ALBUM REVIEW: Torn Arteries – Carcass
Throughout their career, CARCASS have been at the forefront of so many styles of metal music and have evolved seamlessly without ever losing their integrity. In their early days they were the gods of grind, with albums like Reek Of Putrefaction and Symphonies Of Sickness. Then, they moved onto the more melodically inclined masterpieces of Necroticism – Descanting The Insalobrious and Heartwork.
Sure, there are those that would turn their noses up at Swansong, the last album before they first split up, but that album may get an unfairly bad rap. It’s definitely underrated – come on – Keep On Rotting In The Free World on its own stood proudly as one of the best metal songs of that time, as did Tomorrow Belongs To Nobody and Generation Hexed (which was no mean feat considering this was the era of massive tracks like Blinded By Fear, Where The Slime Live and Devoured By Vermin) and the rest of the album has been unfairly looked upon ever since. Perhaps we digress, but the fact that that album is much more in line with the band CARCASS are now is very important. Its lineage, coupled with the band’s long-awaited and worth the wait comeback album Surgical Steel in 2013, makes CARCASS who they are today.
Fans have been waiting a long eight years for a new CARCASS full-length, but it has to be said that it is definitely worth the wait. Torn Arteries has the same vibe as those last two albums, but it seems that the band are even more reinvigorated with this album. As the energetic and full on title track kicks things off, it’s clear this is a newly fired up CARCASS that we are experiencing. It sees the addition of guitarist Tom Draper alongside relatively new drummer Daniel Wilding and mainstays bassist/vocalist Jeff Walker and guitarist Bill Steer, but it still sounds as if they have all been together for years.
With this new line-up fully in place, Torn Arteries (named after a demo tape recorded by and saluting the band’s former drummer Ken Owen), the band fire on all cylinders throughout – from the title track onwards until the last notes of closing track The Scythes Remorseless Swing fade out.
Songs like Flesh Ripping Torment Limited, Under The Scalpel Blade and Wake Up And Smell The Carcass/Caveat Emptor salute the band’s history, while tracks like Kelly’s Meat Emporium and In God We Trust open up a new side to the CARCASS sound. It all adds up to a joyful listening experience for any fan of CARCASS and extreme music in general.
Throughout the record, Steer‘s guitar sound and playing is immense and cements the fact that he is the most underrated guitar player in metal. The playing he produces on songs like the brilliantly titled Eleanor Rigor Mortis and The Devil Rides Out are superb, almost recalling his days in the similarly underrated FIREBIRD. Draper delivers a similarly blistering performance, seamlessly fitting into the CARCASS sound. Walker is on fine form from start to finish too, with his formidable vocals and distinctive snarl brought to the forefront as his bass playing locks into a powerful groove with the pounding drums of Wilding.
Torn Arteries is the sound of CARCASS fully resurrected and reborn, with knowing nods to their past but fully looking to the future. When they have material as good as this, there is nobody stopping CARCASS from regaining their place at the top of the extreme metal tree where they belong.
Rating: 9/10
Torn Arteries is set for release September 17th via Nuclear Blast.
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