Carnivore was a band formed by 6 foot 8 inch tall, former sanitation worker, Peter Steele, later of Type O Negative fame. They released two albums: "Carnivore" (1985) and "Retaliation" (1987). The band broke up not long thereafter, and Peter Steele formed Type O Negative. The first Type O Negative album has material originally written for Carnivore.

The first album is more traditionally metal-sounding, drawing inspiration from Black Sabbath and 1970s Judas Priest, while the second has significant hardcore-crossover influence. Both are pretty squarely within the speed-thrash genre, though. The lyrical themes include nihilism, an anti-religious sentiment, a mockery of racism, intolerance, and general human stupidity, and a heap of cynicism. Explicit and tongue-in-cheek depictions of gore and despair. For example, this line from "Ground Zero Brooklyn" sums up the band fairly well: "I shit my pants as I wait for the reaper!". Also, song titles like "Jesus Hitler", "Race War", and "God is Dead" are representative.

Lineup

Original

• Peter Steele – vocals and bass
• Louie Beateaux – drums
• Keith Alexander – guitars

From Retaliation until the end

• Peter Steele – vocals and bass
• Louie Beateaux – drums
• Marc P – guitars and vocals

Discography

Studio albums

• Carnivore (1985)
• Retaliation (1987)