Its been eight years since the legendary Grindcore *and* Melodic Death Metal pioneers Carcass returned to the scene with their mighty Surgical Steel record. My excitement for this new album was stirred greatly by the EP Despicable released as a holdover comprised of outtakes during the pandemic. Its strange but what mustered my interest seems missing on many of the new songs here, mostly in its aggressive arrangements. Perhaps the music falls into the routine and expectant as Bill Steer and Jeff Walker write this collection of new songs from safe space creatively.
Torn Arteries is another power house of Melodic Death Metal, executed with a clean, approachable tone and embellishing production to give the aggressive snarling shouts and blast beats a softer edge. It illuminates the web of melody and cushioned groove woven between its harsher elements. Chugging guitars drift into melodic inflections as bright luminous lead guitars turn a lick into a solo. It all sounds gorgeous with a notable easing up from drummer Daniel Wilding who's kick and snare grooves come with space at easier tempos to give room for digestion of the entangled guitars.
In its opening phases the temperament is all a little too contained and unadventurous, at least in terms of finding new ground. I can't put my finger on quite why but its not until In God We Trust that I get any goosebumps. I'd say at the mid point with The Devil Rides Out, the pace picks up as bigger riffs and more exciting stints of aggression come into play. I adore this sound and style but Carcass stick so closely to it. Perhaps that's what I liked about the cuts that didn't make this record? In not being up to snuff, they had a little difference I found exciting.
One thing that rocks throughout is Bill's lyrical hooks. His snarling shouts are often a bit much to decipher but he gets the catchiest lines out with a knack for creating ear worms. The way he barks "Whats the joke?" or spewing wordings like PVC and Skullduggery. He has a knack, obviously, for that twisted medical savagery they embellish their identity with. "As the serpent rises from a maternity ward" being a favorite as it paints an utterly bizarre image of genetic experimentation gone wrong.
I've sat on this one for a while now, spinning it over and over, hoping that some much needed adrenaline would flow, like other Carcass records do for me... but still its not quite there yet. I can't critique much here at all, I think its a fantastic set of songs with a great sounding production. Its probably the lack of novelty or originality that is missing for me. At a time where I am starting to think I need some new musical adventure, this was just all too routine? Either way, I can't knock Torn Arteries, it will go in the collection for rotation and hopefully the surprise of shuffle will reconnect me with these songs in the future.
Rating: 7/10