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)
Zochrot
Carcass Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sicarii - no mercy shown by those whose crucified
No mercy shown
Barren bloodstained dominion
Foundations on the sea of the dead
Barren eyes that stared into the pits of Hell
A mere diasporadic tribe
Misappropriated promised land
Searched, destroyed, and occupied
You arise - with the whore of Babylon at your side
Sicarii - no mercy shown by those who occupied
Merciless neoteric Shoah
Nazarenes avenged the vaticide
Sculpturing the ashes of the six million who died
You arise - with the whore of Babylon at your side
Sicarii - no mercy shown by those who chose to comply
Ensanguined tallit and Magen by design
The two rivers run blue - the pigmentation of a corpse
Amortize with the whore of Babylon at your side
Sicarii - Nakba or Shoah
Tell me when exactly did your humanity die?
The lyrics to Carcass's song Zochrot paint a vivid picture of violence and oppression, calling attention to the ongoing struggle between two groups in the Levant region of the Middle East. The song opens with the image of someone "arising" with the "whore of Babylon" at their side, a reference to an apocalyptic figure from the Book of Revelation in the Christian Bible. This figure is often associated with destruction and chaos, suggesting that the person in question is about to unleash some kind of violence or mayhem.
The next line references the Sicarii, a group of Jewish extremists who participated in the First Jewish-Roman War in the 1st century CE. The Sicarii were known for their ruthless tactics and willingness to kill their own people if necessary, so the mention of them here reinforces the idea that violence and betrayal are central themes of the song.
The following lines describe a "barren bloodstained dominion" built on the "sea of the dead." This could be a reference to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine, which has been marked by violence and bloodshed for generations. The "anointed race" mentioned later in the song could be a reference to Jewish people, who often consider themselves to be chosen by God. However, the song dismisses that claim as a "fallacy," suggesting that the idea of a chosen people is nothing more than a myth used to justify oppression and violence.
Line by Line Meaning
You arise - with the whore of Babylon at your side
You have risen and are in league with the corrupt and decadent Babylonian system
Sicarii - no mercy shown by those whose crucified
Sicarii, who were part of a Jewish militant group that fought against Roman rule, showed no mercy towards their oppressors.
Barren bloodstained dominion
The land is now barren, devoid of life and stained with blood
Foundations on the sea of the dead
The land was built on a foundation of corpses and death
Barren eyes that stared into the pits of Hell
The people of the land have seen and experienced unimaginable horrors and atrocities
The fallacy of the anointed race -
The idea of a chosen race with a divine right to the land is a false belief
A mere diasporadic tribe
The people who belonged to the tribe were spread out and exiled from their original land
Misappropriated promised land
The concept of a promised land was not fulfilled fairly but through deceit and theft
Searched, destroyed, and occupied
The conquerors searched for and destroyed anything and anyone that stood in their way before occupying the land
Merciless neoteric Shoah
A new Shoah, or holocaust, is occurring without mercy or compassion
Nazarenes avenged the vaticide
The people of Nazareth, the birthplace of Jesus, sought revenge for their prophet's crucifixion
Sculpturing the ashes of the six million who died
Creating a memorial from the ashes of the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust
Sicarii - no mercy shown by those who occupied
Sicarii showed no mercy towards those who occupied the land
Ensanguined tallit and Magen by design
The traditional Jewish prayer shawl and shield of David are now stained red with blood on purpose
The two rivers run blue - the pigmentation of a corpse
The rivers are now blue, the same color as a lifeless corpse
Amortize with the whore of Babylon at your side
You have become one with Babylon and have become corrupted by its ways
Sicarii - Nakba or Shoah
Sicarii chose to deal with the catastrophe (Nakba) or holocaust (Shoah) through brutal, uncompromising means
Tell me when exactly did your humanity die?
Asking when a person lost their compassion, empathy, and humanity in committing such atrocities
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DANIEL WILDING, JEFF WALKER, WILLIAM GEOFFREY STEER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind