Carcass started as a grindcore band with one crucial difference: they sang about gore, disease, decay and torture instead of political topics. It was a sort of metapolitics, a way of viewing the world that reduced humans to meat and hopefully induced compassion.
After a few years of doing this, and playing live many nights in a row, they improved at playing their instruments and began wanting the acclaim that other bands got. So their style drifted, first to death metal (Tools of the Trade), then to speed metal (Heartwork) and later to hard rock (Swansong). Then the band disbanded, and only returned this year.
“Captive Bolt Pistol,” which is the first song to leak from Surgical Steel, roughly resembles Tools of the Trade crossed with Swansong. It uses death metal tempos and inflections, but hard rock riffs, and lots of bluesy rock-style leads. If this is their new direction, it seems a reasonable assumption if they hope the rock audience will cross over to like a band named Carcass.
The first new Carcass album in 17 years, Surgical Steel was created by a lineup of original members Jeff Walker (lead vocals, bass), Bill Steer (guitar, vocals) and new drummer Daniel Wilding (ABORTED, HEAVEN SHALL BURN), with guest vocals from original drummer Ken Owen.
Tracklist:
- The Master Butcher’s Apron
- The Granulating Dark Satanic Mills
- A Congealed Clot Of Blood
- A Wraith In The Apparatus
- 316l Grade Surgical Steel
- Cadaver Pouch Conveyor System
- Captive Bolt Pistol
- Intensive Battery Brooding
- Non-Compliance To Astm F899-12 Standard
- Mount Of Execution
- 1985/Thrasher’s Abattoir
- Unfit For Human Consumption
- Zochrot
- Livestock Marketplace
This is like bad speed metal (e.g. later Exodus) meets run-of-the-mill modern death metal but it’s still getting positive feedback from the hordes of idiots, indication of a successful cash grab which is probably what the band is aiming for.
It’s what I expected – a song like Carnal Forge or This Mortal Coil. More crowd pleasing extreme stadium metal in the Heartwork vein. The drums sound so triggered that listening to this more than once will probably result in brain lesions.
I recommend this instead: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YVW9GmPiaM
can see why you only have two comments and do not seem to have half a clue about what carcass are about. Don’t worry, if they sell too many albums i might jump ship and spend the rest of my life on deathmetal.org? they have all the hard hitting death metal news! Yay!
Isn’t Carcass about paying their bills at this point? They milked their “one-off” reformation for 5 years and now ship out the same confused identity music they were doing back during 91-96, y’know, when they tried to sound like other bands? If the members were more honest with themselves, they would’ve continued on with Firebird and Blackstar. I guess those Wacken festival offers are too lucrative to ignore, and the stupidity of the typical attendees is too hard not to take advantage of. It’s not even the fact that they sold out a long ago, but this isn’t even up to par with their Heartwork or Swansong albums which showed some thought into the direction of each song. This song “Captive Bolt Pistol” (Jeff Walker’s lyrics took a severe nosedive after Necroticism) sounds like a mash-up between one of the Swansong B-sides off the Wake Up and Smell the Carcass compilation with an afterthought Necroticism-esque blast part (chorus no doubt), sandwiched between a generic galloping triplet rhythm part that makes one wonder how Mike Amott wasn’t involved in the writing process. How anyone can support this band after releasing the Swansong B-sides like Corporate Rock where they make ironic references to selling out and the Swansong documentary where the best excuse they came up with was “but it’s still more extreme than Warrant” is beyond me (even on the Gods of Grind interview with Mille from Kreator, they jokingly mentioned that the then upcoming Heartwork would sound more like Kreator, and sure enough…). More product “metal” for the masses to be enjoyed alongside your God Seed, Amon Amarth, and newer Napalm Death albums.
Heartwork came out 2 years before The Jester Race, Slaughter of the Soul and The Gallery. I’m confused as to which bands that was supposed to sound like.
Phew – good to see the internet tough guys out in force!
All twatty signals present and correct. Obvious mention of “selling out” – tick! “gayness” – tick! “people other than you being idiots” – tick!
