With the lineup of: Bill Steer, Jeff Walker, Ben Ash and Daniel Wilding, Carcass gave the world 11 intense, gripping tracks that blend a lot of their previous works, drawing from Swansong, Heartwork and even some of Necrotism. Keeping with some of their earlier themes of body disposal, grotesque mutilation, and just downright evil, Walkers lyrics really paint a variety of grim and bloody images, something you’d expect from Carcass (a la their earlier grind approach) while the overall product showcases a more melodic approach to the guitar work (much like Heartwork). Surgical Steel really gives you the best of melodic death metal, thrash and grind, with balanced amounts of gallop-laden drums, blast beats, crushing riffs and excellent solos. This record sounds like the band meant business and wanted to make sure you got their best on each track.
Now before you all think I’m just fellating the record, and that it goes without fault, there was one concern I had. As a recording engineer myself, I love to blend a variety of sources on the sessions I work on. I like to have clean sounding drums, and gritty bass or a distorted vocal, and super majestic sounding solo here and there. That said, this record to me sounds a bit too clean. Everything sounds so polished and that’s what keeps Surgical Steel from being a perfect 10 in my book. I grew up listening to death metal and punk and loved the raw sound a lot of bands got on their record, and Carcass achieved that aesthetic easily on their previous efforts. I guess what I’m missing is a bit of that ratty, gritty sound that made Heartwork so special to me.
Now let’s get back to why this record ripped my spine out and left my bloody corpse for the butchers to hack up. Surgical Steel hooked me in right from the epic introduction "1985", (which made me think of a darker Hellion from Judas Priest) to the bombastic “Master Butcher’s Apron”, to “Captive Bolt Pistol”, this album has everything that makes metal music so much goddamn fun. The front half of this record shows a more ferocious approach to the songs and then the second half throws a barrage of melodic riffs at you that, let’s face it, if you’re not head banging you might as well be dead.
At the time of their breakup, Carcass had recorded and released their well-received LP, Swansong without any touring support and tons of label issues. And then without a single farewell show, they ceased intent to continue their endeavours in music. Was that to be the end to the legendary Carcass? I’d day Surgical Steel is the bands long-awaited way of saying hell no.
*** 9.5/10 [Nuclear Blast]
- Pete Carparelli
We're happy to report that Mr Carparelli of Bloodletter - of whom I wrote are "[...] absolutely relentless in its shredding and exhausting drumming and manic riffs that blaze by in buzzing glory... I'll eat my Sodom t-shirt if these guys don't get signed in 2014" - is now a member of the Halifax Collect writing team! Not familiar with Bloodletter? Let me help you; read BLOODLETTER staking a claim, right into your soft ass face! You are welcome. Carparelli is also and Engineer-Producer at Million Yen, Chicago (website). We took the Unleashed oath, "The immortals - The warriors of Unleashed, who all swore to stand as one... Forever. To you I have sworn, to you I have sworn I have sworn allegiance eternally!" Hail, Carparelli!
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New Carcass song, "Captive Bolt Pistol." Let's listen. Let's talk about this, guys.
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Spot on Pete. I was also very pleased with this album, but what I find most interesting about this is how I usually (and many others, I've been aware of) approach albums like this. I am wary, and even a bit ashamed to give stuff like this time. It interferes with me trying to be on top of things, follow what's happening etc. Not be like the guys who were waiting for a new Wishbone Ash album while I, eighteen years of age, was soaking up what was happening, among it Carcass's first albums of course.
ReplyDeleteI've been trying, of late, to be conscious about this, as it's in all reality unfair to the musicians. A good album is a good album, but nonetheless, you seem to carry some kind of baggage when you approach it.
But, this was a "side-thought". I thoroughly enjoyed Surgical Steel, it rocks, beyond my hopes actually. But my response was of course not as "WHAT IS THIS GREEEEEEEEEEAT SHIT!!!" as in the olden days. You will never recapture that sense, simply because of age. I'm going off topic again, but I find this interesting, how sometime we fruitlessly try to capture something, again and again, that's gone forever...
infinite blessings
Arnar Eggert Thoroddsen (arnareggert.is)
Good one Arnar!
ReplyDeleteThis is real good man. You touched on things I've contemplated as well. I think the production is too clean and streamlined. Also, I find it harder to swallow than I excepted how good the drummer is. His perfect "style" contrasts Owen's style so much to the point I feel Carcass is missing a big and unique piece of the puzzle (read: http://halifaxcollect.blogspot.com/2013/06/new-carcass-song-captive-bolt-lets.html).
I like how one song is a light hearted nod to the songs "Heartwork." Very obvious and shows they don't take themselves too seriously. "Mount Of Execution" is my current fav.
Oddly enough, Carcass is one of those bands that changed my life and I was totally obsessed with but this album fails to put its hooks in me. I like it but I often forget about it.
All in all this good album is oddly forgettable.
ReplyDeleteAlbum is legit and Bill Steer is a riff wizard as showcased in Unfit for Human Consumption and Captive Bolt Pistol. Will be interesting to see how this one ages. I like the sound overall, Jeff Walker is still one of the better DM vocalists around and I'm immensely looking forward to see them this summer.
ReplyDeleteA lot of people have been praising Surgical Steel, but I have to say I wasn't impressed with it. When they first announced they would be releasing a new album I wasn't sure what to think, but after they said it would sound like what should have come between Necroticism and Heartwork I got my hopes up that I would enjoy it. Unfortunately it did not live up to my expectations. The lure of Heartwork has waned for me, but even then I still enjoy it much more than Surgical Steel. Sure, Surgical Steel has more of the intensity found on Necroticism and Bill actually does backup vocals again (although he's low in the mix), but the riffs don't hook me in like they do on old material. Necroticism had formulated song structures with a plethora of methodical riffs and Heartwork took a more simplistic approach while delivering tons of catchy melodies. Both of them succeeded at what they set out to do. Surgical Steel however lacks both the cutting edge of Necroticism and the precise touch of Heartwork. That's not to say it is a terrible record - it is better than most of the other death metal comebacks and there are some enjoyable tracks on it - but it simply isn't as memorable as the massive classics Carcass put out so many years ago.
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