Macabre is an American extreme metal band from Chicago. Since their formation in 1985, the band has featured the same three members with no lineup changes. The group's style blends thrash metal, death metal, and grindcore (sometimes with nursery rhymes and folk melodies). Lyrically, Macabre have a strong focus on serial killers, mass murderers and humorous elements. The group is currently signed to Nuclear Blast.
Influences
Macabre's music was strongly influenced by US and UK hardcore, grindcore, and death metal acts, ranging from Venom, The Accüsed, Suicidal Tendencies, and Cryptic Slaughter to Possessed and Napalm Death. Macabre's dark sense of humor alienated casual metal listeners, however it helped to gain a small but strong cult status.
Some of the serial killers mentioned in their songs are:
Bob Berdella (The Kansas City Butcher) Henry Lee Lucas (The Confession Killer) David Berkowitz (Son of Sam) Ted Bundy Ted Kaczynski (The Unabomber) Vlad the Impaler Ed Gein (The Butcher of Plainfield) Charles Manson Jeffrey Dahmer (The Milwaukee Cannibal) John Wayne Gacy (The Killer Clown) Jack the Ripper Edmund Kemper (The Co-ed Killer) Peter Kürten (The Vampire of Düsseldorf) Herman Mudgett (H.H. Holmes) Richard Ramirez (The Night Stalker) Gary Ridgway (The Green River Killer) Zodiac Joe Ball (The Alligator Man)
Members
Nefarious (Charles Lescewicz) – bass, vocals (1984–present) Dennis the Menace (Dennis Ritchie) – drums (1984–present) Corporate Death (Lance Lencioni) – guitar, vocals (1984–present)
Discography
Studio albums
Gloom (1989) Sinister Slaughter (1993) Dahmer (2000) Murder Metal (2003) Grim Scary Tales (2011) Carnival of Killers (2020)
Demos, Video, LP, EP, Compilations
Shitlist (1987) Grim Reality (1987) Shitlist" (1988, 7") Nightstalker" (1991, 7") Behind the Wall of Sleep (1994, EP) Unabomber (1999, EP) Capitalist Casualties / Macabre(2001, split with Capitalist Casualties) Morbid Campfire Songs (2002, as the Macabre Minstrels) Drill Bit Lobotomy (2002, 7") Macabre Electric & Acoustic Two CD Set (2004, 2-CD set including the CDs Murder Metal and Macabre Minstrels) True Tales of Slaughter and Slaying (2006, DVD) Grim Reality (2008) − re-issue featuring the remastered 1980s version and a Neil Kernon remix version Human Monsters (2010, EP) Slaughter Thy Poser(2012, EP)