Tools of the Trade

After the masterpiece and masterclass of death metal/deathgrind/goregrind/whatever you want to call it named Symphonies of Sickness, Carcass could have retired after that album and it would have been a legendary band even to this day, but they had other plans and wanted to change their sound a bit. I have no idea why they decided to get away from that brutal, atmospheric and extremely disgusting style of their 2 first albums, but they still managed to release some quality ones afterwards.

I hold the belief that this is what Carcass should have released instead of Necroticism (at least the new songs exclusive to the EP), except the re-recording of Pyosisified, which was completely unnecessary and ruins the grim atmospheric disgustingness of the original. They even removed the guitar slides from the beginning.

First of all, most of Necroticism’s songs are longer than they should be. It makes that album feel bloated. Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of good moments in it but if I listen to that album in one go, I just get bored due to many riffs simply not hitting hard enough or being too “death-n-roll-y?”, like in Corporal Jigsore Quandary.

This EP, however, doesn’t suffer from this. Imagine the difference of style between Symphonies of Sickness and Necroticism. Well, I’d say this EP falls in between those. It sounds like regular death metal, as if they took Symphonies and decided to remove the grind elements, but even if I don’t like it as much as that album, it’s still very enjoyable.

The 2 new songs are shorter, minus Hepatic Tissue Fermentation II but that’s OK since it has an awesome fading outro, they are tighter and hit harder than most of Necroticism’s stuff. I can’t hear any significant bloat that would harm them.

The production is the same as Necroticism’s, which is acceptable, even though I’d have preferred a similar production to Symphonies.

Bill Steer does much more vocals here than in Necroticism, which is a thing I missed in that album due to how little he contributed in that department. And I totally love it. He doesn’t growl so low and deep that he sounds he’s about to throw up like in Symphonies, but he still sounds wonderfully disgusting.

The pacing of the songs is very similar though, with tempo changes with slow and sinister riffs, even if they’re not as brutal and sinister as before, and fast ones that also hit really hard like the chorus of Tools of the Trade.

Seriously, this EP is probably the most underrated Carcass’ release. Even if the songs aren’t as progressive as the ones in Necroticism, I feel they’re way tighter and way more enjoyable. I can only imagine if Carcass had released 7 or more songs like these. I don’t give this EP more rating due to the butchering (in the bad sense) of Pyosisified, the “just good” production and how few songs it has.

PD: Surgical Steel’s album art has NOTHING on this one.

With the benefit of hindsight, I can say Carcass released this EP during a transition from the extreme grind metal of their early underground days to the more accessible melodic death metal phase that marked the twilight years of their career when they drew as much inspiration from classic heavy metal as they did from punk and grind. Originally the EP came out in 1992 to support a tour the band did with Cathedral, Entombed and Confessor to promote their music and their label Earache Records. The recording still holds up very well after 20 years which, though it says a great deal favourable about Carcass's aggressive and brutal style and their continuing relevance, in itself is perhaps not such a good reflection on how far (or not far at all!) metal and non-metal bands have come since 1992.

The title track is a quick and efficient number where Jeff Walker and Bill Steer constantly trade vocals and the music builds up at speed to outbreaks of feverish and fevered lead guitar licks, courtesy of Steer and fellow string surgeon Mike Amott, bursting out like so many spores from a fungus. You might expect this to be the best track on the EP but as it turns out, it's the weakest in comparison to the others that feature. "Incarnated Solvent Abuse" starts with a wild looping riff and frenetic drumming that leaps into an infectious bouncy rhythm groove which then alternates with a steady motorcycle chug. Constant changes of pace and rhythm in a kind of back-and-forth duel keep the music and Steer throws in two guitar solos. Walker and Steer's vocals slaver over the lyrics with wicked relish. For a song just over 5 minutes, it packs in several different riffs and melodies and jumps, often abruptly, from one rhythm or riff sequence to another.

"Pyosisified (Still Rotten to the Gore)" is a changed version of the song that appeared on the band's demo "Flesh Ripping Sonic Torment" and debut album "I Reek of Putrefaction". I still think the version with its lightning guitar squeal attacks on the first album is the best but the EP version is solid and brutal if not light and speedy throughout. The sound is sludgey in parts and the texture so raw you can see the yellow pus leaking out. Plenty of groove-laden riffs, hiccupy lead guitar spurts and deranged singing bulk out the song. "Hepatic Tissue Fermentation II" concentrates on riffing at frantic speed, so fast that Walker and Steer are just barely able to keep up with the tortured lyrics. At least the song slows down enough to get in some crunchy rhythm guitar battery pounding.

This EP distils the best of Carcass from their early pure grind period and their later melodic and more death metal phase so it's a good introduction to the band for those who've just woken up and are smelling that distinctly whiffy cadaverous odour wafting from their local friendly neighbourhood metal record shop. Folks, please allow the quartet of body snatchers to take up their scalpels, plectrums and forceps and perform some emergency treatment upon your ears and brain cells ...

This is a short EP that Carcass released in 1992. These 4 tracks are also available on the re-release of Necroticism - Descanting The Insalubrious. The production is raw and minimalistic, just as it should be. An excellent selection for old fans and new. Tools of the Trade bridges GoreGrind with the Melodic Death Metal that Carcass would evolve into, mixing brutality with some melodic riffage.

Tools of the Trade is a good track. Bill Steer and Mike Ammot tear it up like theres no tomorrow. The drums are pounding and consistent, and the vocals are some of Walker's typical gorey rasping. Cool guitarwork from 1:54-2:24. Go out to the shed and grab the power drill, chainsaw, and blowtorch, cause it's all about the TOOLS OF THE TRADE!

Incarnated Solvent Abuse is one of my all time favorite Carcass songs. Starts in with a catchy lead, and builds up riff by riff. Very head bangable. A couple of tempo changes keep this mostly mid paced track interesting, with memorable double bass work. More gore guitar from the masters proves you can blend melody and brutality.

Pyosified (Still Rotten To The Gore) starts off with a cool drum lick and goes into a groovy simplistic riff building up to the vocals. The atmosphere goes from slow and dark to blasting and evil, with pounding drums and some patented Carcass riffage. Makes you want to vomit up your intestines.

Hepatic Tissue Fermentation II is almost epic compared to the other tracks on this EP. Clocking in at 6:37, its a gut wrenching ballad of blood. The vocals are sick as always, and its like fighting to stuff your organs back into your eviscerated torso.

Another killer release from one of the greatest bands ever. Carcass are the unholy fathers of Gore, and this is just one of many testaments to their wickedness. The classic line up delivers another masterpiece. A must have for all true fans.