Violent Demise: The Last Days
| Violent Demise: The Last Days | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 11, 1997 | |||
| Recorded | 1996 | |||
| Genre | Rap metal, speed metal[1] | |||
| Length | 46:18 | |||
| Label | Virgin | |||
| Producer | Howard Benson | |||
| Body Count chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Violent Demise: The Last Days | ||||
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Violent Demise: The Last Days is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Body Count. The album was released on March 11, 1997, by Virgin Records. It is the last album to feature drummer Beatmaster V, who died of leukemia following the recording of the album, which is dedicated to him. It is also the final full album to feature rhythm guitarist D-Roc the Executioner, who died from lymphoma during production of their next album Murder 4 Hire. It also marks the last appearance of sampler Sean E Sean and hype man Sean E. Mac, who both departed the band in 2001. Sean E Sean would return to the group in 2008, but Ice T's son Little Ice replaced Sean E. Mac in 2016.
Lyrics and themes
[edit]Among other subjects, the album features songs focusing on topical subjects such as the O. J. Simpson murder case ("I Used To Love Her") and Dr. Jack Kevorkian ("Dr. K"). The cover art depicts the hand signs of the gangs Bloods and Crips, which share the same initials as the band's name.[3]
On January 15, 2018, the track "Dr. K" was quoted in the British Parliament by the MP Alex Sobel, who said that the lyrics did not glorify Xanax but gave "the grim reality".[4]
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Christgau's Consumer Guide |  [5] |
| E! Online | F[6] |
| Metal Hammer | [7] |
| NME | 6/10[8] |
| Rock Hard | 9/10[9] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [10] |
| Vox | 6/10[11] |
AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine called it a "significant improvement" over Born Dead, saying: "Even though the music has more punch than before, it doesn't have the ridiculous sense of humor that made Body Count a gonzo classic of sorts, but the sheer force of the record is a welcome change of pace from a band that seemed incapable of true sonic power."[1] Stephen Dalton of NME called Violent Demise "their most fleshed-out and bowel-quakingly heavy opus yet, boring deep into metal's dirty heart and striking pure ugliness. Body Count's music may not be pretty, soothing or particularly progressive in outlook, but it still rocks like there's no tomorrow."[8] A writer for E! Online critiqued that "Ice-T continues to go way over the top trying to prove he ain't no soft drink. His profanity-laced rap-metal fusion diatribes are bound to disappoint fans of either genre--there's no flash in the music or in the rap."[6]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Interview" | 1:08 |
| 2. | "My Way" (featuring Raw Breed) | 3:11 |
| 3. | "Strippers Intro" | 0:18 |
| 4. | "Strippers" | 4:33 |
| 5. | "Truth or Death" | 3:14 |
| 6. | "Violent Demise" | 3:44 |
| 7. | "Bring It to Pain" | 4:27 |
| 8. | "Music Business" | 0:12 |
| 9. | "I Used to Love Her" | 3:16 |
| 10. | "Root of All Evil" | 4:23 |
| 11. | "Dead Man Walking" | 4:50 |
| 12. | "Interview End" | 0:21 |
| 13. | "You're Fuckin' with BC" | 3:29 |
| 14. | "Ernie's Intro" | 0:15 |
| 15. | "Dr. K" | 2:48 |
| 16. | "Last Days" | 6:03 |
| 17. | "The Law" (Japanese edition bonus track - alternative version of "I Used to Love Her") | 3:23 |
| Total length: | 49:44 | |
Personnel
[edit]- Ice-T – lead vocals
- Ernie C – lead guitar, guitar synthesizer
- D-Roc the Executioner – rhythm guitar
- Griz – bass, lead vocals, loops and samples
- Beatmaster V – drums
- Jonathon "the Kidd" James – drums
- Sean E Sean – sampler, backing vocals
- Sean E. Mac – hype man, backing vocals
Guest musicians
[edit]- Raw Breed – vocals on "My Way"
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (March 11, 1997). "Violent Demise: Last Days - Body Count". AllMusic. Archived from the original on January 20, 2015. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
- ^ "Body Count I Used to Love Her". Spirit of Metal. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
- ^ Marrow, Tracy; Century, Douglas (2011). "Freedom of Speech". Ice: A Memoir of Gangster Life and Redemption—from South Central to Hollywood. Random House. pp. 127–140. ISBN 978-0-345-52328-0.
- ^ "Misuse of Xanax". Hansard. January 15, 2018. Retrieved June 29, 2025.
- ^ "CG: Artist 2562". Robert Christgau. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
- ^ a b "E! Online - Music Review - Body Count - Violent Demise: The Last Days". E! Online. Archived from the original on February 3, 1999. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ Ingham, Chris (April 1997). "Under the Hammer". Metal Hammer. United Kingdom: Dennis Publishing. p. 61.
- ^ a b Dalton, Stephen (March 8, 1997). "Body Count - Violent Demise (The Last Days)". NME. Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
- ^ "Violent Demise". Rock Hard (Vol. 118) (in German). February 25, 1997. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
- ^ Kot, Greg (2004). "Body Count". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 90. ISBN 9780743201698.
- ^ Fadele, Dele (April 1997). "The X-Fated Files". Vox. No. 78. IPC. p. 100.
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