Necrotic Mutation – Sepulchre of the Sufferingi
Release : 1993-05-13
When I started looking at band lyrics for these posts, the primary intent was to decode meanings and see what I could derive from the exercise. It seemed like I have always been drawn towards certain bands because of their texts, but I could not quite explain exactly what those texts had in common, if anything. I could not quite put my finger on a particular way of writing that would get my attention. For example, I knew that I favored punk and hardcore, as they were the genres that spoke most to me, but my interests being spread all over the spectrum made it a bit confusing. If punk and hardcore could have a claim at trying to change the world, it could not be solely through sound. Political ideas would probably fall onto deaf ears if not communicated through exact words and concise structure. It then occured to me that those genres have had a strong impact on me, whereas other genres would simply be consumed as entertainment. If I were to explore the elements that appeal to me, or those I find to be relatable, my sampling should at the very least include other styles, for the sake of comparison. Otherwise, any analysis would be biased and incomplete. With that in mind, I thought I might turn my attention to death metal.
I’ve always liked Sepulchre of the Suffering, from the moment I first played that tape, back in the nineties. I had bought it at Musique Migneault and something made it an instant classic, to me, although I cannot say I memorized any of the lyrics at all. So, what is it about this tape? And what about its lyrics?
Rectal Extraction of Maggot Colony
Disturbance of the innards
Feasting on the organs
Far advanced rotting
Internal stuff decaying
Your corpse is feeding maggots
On flesh they get hot
Devouring your insides
All the stiff, lost is shit
Trying to get her off your body
Drop your logs including the colony
You’re digging in your chest
Lacerate your flesh
Rectal exhumation of anal excrement
Tearing off your skin
Torn limb from limb
Rectal exctraction of maggot colony
Suspended in the air
Meat hook up the ass
Watching maggot
Devouring inside
Exhumation…
Of anal excrement
Rectal infection
Anal corruption
Chest cavities melting free
Drop your bones you will see
Chopping your member with my saw
Spewing you as bacteria grows
Rectal extraction of maggot colony
Chest
Cavities
Melting free
Drop your bones you will see
Chopping your member with my saw
Spewing you as bacteria grows
Rectal extraction of maggot colony
You can almost smell it, in the air, as the song plays. The epitomy of irony, too, as discussions about fecies and gases bore me to death. The subject does not humor me one bit. It cannot possibly compare to hardcore or punk lyrics in terms of generating interest, in my own personal opinion. However, bringing that up would be beside the point. The idea is not to make a contest of favorites. The exercize is rather to identify the elements that make a music I already am drawn to so attractive.
The situation described could be attributed to the narrator, as they claim ‘your corpse is feeding maggots’ and ‘devouring your insides’. The second person singular is also present in phrases such as ‘trying to get her off your body’, ‘drop your logs’, ‘digging in your chest’, ‘lacerate your flesh’, ‘tearing off your skin’. It could be similar to one person describing the state of their health by evoking a picture. However, it could also be that they are describing someone else and the infestation is external. That much becomes more obvious through the lines ‘drop your bones you will see / chopping your member with my saw / spewing you as bacteria grows’. This precise point marks a turn in the tone, through reference to what is less likely to be a personal experience and more likely to be expressing an intent. The succession of ‘your’ and ‘my’ clearly establishes a distinction.
The portrait, therefore, is of a person struggling with a maggot infestation in their digestive system. Perhaps a case of constipation gone terribly wrong. An hypothesis could be that, over an extremely prolonged period of time, the digested items transformed into fecal matter and would spawn maggots. If not addressed properly and dilligently, it may turn into a colony expanding to a point where the fecies do not provide sufficient nourishment to maintain growth. The parasites would have to turn to a secondary source, which would be the person’s body. The suggestion made by the narrator would be to simply ‘drop your logs’, as one drops their buffs. This may hint at the writer’s profession and a potential career as a health professional.
The manner in which the solution is executed appears to suggest otherwise, as it gives the impression that the results will cause more harm than good. ‘Digging in your chest’ would hardly be the phrasing if one were trying to convey the image of a regular trip to the bathroom. Neither is the laceration of your flesh. Both suggest a more graphic process. As there are no mentions of surgical instruments, it is possible that the extraction is performed with bare hands, right through the subject’s pectoral region. One element of contradiction surfaces, as the lines are followed by the mention of one ‘rectal exhumation of anal excrements’, which would imply that the location of the operation is either occuring at another part of the body, or that it is occuring in two places, simultaneously. This allows one to wonder what the best position would be for the subject to receive such an intervention. This point is answered in the subsequent lines ‘suspended in the air / meathook up the ass’.