You guys should really post on Youtube. You’d love the balls clean off it.
lmao Brett here they are, the butthurt faggots you wanted to attract… ooooh you called my music bad well TASTE IS SUBJECTIVE OKAY IDIOTS! checkmate /smug
This word is horribly abused, isn’t it?
Replace subjective with relative
You’re a critic and thus make a living from subjectivity (i.e. personal, individual, undue egocentric “analysis” with little to no academic analysis to be seen).
Just because you assert the illusion that your own experience of something is absolute with a fanaticism more becoming the average Christian simpleton doesn’t mean you don’t resort to the rhetoric of subjectivity as much as those who disagree with your reviews. That you honestly can’t see the irony in your raging against subjectivity might be funny were it not so sad.
There are two kinds of criticism, this is the point you are missing. There is a criticism that tries to hold on to concrete and measurable aspects which tends to be more objective. Then there is the criticism that is just “I like”/”I don’t like”. Yours is the latter. The writers of this website struggle for the former, but subjectivity is always unavoidable, of course.
In music, things like development, coherence, variation, style and refinement are defined to a degree and can be pointed out objectively. Open a music book or go ask a music major. It is on this terms that this website does its criticism. The subjective part is when they judge the philosophy reflected in the music and lyrics.
“Yours is the latter.”
And yet in another post below my appreciation of the new album is given in terms that speak of “concrete and measurable aspects” of the music. For somebody going on and on about textbooks and music majors you don’t seem to have a problem with erecting unacademic dichotomies which simply aren’t there to try to advance your non-argument.
“Open a music book or go ask a music major.”
You can stop pretending that the writers of this website are musicologists and objectively critiquing music because the above review is anything but academic and worse are the comments with rhetoric about selling out that assert the illusion that these listeners know and anyone who enjoys the music is just some gullible fan.
>The dichotomy is real enough to be clearly identifiable. You respond purely based on feelings or you try to refer to a measuring scale outside those feelings.
>Telling you to open a book or go ask a music major was really an unnecessary line.
>I am not pretending anything, I am saying they try to be objective and how; then I mentioned in what moment they stopped being objective.
You’re wrong. The dichotomy is false in context. I have provided comments on the record that go beyond mere sentiment. Just because you repeat some pathetic mantra that suggests that it is only feelings that drive any positive appraisal won’t make that true and it is sad that you would even resort to such empty rhetoric to try to advance your non-argument. There is nothing in the review above that is even remotely academic in its critique and in fact it could just as easily be argued that you and others are merely being emotive in your condemnation because it doesn’t fit into your nostalgic daydreams. Calling people “fags” and “idiots” for thinking the new album is good evidences far greater emotional bias than anything you might erroneously infer from what I have said. You and others are displaying strong feelings simply by reacting so hysterically to the idea that some people think the new album is good and by erecting one of the most intellectually-lazy and unsound positions known to man to assert the illusion that you know something that we don’t when it comes to music.
The keyword is try. You’re pretending that song-writing is objectively quantifiable from someone who sings the praises of bands that countless people would argue are incapable of writing anything remotely engaging. You’re pretending that anyone who disagrees with the reviewer amounts to an emotional shell incapable of determining what is or is not good song-writing. That’s not constructing arguments to counter my point. That’s waffling bullshit about people’s feelings and the apparent transcendence of the writers of the site. Enjoy your self-delusion.
I post something to dismantle fenrir’s infantile drivel (I have proven that my position isn’t purely emotional and provided evidence that it is the other way around as well as shown the absurdity of positioning yourselves above and beyond others in terms of determining quality song-writing) and it gets removed… uh-huh… we are the one’s apparently relying on feelings and not sound debate which is why you can’t construct a mature sound response and censor anything that makes you look as ridiculous as you are. You people are pathetic.
Contrary to your falsehood I did not respond purely based on feelings and provided comments on the record beyond mere sentiment and when I pointed this out earlier my post was removed. This convenient censorship says a great deal about the writers capacity to critique objectively – or lack of rather. Getting hysterical and accusing others of pure feelings or calling them “idiots” or “fags” because they lack your apparent brilliance _is_ however pure feelings and undue egocentricity and it is neither mature not rational to convince yourself of the contrary.
