Carnivore is the debut studio album by American crossover thrash band Carnivore. It was released in 1985 through Roadrunner Records.
The album was first released on CD in 1990 in original form, and again remixed in 1991 without track 5 but with most of the songs from the 1987 Retaliation album. It was reissued on January 23, 2001, with an addition of three bonus demo tracks and with a different album cover. These songs would be officially recorded later to appear on their next album.
It is considered an essential release in the thrash metal genre.
The music on Carnivore contains elements of thrash metal, doom metal and hardcore punk. Revolver said the album's music was "raw, cynical, almost avant-garde." The album contains Latin music elements, and incorporates bongo drums on the track "God is Dead". This track also employs falsetto vocals.
The lyrics on the album are said to be misanthropic and humorous. Topics explored include World War II, post-apocolyptic fiction, and barbarians.
AllMusic said that the band wore "the Mad Max apocalyptic caveman attire" on the rear sleeve of the album.
AllMusic gave the album four and a half stars out of five, stating the album's straddling of the line between serious and humorous as one of the reasons for its lasting appeal.
In August 2014, Revolver placed the album on its "14 Thrash Albums You Need to Own" list. The publication considers it an essential release in the genre.
Music and lyrics by Peter Steele.