The seriousness of the operation cannot be undestimated, as it is unclear whether or not the subject will survive. Melted chest cavities, bones being dropped, chopped members, and one being spewed hint towards a cause of death and the method used to dispose of a body. What started as an honest attempt at a positive solution may have concluded in an unfortunate accident.
According to the National Library of Medicine and a 2021 case report publishedii, it is possible that Myiasis, a certain skin condition, may result in maggot colonies in the colon area. The potential for such occurrences would be increased in tropical regions. For identification of the subject, one may therefore direct their search to people known to subscribe to these parameters. The reason behind a french-canadian band’s concern for such conditions most frequently heard of around Nepal are unclear. Gale Academic reports one case of ‘complete rectal prolapse with extensive maggot infestation’iii that may offer more similarities to the case at hand, as the symptoms associated with such conditions are described as ‘pain, incomplete evacuation, bloody or mucous rectal discharge, and fecal incontinence or constipation’. Such a list evokes a certain familiarity to the situation depicted in Rectal Extraction of Maggot Colony.
Sepulchre of the Suffering
In the depth of darkness
Generation from the past
Impaled humans on poles
In the bottom of a gully
Stench of shit, nauseating stiff of rotting corpses
Second step after life brings him
In the fields of no return
After four days in there
I’m forced to consume
The rest of the dry carcasses
On the threshold of decay
Cannibalism instinct
On this carrion
My goal is to conquer
The exit of the field
My body is entombed
Natural sepulchre
Lost where nobody can go
Nobody can leave
Turning insane
Trapped for all my life
What a gory lot
Eating old remains
Leaving the subject of medicine, Sepulchre of the Suffering directs our attention to the sphere or archeology, describing the setting of a historical site, forgotten in time, located in a ravine formed through erosion. In order to accomodate a certain quantity of ‘humans on poles’ the site would have to be of considerable propotions. The presence of the ‘stench of shit’ as well as the ‘nauseating stiff of rotting corpses’ suggest the area is likely enclosed, as the odour would otherwise suggest the events leading to the victims’ demise to be recent. Any air circulation would also evacuate the odour. The allusion to ‘generation from the past’ alludes to a longer distance in time.
If the events resulting in the formation of a site such as described were closer to one worthy of the historical title, those described in these lyrics are current, as the narrator claims to be currently captive of it. Most likely an accident, as they had not brought enough provisions to last over four days, imposing cannibalism as the only solution. One cannot help but wonder at the identity of the protagonist and how they ended up in such a tight spot. Possibly as a side effect of hunger or malnourishment, as may be expected from feeding on corpses as though it were jerky, projects of conquest are considered.
According to the narrator, when some people die, their souls go to ‘the fields of no return’. It would happen at the ‘second step after life’. Their physical form remains in the gully, but their spirit separates and goes to said fields. Both locations are established as separate as their descriptions are presented in two parts and the likelihood of the bodies being impaled post-morten is faint, at best. The logistics that would involve appear less than optimal as one would have to perform the act, transport either in bulk or one by one all the cadavers, bring tools such as a pulley system or a winch in order to hoist them in the air for impalement, and then let gravity work. Therefore, the mention that the second step after life is bringing the victims to the fields in question implies a movement taking place on a plane other than the physical one. Supporting this claim is the phrase ‘lost where nobody can go’. How could one set up such a landscape if it were impossible for anyone to get to these particular parts.
In this perspective, the objective of conquering the exit of the field places the author inbetween both planes, suggesting they are experiencing their last moments, succombing to insanity. The body is set to remain ‘entombed’ in a ‘natural sepulchre’ once the person extinguishes. Until that moment, the main character will sustain themselves on ‘old remains’ while they reflect on their situation, prisoner of some purgatory.
Persistence of Agony
Losing control of my pulse
My blood has stopped running
I consider myself
As dead and unconscious
Dig up my grave
Don’t know what’s happening
Can’t control my fear
And now my veins are empty
My soul still living
Feeling the same things
Feeling putrefaction
Taking it’s place
Renal infection
Cardiac organs
Disintegration
And fermentation
Why am I still conscious?
Of my pain
Of my body
Rotting slowly
Melt…
Dig up my grave
Don’t know what’s happening
Can’t control my fear
And now my veins are empty
Renal infection
Cardiac organs
Disintegration
And fermentation
The circumstances are once more critical, as the narrator establishes themselves ‘as dead’ and in a state of panic. They are not completely gone, however, as the presence of a faint pulse is acknowledged. The audience is invited to bear witness to one’s attempt at digging out of their own grave. Pulse is out of control, circulation has stopped the flow of fluid through the veins, overwhelming fear is assailing the mind, and time foreshadows the inevitable consequence.