You _are_ pretending that the writers and those who agree with them are transcendent and capable of determining what is or is not good song-writing while we are not which is as self-delusional as it gets.
What’s the point of any of this? It’s a tame hard rock/metal hybrid with Jeff Walker vocals. The allusions to old Carcass makes it all seem like a bizarre parody of themselves. It’s just par for the course European pop metal. Not too offensive and nothing to make a big deal of. Just sad considering this is all they are at this point. Surgical Steel was good background music for a couple of days, but it got old fast and there’s more placeholder metal out there.
PS:
Even Necroticism : Descanting the Insalubrious and notably “Corporal Jigsaw Quandary” which remains a favourite among old-school fans used “hard rock riffs” with the post-solo riff in particular a hard rock riff if ever there were but don’t tell that to your “objective” writer who thinks the album was death metal through and through with Surgical Steel an appeal to hard rock audiences. This is objectivity. Truth. Of their development. Deluding yourself into believing that it is only what was to come that was the beginning of the end is subjectivity at its “finest”
RE
“lmao Brett here they are, the butthurt faggots you wanted to attract… ooooh you called my music bad well TASTE IS SUBJECTIVE OKAY IDIOTS! checkmate /smug”
This is the level of maturity and integrity and dignity that your “brilliant” “objective” writers inspire. Your writer even gives this imbecile a considered response which says a great deal more about him and his loyal readership than it does about us “butthurt faggots”
Actually, the general consensus around here is that Necroticism was a step down from Symphonies of Sickness. I have no problem with rock riffs (Empathological Necroticism an earlier example, among others), it’s just that the album as a whole was overloaded with unnecessary parts which made it boring. Surgical Steel was mildly enjoyable for the 2 days I listened to it.
And I respect that general consensus. I know a lot of purists stopped listening at N : DtI and I’m cool with that. Me I’ve always preferred N : DtI to SoS and RoP but then that’s me. I hated what followed but I have been enjoying Surgical Steel since it leaked.
Elsewhere on this site boring and contrived tripe like Wolves in the Throne Room and Xasthur both of whom are partially however inadvertently responsible for legitimizing black metal among indie wankers is given undue praise. A handful of riffs from Surgical Steel least of all albums by much better legitimate black metal acts eclipse and are infinitely more engaging than the entire oeuvres of either of these frauds but then apparently this is the home of the wisest of the wise where an opinion piece is holy writ and detractors are “fags” and “idiots”.
Actually Wolves in the Throne Room is bashed all the time on this website…
…which is why there is a fawning interview with them. And also with Xasthur. Uh-huh. All the time. Hyperbole will get you nowhere.
You miss my point. The fact is writers for this site do enjoy music that countless others find to be worthless and anything but worth one’s time but this discussion is degenerating into absolutist idiocy about how the writers possess the prowess to determine what is or is not worth anyone’s time as if song-writing ability can be mathematised which is an idea that as a musician I consider completely lifeless. There are numerous bands on this site given credence that I and I would wager others think of as boring and unable to construct a remotely engaging song. There are people thoroughly enjoying the new Carcass album who think of the new songs as engaging and as memorable as anything else they have done. Let them. It is being intellectually-dishonest to reduce this debate to objectivity versus mere fandom. That non-argument wouldn’t even fly with the writers or others here if we were talking about something they enjoy but others find to be completely and utterly worthless be it a record or a film or anything else for that matter.
You are gay and stupid. Also Necroticism sucks are you serious? Look at all of those words, tell me your butt is not hurt. Nose turned up: hrrrmph so this is your level you cretins!! I will show you real subjective good carcass metal which was really hard rock. Am I doing it right?
Marky Mark “Junk in da Funk” Staiger, Nuclear Blast Records owner Markus Staiger’s illegitimate grandson! He was disappointed he wasn’t around to own any of the old classic Nuclear Blast death metal releases like Dismember, Hypocrisy, and anything else that said Music to Mangle Your Mind on the cd spine. This turned him to the dark side of convincing people warmed over Queensryche riffs thrown in a blender with the most boring moments from Kreator’s Coma of Souls and Renewal with some blast beats typical of Euro-pop metal and medical themed lyrics about “Butcher’s Aprons” is the best music to ever exist.
fallot,
It’s funny when thumb-suckers try and fail miserably to insult people as a last resort having failed to construct a meaningful argument but nice try and well done on your adolescent-level homophobic discourse throughout this thread which is only amusing to people with the intellectual fortitude of lobotomised goats.
