Carnage

by Ed Rivadavia
Sweden's Carnage were spawned by the same small, close-knit scene which gave birth to Entombed in the late '80s. Fueled by the booming death metal underground tape trading network, the group infused the lessons of American acts, like Death and Morbid Angel, with the sounds of British grind core exponents, like Napalm Death and Carcass, to create a somewhat unique niche all their own. Its membership in constant flux, the band's early lineup included vocalist/bassist Johan Liiva Axelsson, guitarist Michael Amott, guitarist/bassist Johnny Dordevic, and drummer Jeppe Larsson. After two demos which were widely distributed in cassette form, the group recorded their only bona fide record, 1990's Dark Recollections with new members, vocalist Matt Karki, guitarist David Blomkuist, and drummer Fred Estby. Such constant musician turnover proved too much to deal with, however, and the band disintegrated even before the album's release. Amott moved on to greater fame with a long stint in Carcass, and later Arch Enemy and Spiritual Beggars. Dordevic briefly joined Entombed as lead vocalist, and most of the remaining band members formed Dismember.