Carcass - Surgical Steel
The kings of putrefaction have returned! Rumours of a new Carcass album have been doing the rounds like a drunken Yorkshire lass since the announcement of their reunion in 2008, and despite numerous cold showers from the band they've managed to persist... and it's nice to see it all pay off, really. Their last album Swansong - released in 1996, to give you an idea of how long fans have been waiting for this - was a great record, but it wasn't a great Carcass record. It was extremely melodic and almost boarderline radio friendly in places, a far cry from the nastiness and bile of Necroticism and Symphonies of Sickness which naturally didn't go down well with a lot of fans. Carcass' tendency to toy with melody started with Necroticism and hit it's peak with Heartwork and with both albums being hailed amongst the best death metal releases ever, the band have a lot to live up to and absolutely need this album to be done the right way since too much melody will kill it and too little will... well, kill it.
Surgical Steel is a Carcass album. I'd prefer to leave to review there, slap a score on it and go for my afternoon wank but I'd be a terrible critic if I did that (cue jokes about being a terrible critic anyway) so to elaborate, perhaps a more fitting title for Surgical Steel would be "Necrotiwork". There is absolutely nothing here that the band haven't done before, and though that's largely a good thing and probably the safest approach that Carcass could have taken it does pose a problem, due to the fact that since their initial split in 1996 thousands of death metal bands have successfully emulated Carcass' sound. In some cases they've sounded more like Carcass than Carcass themselves so there is a strong feeling of déjà vu here that makes it feel a little bit dated - again, Carcass aren't doing anything new or different here and they've opted to stick with the sound(s) of their two most critically acclaimed releases which is ultimately a wise move, but it does make the album feel a little overly samey. Some might argue that you'd be better sticking with their earlier works but despite initially coming across as somewhat of a nostalgia trip or a celebration of the band's sound, Surgical Steel is still a fantastic death metal album with some incredibly well written songs and memorable sections that really shouldn't be overlooked. The band hasn't slowed down and they obviously know exactly what the fans wanted from this release, this is pure unadulterated venom from beginning to end that even the most shitheaded death metal elitist would be hard pressed to find much to complain about. This is exactly how death metal and melody should be balanced together before it delves into fullblown 'melodeath' territory, although the second half of the album feels a lot more melodic than the first half.
Despite my gripes with Surgical Steel sounding a little bit dated by today's standards and lacking any new ideas, I really enjoy it. Everything that Carcass does well is present here in one form or another and I can only applaud them for managing to make a 'comeback' album that sounds this tight and well constructed, so you can consider this a mandatory purchase. It's not without flaws, but it's a goddamn Carcass album and a bloody good one at that.
Surgical Steel is a Carcass album. I'd prefer to leave to review there, slap a score on it and go for my afternoon wank but I'd be a terrible critic if I did that (cue jokes about being a terrible critic anyway) so to elaborate, perhaps a more fitting title for Surgical Steel would be "Necrotiwork". There is absolutely nothing here that the band haven't done before, and though that's largely a good thing and probably the safest approach that Carcass could have taken it does pose a problem, due to the fact that since their initial split in 1996 thousands of death metal bands have successfully emulated Carcass' sound. In some cases they've sounded more like Carcass than Carcass themselves so there is a strong feeling of déjà vu here that makes it feel a little bit dated - again, Carcass aren't doing anything new or different here and they've opted to stick with the sound(s) of their two most critically acclaimed releases which is ultimately a wise move, but it does make the album feel a little overly samey. Some might argue that you'd be better sticking with their earlier works but despite initially coming across as somewhat of a nostalgia trip or a celebration of the band's sound, Surgical Steel is still a fantastic death metal album with some incredibly well written songs and memorable sections that really shouldn't be overlooked. The band hasn't slowed down and they obviously know exactly what the fans wanted from this release, this is pure unadulterated venom from beginning to end that even the most shitheaded death metal elitist would be hard pressed to find much to complain about. This is exactly how death metal and melody should be balanced together before it delves into fullblown 'melodeath' territory, although the second half of the album feels a lot more melodic than the first half.
Despite my gripes with Surgical Steel sounding a little bit dated by today's standards and lacking any new ideas, I really enjoy it. Everything that Carcass does well is present here in one form or another and I can only applaud them for managing to make a 'comeback' album that sounds this tight and well constructed, so you can consider this a mandatory purchase. It's not without flaws, but it's a goddamn Carcass album and a bloody good one at that.
1. 1985
2. Thrasher's Abattoir
3. Cadaver Pouch Conveyor System
4. A Congealed Clot Of Blood
5. The Master Butcher's Apron
6. Noncompliance to ASTM F899-12 Standard
7. The Granulating Dark Satanic Mills
8. Unfit For Human Consumption
9. 316L Grade Surgical Steel
10. Captive Bolt Pistol
11. Mount of Execution
2. Thrasher's Abattoir
3. Cadaver Pouch Conveyor System
4. A Congealed Clot Of Blood
5. The Master Butcher's Apron
6. Noncompliance to ASTM F899-12 Standard
7. The Granulating Dark Satanic Mills
8. Unfit For Human Consumption
9. 316L Grade Surgical Steel
10. Captive Bolt Pistol
11. Mount of Execution
Label: http://www.nuclearblast.de
Reviewer: Dave Ingram Jr.
Aug 10, 2013
Aug 10, 2013
Next review:
Children Of Bodom - Halo Of Blood
Share this:
