There are multiple bands with the same name. Here they are listed in chrono… Read Full Bio ↴There are multiple bands with the same name. Here they are listed in chronological order:

- (1) An American Death Metal band from Tampa, FL, initially formed in 1984.
- (2) Free Improvisation/Experimental band from New York formed in 1980 by Fred Frith Of Henry Cow.
- (3) A pioneering skate rock band from Argentina, formed in 1985.
- (4) A Finnish punk band formed in 1983

(1) Although Massacre were hampered by unstable line-ups for much of their career, they, along with Morbid Angel and the late Chuck Schuldiner (RIP), helped originate and shape the genre of Florida Death Metal and have influenced countless bands that came later- everyone from Napalm Death to Entombed cite them as a major influence. Pre-Massacre, both Kam Lee and Rick Rozz were original members of Death along with Chuck. Death was still unsigned at that time, making demos as a three piece (playing without bass), and Kam himself drew the famous Death logo. Kam is widely acknowledged as being the originator of the gutteral death-growl vocal style which has since become the de-facto standard in Death Metal.

Massacre played countless shows in mid 80’s Florida before the spotlight fell on the area, influencing the later wave of bands from Deicide to Obituary to follow their lead. The band were put on hold however, when Chuck Schuldiner relocated back from LA to his native Florida and promptly recruited Rick, Bill and Terry to record the second Death Album “Leprosy”, for Combat Records . After completing commitments to Death, Massacre finally regrouped in 1990, signed with Earache, and entered Morrissound Studios in Tampa Florida, with UK producer Colin Richardson at the helm to finally deliver their debut album “From Beyond”. Though released much later than many of their death metal contemporaries, all the songs recorded were from the widely circulated demos/live tapes of 5 years previously, including “Corpsegrinder”, a simple but effective track which featured on Death’s first demo but was actually written by Rick and Kam. The album is a certified classic of the genre.

With line up intact, the band finally embarked on a punishing touring schedule to make up for lost time, visiting Europe with Texas’ Devastation and Germany’s Morgoth supporting. In 1992 the band recorded a follow up EP “Inhuman Conditions” which included a rare guest appearance from Venom’s Cronos on their cover of Warhead. More touring followed its release, with the band visiting Europe again in 1993,this time with Grave and Demolition Hammer in tow. On their return however the band effectively split up, the rhythm section of Bill and Terry were in demand to record for other groups and both now play in Six Feet Under.

In 1996 Kam and Rick regrouped to record a second album for Earache, recruiting drummer Syrus Peters and Pete Sison on bass to deliver “Promise”. The album showcased a more varied metal style, still with the trademark guitar heaviness, but was poorly received by fans, though the inspired cover of Concrete Blonde’s “Bloodletting” is an undiscovered classic to this day. Soon after its release, the band folded once more.

On July 30th, 2012, Massacre released the 7 inch EP "Condemned to the Shadows", with new vocalist Edwin Webb, and new drummer Mike Mazzonetto.

Official Discography:

* ‘From Beyond’ album (1991)
* ‘Inhuman Condition’ EP (1992)
* ‘Promise’ album (1996)
* ‘Tyrants Of Death’ Best of/Compilation (2006)
* 'Condemned to the Shadows' EP (2012)
* 'Back From Beyond' album (2014)
* 'Resurgence' album (2021)

(2) Massacre is an American Improvisational/Experimental Rock band from New York City formed in 1980 by guitarist Fred Frith with bassist Bill Laswell and drummer Fred Maher. They performed for just over a year and recorded a studio album, Killing Time (1981).

Frith and Laswell reformed Massacre in 1998 with drummer Charles Hayward, and released two albums, Funny Valentine (1998) and Meltdown (2001).

Discography:

* 1981 - Killing Time (LP, Celluloid, France)
* 1998 - Funny Valentine (CD, Tzadik Records, U.S.)
* 2001 - Meltdown (CD, Tzadik Records, U.S.)
* 2007 - Lonely Heart (CD, Tzadik Records, U.S.)
* 2013 - Love Me Tender (CD, Tzadik Records, U.S.

