MACABRE - Carnival Of Killers
November 25, 2020, 4 years ago
(Nuclear Blast)
Illinois murder metal freakies Macabre are truly one of a kind, the trio—same members since 1985!—dishing out albums when they feel like it, and we’ll always be here to listen, because it’s not like anyone else creates music even remotely like this. Carnival Of Killers, the band’s first since 2011’s Grim Scary Tales, continues with the psycho nursery-rhyme prog-grind-death Macabre does so well, every song here (all about killing, serial killers, etc. etc.) showcasing the incredible playing abilities of the band, who refuse to take themselves too seriously despite having such chops.
Check out the hilarious “Joe Ball Was His Name”, which honestly, literally, sounds like no other extreme metal band ever; “Stinky” follows it up by getting even more bonkers, the trio hitting the nursery-rhyme circuit hard here, with a stop at the circus along the way. “Them Dry Bones” has to be heard to be believed; “Richard Speck Grew Big Breasts” has a classic Macabre chorus for the ages. All told, what we have here is peak Macabre, as good as their classics, and, considering the smiles it brings on every listen, an essential 2020 release.
