My relationship with Carcass is pretty casual meaning I know the Metal maestros but my courtship didn’t actually begin until 2016 after I saw them slay live ahead of, ahem, Slayer. And then followed the inevitable deep dive into their catalog and a new found appreciation for the legendary UK outfit. Cut to today with the legends following up their successful 2013 return (After a 17 year gap in releases) with Torn Arteries, a defining record that cements Carcass’ reign as one of the leaders of Extreme Metal.
Vicious is the most accurate descriptor one could have for Torn Arteries, Carcass’ seventh full-length, because from the moment the title track tears a new one for listeners straight through to the closing pangs of “The Scythe’s Remorseless Swing” it’s glaringly evident that time is not slowing the Extreme Metal quartet down AT ALL. After “Torn Arteries” whets ye old appetite for what’s to come, “Dance Of Ixtab” lumbers in a laid back way with Carcass proving you don’t necessarily have to be fast to be heavy for a track that has the feel of Black Sabbath in their later Dio-led years except, in this case, listeners are blessed with Jeff Walker’s gruff growls instead.
“Eleanor Rigor Mortis” thrives from the skilled wordplay of its’ title and the intricate way Carcass go for the jugular without utilizing a full on shred onslaught for another slower, but no less evil anthem while “Under The Scalpel Blade”, on the other hand, is a super shredder hearkening to times of olde with the full might of Bill Steer and Tom Draper’s guitar prowess on display.
“The Devil Rides Out” is built from a ferocious yet majestic riff that comes at listeners like Maiden or Priest at their most Dungeons & Dragons-y or Testament at their epic Thrash Metal best with Daniel Wilding’s drums bringing the hard hits and a grand groove while Walker snarls out some devilish incantations. “Flesh Ripping Sonic Torment Limited” is a bouncing, brawling, behemoth lasting over ten and a half minutes and bringing out every Carcass trick in the book for a instant classic while the previously released “Kelly’s Meat Emporium” sounds even more iconic within the Torn Arteries framework with Wilding’s drumming sounding particularly vibrant.
“In God We Trust” is super shreddy to the point that it’s almost a calculated study of all things shred with some seriously majestic Steer and Draper riffage happening followed by “Wake Up And Smell The Carcass/Caveat Emptor” which is another triumph in extremes with a great deal of melody to counter all the Metal malaise. Concluding their latest Extreme Metal masterclass, Carcass wrap up Torn Arteries with the frenetic fury of “The Scythe’s Remorseless Swing” which is a rollicking romp and a fierce reminder of why the UK quartet is still as potent today as they were after their debut in 1988.
Torn Arteries arrives on September 17th through Nuclear Blast Records. Pre-order yours now by clicking here and here or here for streaming and more. For the latest on Carcass, follow them across their socials by heading here, here, or here.