Carcass - Necroticism: Descanting the Insalubrious

"A Jigsaw Perfectly Assembled"


The album in the middle, out of Carcass' five releases where they genre-wise kind of change from each album, this is what I would call the definitive Carcass album. As the band is widely known for their melodic death metal and grindcore this album takes part in death metal, and it does it fucking right. Most of the tracks on the album got a little introduction with some people talking, on some it is for example pathologists. I don't know whether these sound clips are from a movie or something the band had specially recorded for the album. Either way it is something I find crucial in some way for the record. Instead of recognizing the starting riff of a song you might recognize a conversation between some pathologists talking about assembling decomposed bodies, or something else...

Since this is the first album to feature Michael Amott, it can easily be heard that he has joined since his solos are more melodic than Dr. Steers. Maybe it was the arrival of Amott that became the reason why the band got "softer" and maybe not, but if Carcass had just released grindcore albums I think they would just have been a flash in the pan, and not seen as the legends they are today, whether you like melodic death metal or not. Unlikely for Carcass, the album also feature the longest songs the band ever released, going all the way up to 7 minutes. When you listen to some bands and their longer songs you can hear it right away because you get bored, but it is not like that on Nercroticism. There is two tracks that lasts over seven minutes and they don't seem that long, the first time I looked and saw it lasted that long, I was like "huh... doesn't feel like that", so the tracks are not boring. Far from, and that goes for the whole album!

"Death is no escape..."

For the album cover the band thankfully chose another direction compared to their two first efforts. I never really liked the gore covers to be honest, I can't see the cool thing in them... They are just ugly and meaningless. As seen, this cover features a pathologists having some hammer smashing fun with a photo of the band. It's not really a spectacular photo, the bands name is not even eye popping. A pretty 'meh' cover, and I really think this album deserves a better cover. But to face the fact, Carcass just never were good at covers.

There is not really any songs I would like to pick out from the album, even though there are songs that stand higher than others. If I recommended two-three songs you would be wanting more, so go through the whole record. It is something you won't regret, since this death metal album is a jigsaw that has been perfectly aligned and assembled.

Rating

9.8

Carcass - Heartwork

"Enslaved to the Grind"


Compared to the predecessor which were much more dark and creepy, Heartwork punches you in the face in a much more straight forward style.
When you think melodic death metal, names like Children of Bodom and Arch Enemy will probably pop into your mind. And the idea of death metal blended with clean vocals and keyboards. Wipe out those thoughts, because Heartwork is the album that shows how melodic death metal should be done. With hair on the chest and a firm grip around the balls and of course the snarling vocals of Jeff Walker. Many Carcass fans hates this album and the following album Swansong that got released in '96, and that is a damn shame because this album is the bands best effort next to Necroticism: Descanting the Insalubrious. I have heard this album being called "a blueprint for selling out". It's more like a blueprint and a showcase of how melodic death metal should be played. Packed with aggression from the guitars, and the melodic solos of Amott fits well into the songs and so does Dr. Steers more aggressive solos. Ken Owen steps up yet again and after listening to the album a couple of times and learning the tracks so you know when he hits the crashes, it is just a fucking awesome feeling to smack the air at the same time! Or... your drums, if you're a drummer.

Lyrically the album is not as much about carving up stuff as it used to be. The album still got some really good song writing and a song that really struck me was Arbeit Macht Fleisch. First of all I was wondering why Carcass was doing a song with a German title, but after talking about it with my friend we remembered that the Nazis used the term Arbeit Macht Frei, that term is also mentioned in the song. Speculations is that the lyrics of the songs are comparing modern society to a death camp. I don't know what to think myself, which leaves a great mystery about the song, and you can form your very own opinion. Besides Arbeit Macht Fleisch this album is just filled with tracks you can listen to again and again. I would suggest Blind Bleeding the Blind, Embodiment and Doctrinal Expletives. But if you're not too lazy, it would be a better idea to listen to the whole album!

Some may think it is just filling for a review... But I always enjoy a good cover, and I like to talk about it, also when it is bad. I must admit that Carcass is not the band that I would mention first when I think about a band that got a line of awesome covers on the shelf. Heartwork is not really an exception. Even though it is not as horrible as the grindcore covers and Swansong. It still just strikes me as an odd cover to choose. The cover, or at least the sculpture on the cover was created by Hans Rudolf Giger, more commonly known as H. R. Giger. He also created works for bands like Celtic Frost, Danzig, Edge of Sanity and Triptykon.

Heartwork is a truly unique album. Even if you got the opinion that this album led to a sell out for Carcass this album clarified the bands legacy as legends. Pioneering grindcore and melodic death metal, now that is an achievement. With the rumours of a new Carcass record I really hope it will contain some elements from Heartwork. Now that Michael Amott and Daniel Erlandsson is not in the band any more, Carcass could return to their harder roots and mix it up with a bit of Necroticism.
But if you enjoy snarling vocals, and a fast assault with melodic elements you should definitely try out the album, and even if you don't know this band, give it a shot anyway! Maybe you have stayed away from Heartwork because of the negative feelings there is regarding melodic death metal, maybe you should think again and give it a chance...

Rating

9.3