Carcass' 'Torn Arteries' - Album Review

While the UK has always produced its fair share of extreme metal bands, I think it is fair to say that most of the genre's heavy hitters and pioneers have come from elsewhere. America and Scandinavia in particular have always been hotbeds of extreme metal, particularly of the death metal (traditional or melodic) variety, with many of the big names of all things very heavy and grimy coming from those shores. One thing that the UK can stake a claim for in the extreme metal world for, however, is the grindcore subgenre. It will not come as a surprise to regular readers of this blog that I am not very knowledgeable about grindcore - but even I am not blind to the influence that bands like Napalm Death had throughout the late 1980s. Napalm Death's seminal 1987 debut album Scum is one of the most influential albums in the genre; but it was followed a year later by another big hitter, Reek of Putrefaction - the debut album from Liverpool's Carcass. While Carcass are perhaps not as influential or as well-respected as Napalm Death, they are still a very important band in the context of UK-based extreme metal. This is likely due to their ever-evolving sound, which saw them move away from their early grindcore sound as early as 1989 - with the band's second album Symphonies of Sickness taking on more of a traditional death metal sound, while retaining the gory imagery of their debut. Carcass would continue to evolve until their initial break-up in 1996, a fruitful period that produced a genuine death metal classic in the form of 1993's Heartwork - which helped to cement the band's reputation as well as launch the career of one Michael Amott who would soon form Arch Enemy. Following their break-up, the band lay dormant for 11 years, but reunited in 2007 to appear at a handful of festivals. As is often the case, however, the reunion became permanent. While Amott initially re-joined the band, he could not commit long-term due to his commitments with Arch Enemy. As such, in 2012, the current core of Carcass was formed - with founding members Jeff Walker and Bill Steer joined by drummer Daniel Wilding. The trio released the excellent Surgical Steel album the following year, and have been sporadically touring it ever since. Due to the popularity of Surgical Steel, an eventual follow-up was inevitable. The band had discussed one many times in interviews over the years, but it was not until last month that the band's seventh studio album became a reality. Following eight years after Surgical Steel, Carcass' latest offering Torn Arteries feels rather familiar - but there is a griminess to it that Surgical Steel sometimes lacked. True to its name, Surgical Steel had a very precise sound - while Torn Arteries sounds dirtier, and probably truer to Carcass' classic sound as a result. It is certainly not an album that adds anything significantly new to the band's sound, but the songwriting throughout is tight - and Steer's love of a melodic, NWOBHM-inspired guitar lead is as evident as ever.

The album gets off to a pummelling start with a flashy drum intro from Wilding, which soon morphs into the album's pacy, groovy title track. Driven by a great Steer riff, the song is classic Carcass - and in many ways sets the tone for the rest of the album. Despite the grimier sound that is present throughout the album, it still sounds very well produced. Torn Arteries does not sound like an underground demo, but there is a certain murk to Steer's guitar tone throughout - while Walker's trademark throaty screams sound as gnarly as ever. While Carcass have often been on the more melodic side of death metal, I would not consider them to be 'melodic death metal' in the sense of bands like At the Gates or Arch Enemy. Carcass are a true death metal band, but Steer's love of the blues and classic heavy metal shines through with his solos - and there are a number of great guitar moments during the album's title track, including a few neo-classical call-and-response style runs that play off against Walker's voice during a knotty breakdown. The lengthily titled Dance of Ixtab (Psychopomp & Circumstance March No. 1 in B) follows, and the song slows the pace down somewhat and goes for a mid-paced groove-based approach. This sort of sound has always served Carcass well, and I think that Walker's voice shines the most during the slower tracks. While Walker handles the majority of the vocals throughout the album, there are occasional deeper growls from Steer that add depth. This occasional vocal interplay works well - and it really helps to bulk Dance of Ixtab (Psychopomp & Circumstance March No. 1 in B) out nicely. The grinding riffs suit the occasional deeper growl, and the diversity helps the song to stand out somewhat. Given the song's more groove-based approach there is less lead guitar playing here - but Steer's riffs are more than enough to keep the song interesting. It is a song that is more about rhythm than melody in any case, and such a sound has always been a big part of death metal. Eleanor Rigor Mortis ups the pace again, and the song reaches thrash-levels of speed at times - which is evident from the off with Wilding's fast-paced playing and Steer's explosive shredded solo. The song's overall pace is quite varied however, and it moves back and forth between thrashy sections and grinding death metal passages perfectly - with snaking Eastern-tinged guitar leads playing nicely off Walker's vocals. While Carcass are joined live by guitarist Tom Draper (Primarti; Pounder), all of the guitars on the album are performed by Steer. This gives the album a sense of consistency, and Carcass has always been defined by Steer's unique style (for death metal anyway) in any case. Eleanor Rigor Mortis is a great example of his approach to melody, and is uniquely Carcass as a result.

