Violent Demise: The Last Days is the third studio album by Americanheavy metal bandBody Count. The album was released on March 11, 1997, byVirgin Records. It is the last album to feature drummerBeatmaster V, who died ofleukemia 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 fromlymphoma during production of their next albumMurder 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.
Among other subjects, the album features songs focusing on topical subjects such as theO. J. Simpson murder case ("I Used To Love Her") and Dr.Jack Kevorkian ("Dr. K"). The cover art depicts the hand signs of the gangsBloods andCrips, which share the same initials as the band's name.[3]
On January 15, 2018, the track "Dr. K" was quoted in theBritish Parliament by the MPAlex Sobel, who said that the lyrics did not glorifyXanax but gave "the grim reality".[4]
AllMusic'sStephen Thomas Erlewine called it a "significant improvement" overBorn 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 ofNME calledViolent 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 forE! 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 musicor in the rap."[6]
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