In 1993 RecRec Music reissued Killing Time on CD with six extra tracks (one of them coming from Frith’s Speechless album).

In 2005 Fred Frith released a remastered version of Killing Time on CD on his own label Fred Records with the six extra tracks from the RecRec reissue, plus two previously unreleased tracks.

(3) Massacre is an Argentine Alternative rock band, formed in 1986 in Buenos Aires It was formed by high school students influenced by American and British bands of the early 80s Alternative Rock movement. The band was influenced by artists such asHüsker Dü, TSOL, Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, Nirvana, The Cure, Guns N' Roses, The Ramones, T. Rex, Sumo, Gustavo Cerati, and Luis Alberto Spinetta, among others. Taking cues from the Underground rock scene in the United States, they gained notoriety at the time for being an entirely independent group that self-managed its affairs, as well as producing and distributing its own records (attitudes which were still fairly foreign to Latin American rock bands of the era). This helped pave way for the cult status that the band still enjoys within and outside their native Argentina.

Originally known as Massacre Palestina, they decided to change their name in 1992, in the wake of the attack on the Embassy of Israel, in order to avoid potential censure and controversy.

Helter Skelter
Massacre Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When I get to the bottom
I go back to the top of the slide
Where I stop and turn
and I go for a ride
Till I get to the bottom and I see you again
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Do you don't you want me to love you
I'm coming down fast but I'm miles above you

Tell me tell me come on tell me the answer
and you may be a lover but you ain't no dancer

Go helter skelter
helter skelter
helter skelter
Yeah, hu, hu
I will you won't you want me to make you
I'm coming down fast but don't let me break you
Tell me tell me tell me the answer
You may be a lover but you ain't no dancer

Look out
Helter skelter
helter skelter
helter skelter
Yeah, hu, hu
Look out cause here she comes

When I get to the bottom
I go back to the top of the slide
Where I stop and turn
and I go for a ride
Till I get to the bottom and I see you again
Yeah, yeah, yeah

Well will you won't you want me to make you
I'm coming down fast but don't let me break you
Tell me tell me tell me the answer
You may be a lover but you ain't no dancer

Look out
Helter skelter
helter skelter
helter skelter
Yeah, hu,

Helter Skelter
She's coming down fast
Yes she is

Yes she is
coming down fast

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Massacre's song Helter Skelter depict the experience of a person sliding down a slide and feeling the adrenaline rush of the ride. The verses describe the sensation of being propelled down the slide, reaching the bottom, and then repeating the process over again. The repeated phrase "yeah, yeah, yeah" signifies this cyclical motion. The lines "Do you don't you want me to love you/I'm coming down fast but I'm miles above you" can be seen as a metaphor for a person being so consumed by their own self-interest that they cannot connect with others on an emotional level, despite being physically close.

The chorus of the song features the repeated phrase "helter skelter", which has a variety of meanings. In British slang, "helter skelter" refers to a state of chaos, confusion, or disorder. However, the phrase has a more infamous connotation in the context of mass murderer Charles Manson, who interpreted the Beatles' "Helter Skelter" as a message from the universe calling for a race war. The Manson Family's brutal murders of actress Sharon Tate and several others in August 1969 were supposedly carried out in connection with this twisted interpretation of the song.

Overall, Massacre's "Helter Skelter" combines innocent imagery of childhood playgrounds with the more sinister connotations of the phrase "helter skelter". The song's unsettling undertones make it a memorable entry in the world of psych rock.

Line by Line Meaning

When I get to the bottom
After going through a rough patch, when I hit rock bottom

I go back to the top of the slide
I often repeat the same mistakes in life

Where I stop and turn
When I try to change course and break the cycle

and I go for a ride
I tend to take risks and be impulsive

Till I get to the bottom and I see you again
Until I hit rock bottom again and see you

Do you don't you want me to love you
Are you hesitant about my affection?

I'm coming down fast but I'm miles above you
I may be failing, but I still feel above you in some way

Tell me tell me come on tell me the answer
Can you give me a straight answer?

and you may be a lover but you ain't no dancer
You may be interested in romance, but you can't keep up with my wild lifestyle

Go helter skelter
Let's go wild and reckless

helter skelter