M. is really… is probably half my age but don’t let that stop him from pretending his underground (read bedroom) elitist drivel is convincing.
Boo hoo.
it is ok to admit that you like it!!!
and ok to admit that you don’t.
How do they do it? All of these fucking bands have the uncanny ability to construct meaningless vaguely “cool”/gory/technological/evil sounding song titles that ALL read the same. I don’t understand how each and every one gives you that feeling of being slyly anally penetrated, but its there:
Pistol Whipped Chaos
Subsumed in Vertiginous Chancres
Soul Machine #4AG5
Decayed School Shooting
Metal Warriors/Song We Wrote For Wacken
I used to think “don’t judge a book by its cover” was one of the few bits of useful advice pushed by nonjudgmentals/HIV positives… and I still think it’s useful, but it’s more “be careful judging books by their cover because some shit-tards are pretty good at camouflage.”
This looks and sounds fucking terrible. Carcass is going gay and going hard and Bill Steer-straight-for-your-anus needs to be put down.
Carcrash
I saw Carcass play in Atlanta, GA with a bunch of bad opening bands back in 2009 I think it was. The performance was full of mistakes and the band looked utterly lifeless on stage. That is one of the few metal concerts I’ve been to where I walked away disappointed and felt like I had wasted my time/money. This comeback reeks of “payday,” just like the tour back in 2009.
As far as I’m concerned they’re just not Carcass anymore and that has been the case for a while now. You’re better off going with the many clones bands they inspired. Even most pure grind enthusiasts would agree.
Even Autism’s 1995 demo is better.
Carcass are giving the carcass of their creativity one severe ANAL HAZING™.
These comments represent everything wrong with this site.
Perhaps your complaining is what’s wrong.
Or perhaps MY complaining about your complaining is what’s wrong.
Or perhaps if anyone responds to this is wrong.
EVERYTHING IS WRONG OMFG
How many of you wankers believe you could outplay Steer?
The guitar work on the new album is A-grade.
It is disingenuous to say this album is nothing like old Carcass with “Thrasher’s Abattoir” coming from their rehearsal days and it shows in its intensity and in the naivety of the lyrics which throughout the album resemble those of RoP and SoS… god forbid should they combine this ferocity with melody – and with a level of talent most death metal bands lack considerably. I absolutely hated Heartwork thinking it too much of a leap from Necroticism : Descanting the Insalubrious but Surgical Steel makes sense by holding onto the “necroticisms” of the former and even occasionally providing nods back to the first two albums as well as toward that severe change in their sound.
Throwing around terms like “butt hurt” at anyone and everyone who doesn’t share your “brilliance” and “insightful analyses” of Surgical Steel and the band in general makes you sound like a complete and utter dick head.
Thrasher’s Abattoir is a new song with lyrics that merely reference the song Die in Pain from the demo. The riffs were not taken from any old Carcass rehearsals or demos.
Bill Steer was always an amazing guitarist, but great guitar playing ability does not equal great song writing skills.
FACT: “Thrasher’s Abattoir” with “1985” as its intro appeared on a rehearsal tape from 1985… what you call “false information” can be confirmed by anyone possessing this tape as well as a copy of Flesh Ripping Sonic Torment from 1987 with the rehearsal as bonus tracks.
Where did I say technical ability was synonymous with song-writing skills? I said the _guitar work_ was A-grade. Players will appreciate the new album no matter how much it disappoints sooks who didn’t get their personal favourite reloaded. Personally I find the song-writing ability to be leagues ahead of that of other bands of the genre but this is relative and I accept that and it’s a pity you can’t accept the contrary. I could list a whole host of incredibly popular bands noted for their song-writing in particular whose song-writing I find to be as terrible as duck shit but that would be a pointless exercise. No matter how much you rant and rave about how much you hate the new album it is relative and people will enjoy it. Who cares?
The riffs are different. Different song with same title. Still has 1985 intro though.