Macabre
Murder Metal

January 2003
Released: 2003, Season of Mist
Rating: 4.0/5
Reviewer: Enygma

Before reading the rest of this review, check out the names of the first three tracks of this album. If you don't see any humour in that whatsoever, then this album is most certainly not for you. See, the thing is this: Macabre is a fifteen-year old band (without a single line-up change!) specialising in macabre tales of true murder. Somewhat tongue-in-cheek tales of true murder, it needs to be added. Macabre is probably the world's most successful death metal comedy act (I dare you to contemplate the existence of the death metal comedy genre for a little while). Their previous album dealt with Dahmer, the serial killer who recently inspired a movie. Now they return with thirteen tales of serial killers.



In order to tell such delightfully gruesome stories, a combination of razor-sharp wit and great music is needed. Macabre pulls it off immaculately. The music is very enjoyable death metal with plenty of groove and solid musicianship. The lyrics are delivered with a rhythmic precision that at times sounds like a gory nursery rhyme. Every murder setting is evoked with lavish musical detail. For example, the last track about a German butcher who *cough* made tasty sausages for his unsuspecting customers is introduced by a German oompa tune. Speaking of old Fritz Haarman: his track is sung in German, with the hilarious phrase "mache Leberwurst aus dir" (gonna make liver sausage out of you) delivered in a delectable nursery rhyme chant.



Asked if he could make up any of these fiendish tales, Corporate Death admitted: "I could, but then it wouldn't be true crime". This is certainly the funniest music I have heard since Tenacious D. If you have even the slightest inclination towards black humour, get hold of this album by all means.