Other than the use of the verb dig, very few details are offered in terms of establishing exactly what type of grave the hero finds themselves in. Digging evokes images of somewhere underground, as one rarely digs through water or concrete. It is possible that they have been buried in a pit. If they had been buried in a coffin, in the ground, they would have to escape the case before attempting to dig themselves out. There are no mention of any such devices.
The emphasis on the mental state and feelings experienced as a consequence of the realization that they have been buried alive, directs the reader’s attention to a certain humanity. The thoughts of ‘renal infection’, ‘cardiac organs’, ‘disintegration’, ‘fermentation’ suggest a growing awareness of the frail nature of the human body in the subject.
One of the perplexing, and perhaps alarming, qualities of such a collection of stories comes through the idea that in both Sepulchre of the Suffering and Persistence of Agony, the characters appear clueless as to how they ended up in their situations. This absence of explanation creates a form of disconnect that may be necessary to distance an occurrence such as described from our reality. Making the story overtly realistic might hinder its interpretation or the way an audience might relate to it. The succession of stories presenting a similarity in the reliance on a similar theme almost alludes to a seriality.
Although the tone may appear as a bit fatalist, the author shows persistence through the claim that they are attempting to escape. However, the increasing level of panic established through the enumeration of thoughts occuring in the narrator’s mind is combined to their consideration that they are ‘unconscious’. This potentially suggests that they may be dreaming, as so many events taking place at once are inconsistent with the qualities frequently associated with a state of unconsciousness.
Organic Stench
Suspended in my basement
A few children are exposed
Their carcasses full of grime
Their organs I’ll consume
Concealed anthropometry
Humans stanate flows free
Dissecting is my orgasm
Embalming is my art
Jugular arteries chopped
Vicious pus gush bleed
Blistered skin are what I boast
Enveloped by dead tissues
Meat hook, sodomized kids
Baked, roasted, I eat them
Eating on their carrions
Dealing out with parasites
Corpses gas, biles and sweat
Brains encrusted with worms
Body organs I consume
Till necrolories and worms eat
Corpses in bacterial decay
Perforated sternum
Chopped lumbar vertebrae
Broken apophysis
Contracted rigor mortis
Immortal pain
Eating on their carrions
Dealing out with parasites
Corpses gas, biles and sweat
Brains encrusted with worms
If the serial nature of the scenes depicted was merely alluded to, previously, it occupies a much more prominent place in Organic Stench. The audience is thrown into a horrific environment, in a manner sharing similarities to a kidnapping, to receive a confession. The narrator expresses their taste for scientific, culinary, and artistic experimentations on unfortunate victims. It appears as though no part of the victims will go to waste. The bodies are measured and possibly catalogued, the organs will be consumed, the bodies will be embalmed. The author takes pride in what they may call their work.
The lyrics present a second reference to the image of the meat hook, which is a recurrent theme in death metal. One of the most obvious examples brought to mind is Cannibal Corpse’s Meat Hook Sodomyiv. There is also a band of the same namev. This fascination could justify dedicating an entire essay all to itself. For the time being, suffice to say it is an element borrowed that contributes to making this album a classic of the genre. Similar to checking boxes on a list.
In terms of cannibalism, one of the most famous example from literature may be Hannibal, as he was the subject of multiple movies and series. If Hannibal brought a certain element of class to the crimes he perpetrated, the portrait depicted in Organic Stench is much more gruesome. The victim selection is rather offending, as it is barely imaginable that they had committed sufficent wrong in their short lives to deserve such a fate. In addition, the condition of the bodies juxtaposes an element of morbidity to the scene. The ‘grime’ covering the bodies, the ‘vicious pus’, the ‘blistered skin’, the ‘parasites’, gases, ‘biles’, ‘sweat’, ‘brains encrusted with worms’, ‘decay’, ‘perforated sternum’, ‘chopped lumbar vertebrae’, ‘apophysis’ constitute a list liable to suscitate dry heaves. If Hannibal demonstrated a certain gratitude towards his victims, and if his anticipation increased when confronted to a playful chase, the main character of this song demonstrates such primal instincts that the acts border vulgarity. There is not hint of respect towards the victims and the only focus would be placed on their own orgasm. The relationship is one-way.
The reliance on plural to describe the victims suggest that the audience is exposed to the work of a serial killer. The idea that measurements are taken, the amount of pleasure extracted from the act, the attention to details that purport to the disposal of every part of the cadavers, on their part, demonstrate a certain method. In order to sustain this terrible activity for long enough to take it to almost industrial efficiency, the scene could not be an isolated incident.