Up next is Under the Scalpel Blade, a song that was first released as a stand-alone single in 2019 and then again in 2020 as part of the Despicable EP. As such, the song will be very familiar to die-hard Carcass fans already - but its grimy death metal vibes are welcome on the album. It is the first song on the album to include true blast beats from Wilding, so it is one of the most traditional death metal-sounding songs here as a result. The album's production really helps the song to shine in my opinion too, as the guitar tone and deep bass sound allow these faster sections to still sound clear - despite the grimy sound. So many blast beat-led sections can end up sounding like mush, but Carcass have avoided this - and the song sounds powerful as a result. The Devil Rides Out opens slowly, with some aching guitar swells - but it is not long before the song gets going. The mid-paced track really showcases the band's love of the NWOBHM. It is still very clearly a death metal song thanks to Walker's vocals and the overall production, but many of the riffs and guitar leads are very much rooted in traditional heavy metal. Carcass' love of traditional metal is part of why I am drawn to them. There are not many true death metal bands that I listen to on a regular basis, but Carcass have always been a favourite. The Devil Rides Out is a good example of why I like the band, as the song is catchy in a traditional metal way; while still containing plenty of death metal trappings to keep it sounding nasty. As such, the song is a real showcase for Steer. There are a couple of great solos throughout the track, and his lead playing generally is showcased - with a strong closing section bringing the best out of him as a player. Flesh Ripping Sonic Torment Limited is the album's longest song, clocking in at just under 10 minutes, and it is quite possibly the band's longest song to date too (I am not familiar with all of the band's albums). Surgical Steel saw the band experimenting with some slightly more progressive arrangements, and Flesh Ripping Sonic Torment Limited carries this on. Despite the longer form that the song takes, it does not really shake up the band's sound dramatically. What it does allow for, however, is the inclusion of a number of different sections - and the song lurches between them nicely, with a distinct Steer riff kicking off each new part. The song's length does not sacrifice any of the band's natural catchiness however, as many of its many parts are memorable - with a couple acting like choruses that repeat throughout. Kelly's Meat Emporium shines the spotlight again on the band's thrashier side, and the song is a fast-paced antidote to the longer song that proceeded it - much of which was more mid-paced in style. Kelly's Meat Emporium sounds more old-school as a result, and it is certainly one of the album's most furious cuts. There are few breaks in the relentless pace throughout, with Walker's throat-ripping vocals leading the charge. There is less riffing to focus on this time, meaning that Walker is the star of the show. He still sounds as potent now as he did in the 1980s, and it is great to hear how well his voice has held up over the years.

In God We Trust is more of a mid-paced piece, but it is one that takes the slightly more progressive arrangement of Flesh Ripping Sonic Torment Limited and condenses it down into a much more bite-sized portion. While the song certainly sounds like typical Carcass, it is somewhat more knotty than usual. The opening riffs are quite different sounding for the band; while there is a lot more light and shade in the piece than is common. For example, there is a very low-key breakdown that features clean guitar melodies and some subtle keyboards, courtesy of Per Wilberg (Spiritual Beggars; Opeth), which then leads into one of the most old-school sounding guitar solos on the album. This part of the song could have come from any number of 1970s classic rock/prog albums - and it sounds quite different for Carcass. As such, the song is a real standout cut - and it shows that the band can be quite inventive when they want to be. Wake Up and Smell the Carcass/Caveat Emptor is more typical for the band, with its mid-paced sound being packed full of groove - which allows Steer to once again show off with some excellent lead guitar spots. Despite this, however, parts of the song are more atmospheric than usual. Wilberg once again adds his keyboard magic to the song, and there are parts that really benefit from the added depth that he brings. Keyboards are not a big part of Carcass' sound, but their occasional use throughout this album does allow for a few interesting twists - without significantly altering the core sound that makes the band unique. The album comes to a close with The Scythe's Remorseless Swing, a creeping, brooding track that is big on atmosphere. The lengthy instrumental opening has something of a psychedelic feeling, with Steer's 1970s-influenced guitar leads setting the tone nicely, and even when the song kicks off properly some of these vibes are still retained - with similar leads resurfacing throughout. There are still plenty of potent riffs and trademark Carcass hooks however, which means that the song is a good mix of different styles. At its core, however, the song is still trademark Carcass. Some of the hookiest vocal melodies on the album are present here, and the amount of excellent Steer guitar work is staggering. There is a lot packed into the song, which enables it to work really well as a closing number in my opinion. It is a busy song that highlights why Carcass are still a potent force to be reckoned with in metal, and the album ends on a real high as a result. Taken as a whole however, the album also showcases this. Torn Arteries follows eight years after Surgical Steel, but the overall quality from the 2013 release has been maintained here. There are so many great riffs contained within the album, and as such each song has something about it that makes it stick in the brain. Rarely is death metal so hooky, but Torn Arteries is an album that sticks with you - and is overall a very fun and rewarding listen.

The album was released on 17th September 2021 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is the band's promotional video for The Scythe's Remorseless Swing.