Goregrind & Veganism: The Music of Mark Wallace

Mark Wallace is known as one of Lick-Wilmerding High School’s most energetic and approachable adults. As School Safety & Security Monitor, he is often the first person welcoming students to school each morning as they cross Ocean Avenue. However, few know that Wallace is also a singer who takes the occasional hiatus from LWHS to go on tour with Cartilage, his goregrind metal band.

To those unfamiliar with goregrind, a stomach-churning, blood-oozing subgenre of heavy metal, its violent screams and fast drum beats can seem intimidating and even aggressive. However, Wallace describes goregrind’s graphic lyrics as “tongue-in-cheek” and even humorous. Goregrind is derived from grindcore, another metal subgenre born in the 1980s that is characterized by veganism, the movement for animal rights and anti-establishment political beliefs (think Rage Against the Machine). “[Goregrind bands are] vegan, and they take all the gore stuff and splash it together,” Wallace said. “It’s an ironic thing.”

“Cartilage is us being big horror movie fans and big heavy metal fans. We just squish them into one thing, and that’s why we do all the cheesy stage antics, the gimmicks like the leather spikes and blood,” he said. “[Musically], we’re more like death metal with gore inspiration.” Fittingly, Wallace and three of his bandmates are also vegan.

Growing up in Concord, California, Wallace and his sister Teresa Wallace were drawn to grindcore bands like Carcass and Napalm Death. Wallace developed his vocal skills under the mentorship of Jacob Wilcox, a metal singer and next-door neighbor. The two siblings have been in several bands since: Viral, Necromantic Decay, Feast, Septicaemia and now Cartilage, formed in 2014. Wallace also took up drums during the pandemic and is the drummer for Postnasal Drainage, a two-person band with his partner, Kei.

Cartilage comprises Mark Wallace on vocals, Teresa Wallace and her husband Mike Flory on guitars and their friends Adam Houmam and Kenan Hamilton on drums and bass, respectively. In the band’s “I’m a Donor” music video, inspired by B-movie horror films, the band acts out a humorous skit where they swindle an innocent passerby into having his organs harvested.

The members of Cartilage.
photo courtesy of Chris Johnston

Wallace fondly describes how exceptionally close relationships between the band’s members have provided for a dynamic and creative environment where their music continues to flourish.

In January 2024, Cartilage will embark on their “Four Daze of Gore” Pacific Northwest tour, which opens in Sacramento and closes in Washington at the Grindin’ in the New Year music festival. Having toured Europe in 2019, the band is also planning more overseas tours. Wallace is excited to keep sharing his music with a devoted global community of goregrind metal lovers.

For those who are interested in Cartilage, Wallace recommends Gore-met EP and his personal favorite music video, “The Deader the Better.” But beware, these grisly, gut-churning grooves are not for the faint of heart.