Carcass: Surgical Steel (Complete Edition)

Grindcore forerunners stitch their recent material together

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In the mid-00s, Carcass reconvened for a string of festival appearances after calling it quits in 1995.

Not only did their return send the old-school legionnaires into fits of dewy-eyed elation, but the band tapped into a new creative vision that would yield 2013’s magnificent Surgical Steel.

Whereas Carcass’s early releases conjured a sunless vortex of pure sonic density, Surgical Steel boasted bright melodic flourishes and glistening sheets of razor-sharp riffage, moving their genre identity ever deeper into the heart of Gothenburg. The unreleased bonus tracks spread across various formats of the album were consolidated into a five-track EP (2014’s Surgical Remission/Surplus Steel).

Unlike other EPs, these tracks easily stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the album, showcased in the animosity of Intensive Battery Brooding and the maleficent roar of Zochrot. Other than mashing these two into a single release, however, there’s nothing new here – no additional tracks or new production. So why is this necessary? What is the sound of one hand clapping?

Joe Daly

Hailing from San Diego, California, Joe Daly is an award-winning music journalist with over thirty years experience. Since 2010, Joe has been a regular contributor for Metal Hammer, penning cover features, news stories, album reviews and other content. Joe also writes for Classic Rock, Bass Player, Men’s Health and Outburn magazines. He has served as Music Editor for several online outlets and he has been a contributor for SPIN, the BBC and a frequent guest on several podcasts. When he’s not serenading his neighbours with black metal, Joe enjoys playing hockey, beating on his bass and fawning over his dogs.