Carcass: Surgical Remission/Surplus Steel `14, Despicable `20, Torn Arteries `21

A seminal death metal band from Liverpool, UK, founded in 1985.

Starting out as a three-piece, Carcass were one of Earache Records' grindcore flagship and had a huge impact on the birth of so-called goregrind style. The group debuted with the extremely lo-fi underground classic "Reek of Putrefaction", which the late BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel declared as his favourite album of 1988. With 1989's "Symphonies Of Sickness" the band developed the goregrind style further with the addition of vastly improved production values. The album tour also saw the addition of a second guitarist Mike Amott. 1991's "Necroticism" was the band's first studio work as a four piece and the album, albeit incorporating highly complex guitar riffing and structures, showcased somewhat more accessible and thrashier guitar work and overall less emphasis on full-on grindcore. 1993's "Heartwork", while still being brutal and complex at times, saw the band abandon nearly all of their grindcore parts and showcased a more streamlined and catchier version of Carcass with more song oriented approach and overall more traditional heavy metal vibe with strong guitar harmonies and melodic lead guitar work. Following the success of "Heartwork" the band singed to Columbia Records, but the major label collaboration didn't turn out to be too fruitful as the band grew frustrated with the music business and proceeded to split up during the recording of their fifth album "Swansong".

Carcass reformed for live shows in 2007 with Mike Amott back in as second guitarist and Daniel Erlandsson filling in as a session drummer. Original drummer Ken Owen had suffered a brain haemorrhage in 1999, which left him disabled to perform the songs in a live setting. The "reunion" touring cycle ended when Amott and Erlandsson left the band in 2012 to focus on their main band Arch Enemy.

In February 2013 the band announced that after 18 years, a new album was at works. Daniel Wilding was introduced as the new drummer and later also Ben Ash joined the group as a live guitarist.

Ash exited the band in late 2017 and was replaced by Tom Draper.

Current line up:
Bill Steer - Guitar (1985-1996, 2007- )
Jeff Walker - Bass & Vocals (1986-1996, 2007- )
Daniel Wilding - Drums (2012 - )
Guitar - Tom Draper (2018 - )

~ discogs

Tracklist LP01. 2014 Surgical Remission - Surplus Steel [NB 3443-1]:

A1 A Wraith In The Apparatus
A2 Intensive Battery Brooding
B1 Zochrot
B2 Livestock Marketplace
B3 1985 (Reprise)




Tracklist LP02. 2020 Despicable [Nuclear Blast NB 5644]:

A1 The Living Dead At The Manchester Morgue
A2 The Long And Winding Bier Road
B1 Under The Scalpel Blade
B2 Slaughtered In Soho




Tracklist LP03-04. 2021 Torn Arteries [Nuclear Blast 27361 53681]:

A1 Torn Arteries
A2 Dance Of Ixtab (Psychopomp & Circumstance March No. 1 In B)
A3 Eleanor Rigor Mortis
B1 Under The Scalpel Blade
B2 The Devil Rides Out
C1 Flesh Ripping Sonic Torment Limited
C2 Kelly's Meat Emporium
D1 In God We Trust
D2 Wake Up And Smell The Carcass / Caveat Emptor
D3 The Scythe's Remorseless Swing