Cephalic Carnage

The fusion of experimental grindcore, death metal, and jazz first took shape in Denver, Colorado, back in 1992. Lenzig on vocals and Zak on guitar, the two founding members, assembled the demo Scrape My Lungs in 1993 before stepping away until 1996, when John on drums, Steve on guitar, and Doug on bass joined the lineup. Upon regrouping they issued the follow-up demo Fortuitous Oddity and then financed their own cross-country trek in 1997. Those road dates showcased the group’s ferocious live presence, quickly cementing their reputation for performances audiences could not afford to miss. Italian label Headfucker Records took notice in 1998 and issued the debut full-length Conforming to Abnormality. Bassist Jawsh replaced Doug shortly afterward, allowing the band to resume touring; they appeared at Milwaukee Metalfest later that year and worked the festival circuit in 1999 with stops at Dallas Grindfest, Ohio Deathfest, and Denver Hatefest. Relapse Records signed them in 2000 and released the second album Exploiting Dysfunction. Support tours alongside Napalm Death and Dillinger Escape Plan followed, though the group stepped away from the road to track Lucid Interval during the spring of 2002.