch Enemy (and Spiritual Beggars). Some members also had their hands involved with the band, Entombed during its earliest stages.  Quite a lot of name dropping, no?

Now, if you think that just because Carnage’s members are mostly consisting of future Dismember members that “Dark Recollections” would sound similar to a Dismember album, well, you’d be right. “Dark Recollections” is chock full of the down-tuned, buzz saw riffs that create the trademark distorted sound that Dismember have played during their career. In addition, the groovy and bluesy sound of Entombed come through on many of the rhythms throughout the albums, which given the connection of the country of origin and former band ties, comes as no surprise. There are a number of melodic hooks at beginning of most songs that capture the listener and then transform into heavy, gloomy riffs that carry both the Swedish death metal sound as well as a steady pulsating beat that drive the songs forward. Melodies not dissimilar to Entombed’s bluesy, death are heard, picking away over top the ripping leads while solos pop up from time to time. Some are short and sweet, while others are merely guitar fills that add a quick burst of flair to a song.

The drums at times may see a little straight forward, but they display plenty of crushing power, blistering speed and add a great deal to the rhythms. Their murky sound plays wonderfully with the distortion of both the guitars and the vocals, which allows everything to harmonize into the creation of a dark and harsh atmosphere. The bass lurks in the background and at times, can be heard, but only when the guitars tend to either fade out or simply step back and allow the bass to come forward, which only occurs for briefs stints. The use of synths is sparse and add an extra hint of despair on a few songs, but are not by any means a major influence on the overall sound.

Matti Kärki’s vocals, as you might image, bring about sounds of Dismember, but there are something about the sound of his voice that differs between the two bands. The similarities are many, but on “Dark Recollections” Karki seems to have a darker and grittier sound than they would on “Like an Ever Flowing Stream”. Either way, the vocals inspire a sort of madness that reflect the mood of the album and bring the imagery of the cover art to life.

At any rate, one might say that, reading a review of “Like and Ever Flowing Stream” or “Left Hand Path” would sum up this album succinctly and while the similarities are palpable, “Dark Recollections” is more than an amalgam of said bands. One way or the other, Carnage may have only survived for one album, but it is a solid slab of Swedish death metal whose sound would spill outward onto the Swedish scene. I’ve always felt “Dark Recollections” has an important place in the history book of heavy metal and is an album I always recommend to those getting into the melodic/Swedish side of death metal.

Highlights: “Death Evocation” “Dark Recollections” “Torn Apart”

Rating: 4