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Liverpool's legendary death metal pioneers Carcass have issued several classic albums over the years, including Decibel Magazine "Hall of Fame" inductees Necroticism: Descanting the Insalubrious (1991) and Heartwork (1993). Whether it was inventing gore-grind (Reek of Putrefaction, Symphonies of Sickness) or creating the template for melodic death metal (Heartwork), Carcass has always made records by which bars were set and rules were broken. The band's classic third slab, Necroticism: Descanting The Insalubrious is an exhibition in expansive gore with mammoth production from Colin Richardson (Slipknot, Cannibal Corpse, Behemoth). The unnerving medical lyrics are still prevalent but a much more precise musical approach is in evidence here as well thanks to the addition of guitarist Michael Amott (Arch Enemy) who makes his Caracass debut.
Our take: Earache’s revolving reissue schedule again lands on Carcass’s landmark 1991 album Necroticism, so if you don’t already have the vinyl in your collection, now is as good a time as any to pick it up. In case you aren’t deep into Carcass, they started out as one of the most extreme and nastiest grindcore bands, but their sound evolved across their full-length releases. With such a diverse—but uniformly excellent—discography, Carcass fans might name any of their albums as their favorite, but Necroticism frequently gets the nod. It’s not unlike the melodic Swedish death metal that would take over the metal scene a few years later, but Carcass is less cheesy than something like At the Gates; Carcass’s riffing style is more angular and quirkier, not to mention heavier. I’ll leave it to someone more knowledgeable than me to say something new about this record, but I’ll just note it’s an undisputed metal classic and I’m stoked to have a few copies on the shelf.