Bloodmouth – Carnist Industrial Complex EP

Carnist Industrial Complex, the evocative title of the latest EP from Canberra, Australia’s vegan deathgrind band Bloodmouth, is a term steeped in subtle socio-cultural criticism. To fully unravel its meaning, one must get into the concept of “carnism,” a term coined by psychologist Dr. Melanie Joy. Carnism, as defined by Dr. Joy, is an invisible belief system or ideology that conditions people to consume certain animals. It’s built on a contradiction: valuing some animals as companions while deeming others fit for consumption. This ideology is so ingrained in many cultures that it’s often seen as a given rather than a choice, making the consumption of animal products appear natural, necessary, and normal.

After their excellent 2021 album, Unmanned, which dealt with topics like the animal industry and the role of meat consumption in the spread of zoonotic diseases like Covid-19, the new EP’s title Carnist Industrial Complex cleverly plays with Dr. Joy’s concept of carnism. By drawing a parallel with the term “military-industrial complex,” which refers to the relationship between a country’s military and the industries that supply it, Bloodmouth emphasize the vast, interconnected systems that support and sustain speciesism in general, and meat eating in particular. The band critiques how carnism is not just a personal choice, but a product of a larger system that includes industrial agriculture, corporate interests, cultural practices, and government policies.

On the musical side of the equation, Bloodmouth’s Carnist Industrial Complex is a noise-drenched, gut-wrenching journey across six tracks that seamlessly fuse the unyielding force of old-school death metal with the raw, unbridled energy of modern grindcore and the most ruthless metallic hardcore. The rhythm section displays an unparalleled level of tightness, with the balaclava-wearing band members churning out massive riffs and warp-speed rhythms in concise, minute-long bursts that match the velocity of machine-gun fire. The vocal delivery adds to the record’s intensity, reminiscent of the guttural power of Jon Tardy from Obituary and James Pligge from Harm’s Way, layered over a ceaseless grinding onslaught that conjures the brutal essence of bands like Insect Warfare, Internal Rot, and Whoresnation. The result is a relentless barrage of brooding ferocity—a maelstrom of bombastic drumming, visceral growls, and razor-sharp guitar work, creating a full-blown adrenaline rush that goes for the throat and barely gives the listener a moment to catch their breath.

However, Carnist Industrial Complex transcends mere metallic hardcore and deathgrind brutality to embody a fierce advocacy for veganism and animal liberation. Throughout these six tracks, Bloodmouth wield their unrelenting savagery to illuminate the grave effects of animal consumption on the environment, non-human animals, and human health. The record resonates with a message that has long echoed in the hardcore punk subculture: a rallying call to fight for those who suffer the most and confront the entrenched societal norms that have so long perpetuated speciesism, or if you want to call it carnism, even though we have all the knowledge, alternatives, and moral obligation to stop it.

TL;DR Smash the cages, destroy carnism & liberate the animals.