CARCASS / Surgical Steel (2013)

They disbanded in 1996 but they're back! And look at the cover. Is it a sign of the Carcass we know and love? Yes, if you were a fan of Necroticism (1991) and Heartwork (1993) because, like every review written says, it sounds like a bridge between those two albums (which is another way of saying it's fucking awesome).
The first half serves up an aggressive dual guitar assault on a bloodstained platter that reminds us just how influential the guys were back in the day. The second half is more focussed on bone crunching mid-tempo riffs that are friendlier on the ear but still extreme enough to make my brain tingle with perverted joy.
It was mixed by Andy Sneap, so you know you're in good hands even before you slip the disc into your player.

Songs of Note: Thrasher's Abattoir; Captive Bolt Pistol

4 congealed blood clots out of 5

CARCASS / Swansong (1996)

I forgot I owned this album. It never gets played. It's not very good. The production is the biggest problem; it’s just too polished and boring to be a Carcass album. The guitars are too low in the mix, the bass is too loud and fuzzy, and while the drums sound fine they're a lot more simplified than previous releases. Jeff Walker's vocal delivery is the only thing that holds it together. The gore/grind/death metal of old is replaced with something resembling bad Megadeth, and seeing as how 90% of Megadeth is bad Megadeth, we don’t need any more of that, thank you very much. It's maybe a good thing this was their actual swansong.

Songs of Note: R**k the Vote; Black Star

2 bad rot n’ roll out of 5

CARCASS / Heartwork (1993)

Carcass set aside the impossibly long album names that defined them for years and dropped Heartwork on the world in 1993. That was a special year for me and the album will forever be a part of it. It's a lot more melodic sounding than their usual death metal assault of previous works; it's much slower and the production is vastly improved. It won them accolades from all sides. Listen carefully and you'll hear a lot of Iron Maiden riffs being played in a more extreme and technical sounding style. Even people who hate death metal liked Heartwork.

Songs of Note: This Mortal Coil; Death Certificate

5 weird Swiss sculptures out of 5