Cephalic Carnage

by Kevin OdleThis crazy concoction of truly experimental grindcore, death metal, and jazz came together in Denver, CO, in 1992. Founding members Lenzig (vocals) and Zak (guitar) put together a demo entitled Scrape My Lungs in 1993 and then took a break until 1996 when they recruited John (drums), Steve (guitar), and Doug (bass). Soon after their reformation they released a second demo, Fortuitous Oddity, and then hit the road on a self-financed tour across the U.S. in 1997. It was during this tour that the band's intense live performances began to establish their reputation as an event not to be missed. In 1998 they caught the attention of the Italian label Headf**ker Records, who released Cephalic Carnage's debut album Conforming to Abnormality. After this release, bassist Doug was replaced by Jawsh and the band toured once again. They went on to play the infamous Milwaukee Metalfest in 1998, and in 1999 they made the festival circuit playing the Dallas Grindfest, the Ohio Deathfest, and the Denver Hatefest. Relapse records picked them up in 2000 and released their second album Exploiting Dysfunction. Tours with Napalm Death and Dillinger Escape Plan followed, but Cephalic Carnage stepped off the road to record Lucid Interval in the spring of 2002.