Because of the idea that the song may be a confession from a serial killer, the question of its identity automatically arises. Disposing of only a few circumstancial clues makes the identification process difficult. In order to filter out potential suspects, one may rely on profiling. The maniac owns a property with a basement. The phrasing ‘my basement’ gives the impression that the property in question would most likely be a house because it implies an element of familiarity. If it were a barn or a warehouse, it appears improbable they would refer to the place as ‘my barn’ or ‘my warehouse’. Therefore, houses, either in urban or rural areas, should be prioritized. The location would probably include an oven or some cooking appliance that allows baking and roasting. Unless, of course, the culinary references are meant in the sense that the meals will be enjoyed at a later time. Having a facility that offers all the necessary conveniences would reduce the risk of getting caught. Seclusion may be necessary if the victims are taken alive. If their death occurs at the site where they are taken, seclusion would not be mandatory. The reason being that they would not want to risk the neighbors hearing the victims’ screams. There is the possibility that the murderer might have a soundproof room. If it were so, that would imply they have certain financial means. The person would have to have access to a location where there are many children like a school, a daycare center, or a park, for example, as suggested by the quantity of victims. It does not mean that they live nearby, though, as transportation would enable them to be mobile. Although driving long distances with kidnapped victims may not be optimal, it is not impossible. The reliance on jargon suggests a form of medical or scientific background. If access to dissecting tools may prove to be a simple task, nowadays, it might have been a little more problematic over thirty years ago. If it were not for the jargon, something like working as a janitor in a hospital might have been plausible. The idea that pleasure is derived from the decayed state of bodies is conflicting with the idea of a medical background, as their professional focus is placed on healing, rather than dismantling. However, this apparent contradiction may be a dangerous assumption so no hypothesis should be overlooked. Finally, the mention of worms suggest that search parties should not look for entire bodies, but perhaps expect to find bones as only remnants. As they usually appear at a more advanced stage of decomposition, and decomposition is facilitated by heat and humidity, these conditions would have to be taken into consideration. However, they can be artificially recreated and are, therefore, not to be taken to be indicative of the climate in the area.
Although researching the different conditions that may result in a maggot infestation of the colon area may prove to be very educative, as I have not personally pursued medicine, the potential for a life-changing impact appears as faint. In addition, relating to a person captive of an archeological site populated by impaled corpses provides few morals to be derived, if any. There can be no doubt that it is a story, quite litteraly, otherwise the text could be considered an excerpt from a diary, discovered while visiting the place. Stories are crucial pedagogical tools relied upon to extract lessons by other means than direct experience. Therefore, they are not without value. Accumulating such tales, while providing an element of variety, also generates a degree of familiarity. As one’s exposure to this realm grows, so does a certain degree of comfort. Ultimately, hearing the confessions of a child murderer and serial killer, compares to reading a true crime novel or a newspaper article. It may serve as a reminder that such events do take place in the dark corners of this world as well as a form of reality check.
The contrast in the texts between musical genres could not be more obvious when you compare the lyrics of Necrotic Mutation to those of a band like Rorschach, for example. The perspective generally adopted to convey the images in a genre like death metal places emphasis on the decay and putrefaction, while the characters portrayed are often mad or deranged. The subjects and acts described push the boundaries of shock and consternation and the thought that any public would completely support and condone such behavior would make this world quite a dangerous place. So, what does that say about the bands and their audience? What value does this collection of tales bring to the table? Reliance upon multiple stories describing life and death situations creates an insistence that highlights a certain fascination with death. In a pedagogical perspective, there may be knowledged to be passed on. Perhaps this could be one of the values of death metal –to prepare those paying attention for one of the only certainties of a franklinian lifevi. This morbid tapestry is giving center stage to a collection of elements that the world may otherwise ignore and suppress because of their disturbing nature. Being too unsettling, the general public would rather entertain themselves with comforting, pleasant ideas. Exploring these themes could allow people to get acquainted with ideas that show life in a different light. Death metal could also be an outlet for people struggling with a form of anxiety towards mortality. By weaving together so many variations on that theme, they may be able to defuse their uncertainties and grasp a little bit of control. It is also possible that it is similar to therapy and that by writing such outrageous lyrics, the authors leave it all on paper and are not tempted to get out to satisfy their urges. One could also posit that it is simply a form of escapism and the writers of the genre are building themselves their own world, projecting their deepest instincts for all to hear. These hypotheses as to the function death metal may constitute the first step in a deeper dive into the genre. The recurrence of patterns and themes through the genre may help define the impacts that such texts generate. Further analysis will most likely be required.
