Carcass is recognized as pioneers in the grindcore genre. Their early work was also associated with tags like "splatter death metal" and "hardgore," owing to their macabre lyrics and gruesome album covers. Moreover, their 1993 album Heartwork contributed to their status as pioneers of melodic death metal.
The band frequently explores animal rights issues in their lyrics, and some members follow vegetarian or vegan lifestyles.
Studio albums
Reek of Putrefaction (1988)
Symphonies of Sickness (1989)
Necroticism - Descanting the Insalubrious (1991)
Heartwork (1993)
Swansong (1996)
Surgical Steel (2013)
Torn Arteries (2021)
A Wraith in the Apparatus
Carcass Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The emperor's new clothes syndrome
This diabolical transparency
Transitional seasonal change
Come palpate the shame
Another reign another dogma
Another shibboleth passes away
A gilded new church
A false god to worship
Blind acceptance with no repentance
A jaded new church
A false deity to service
God save the king
Send out succour
There's a wraith in the apparatus
Long live the king
Genuflect before this mammon
A false idol to revere
A corrupt church of the blind
Cathedral of idiocrasy
A malfunctioning mechanism
A new hymn of praise to sing
But I serve only the true monarch
God save the king
A bewitching ritual to seduce you all
Apocryphal church a false god to worship
Fallacious disingenuous
Lords of the illusional new church
Pre fabricated pope to service
God save the king
Send out succour
There's a wraith in the apparatus
Long live the king
Repent
Necessity is the smotherer of all invention
God save the king
Send out succour
There's a wraith in the apparatus
God save
The lyrics of "A Wraith in the Apparatus" by Carcass criticize organized religion, particularly the deceitful practices of the church. The chorus is a call for divine intervention to purge the corruption within. The opening lines compare the one who cries out against the deceitful church to the fabled boy who cried wolf. This is because people don't believe the boy since he has lied before, similarly people don't pay attention to the cries of the singer because the church's false teachings have numbed them. The next line references "The Emperor's New Clothes" where the Emperor wears nothing but still people around him cheer his new attire because no one wants to go against the majority. This is the analogous to the people in the church, who either don't notice or pretend not to notice the corruption that is prevalent. The lyrics then mention that this deceitful behavior is seen in various ways through the diabolical transparency and the transitional seasonal change. The singer calls again for people to pay attention and palpate the shame.
The next lines in the song describe the new church, The hymn of the new church professes false gods, and people blindly accept the new church with no repentance in their hearts. The priest of this church is corrupt and is called the pre-fabricated pope. The singer calls on them to repent for their false worship, particularly calling out the obscure new church and their illusional lords. The call for God to save the king refers to God's divine intervention to bring back good governance in the land, purging this corrupt church from their position of power.
Line by Line Meaning
Little boy cries wolf for he cannot see
Someone is raising a false alarm because they don't have a clear understanding of the situation.
The emperor's new clothes syndrome
People are blindly accepting something as true because of their trust in authority, even if there is no evidence supporting it.
This diabolical transparency
The information being shared is corrupt or evil, even though it appears to be truthful or open.
Transitional seasonal change
A shift in power or leadership is happening, like the change of seasons.
Come palpate the shame
Feel the embarrassment and guilt associated with the situation.
Another reign another dogma
A new ruler or leader will bring a new set of beliefs or principles to follow.
Another shibboleth passes away
Another traditional belief or practice is fading into obscurity.
Harmless or nefrarious
Something may appear harmless, but there could be malice or harm involved.
A gilded new church
A new institution or entity that appears to be valuable or important, but is actually corrupt or worthless.
A false god to worship
People are putting their faith in something that does not deserve or warrant any devotion or trust.
Blind acceptance with no repentance
People are accepting something without fully understanding its harm or mistakes, and are unwilling to acknowledge their part in it.
A jaded new church
A new institution that is becoming tired or overused.
A false deity to service
People are serving something that does not deserve or warrant any devotion or trust.
God save the king
A call for divine intervention or guidance to protect the leader or the country.
Send out succour
Ask for help or relief from distress or danger.
There's a wraith in the apparatus
An unseen or unexpected issue or problem is causing chaos or trouble in the system or environment.
Long live the king
A hope or wish for the leader to reign for a long time or survive against any threats or challenges.
Genuflect before this mammon
People are worshiping and showing devotion to material wealth or possessions.
A false idol to revere
People are putting their faith and devotion into something that does not deserve it, like an object or belief system.
A corrupt church of the blind
An institution or system that is deceitful, dishonest, and appeals mainly to ignorant or passive individuals.
Cathedral of idiocrasy
A place of worship or power that is filled with foolish or ignorant people.
A malfunctioning mechanism
The system or process is broken or failing, causing chaos or dysfunction.
A new hymn of praise to sing
A new way to celebrate or appreciate something is being adopted.
But I serve only the true monarch
The artist is only loyal to the legitimate leader or person of power.
A bewitching ritual to seduce you all
A captivating or alluring ceremony or act is being used to manipulate or control people.
Apocryphal church a false god to worship
An institution that is based on lies or myths, and is not deserving of any belief or trust.
Fallacious disingenuous
The information being shared is deceitful or misleading.
Lords of the illusional new church
The people in power of the new institution are creating fake or temporary illusions of grandeur or importance.
Pre fabricated pope to service
A chosen leader or person of authority is pre-selected and does not truly represent the people or the institution.
Repent
A call to acknowledge one's sins or mistakes, and to seek forgiveness or make amends.
Necessity is the smotherer of all invention
The need for something or a change can prevent new ideas or creativity from emerging.
God save the king
A repetition of the call for divine intervention or guidance to protect the leader or the country.
Send out succour
A repetition of the request for help or relief from distress or danger.
There's a wraith in the apparatus
A repetition that something unexpected or unseen is causing chaos or trouble in the system or environment.
God save
An interrupted repetition of the call for divine intervention or guidance to protect the leader or the country.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DANIEL WILDING, JEFF WALKER, WILLIAM GEOFFREY STEER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind