This is my first time hearing any Carcass material after their reformation. I couldn't be bothered to check out even a single newer song online, so I have no points of reference in terms of comparisons to the other reunion material.
Jeff Walker's vocals are immediately identifiable, and the first, second, and last tracks open with melodic riffage that's very reminiscent of the Heartwork style (though in the case of "The Long and Winding Bier Road," there's a strong Megadeth-ish vibe too). I hear references to all of the '90s Carcass styles across the EP, although they're not always particularly strong, and the modern production values push them farther away from the older releases. The melodic leads have somewhat of a Heartwork feel. The slower tempo-ed groovy parts are a little bit like Swansong, although there's nothing nearly as rhythmic, catchy, or thrashy here. There are even some hints of Necroticism DNA contained here in the more straightforward DM parts and sections with frenzied blasting. I should also add that while the actual sound of the songs is probably much closer to some sort of Heartwork/Swansong hybrid, the varied song structures remind me of Necroticism the most, at least compositionally.
Ultimately, it's okay, but I probably got more enjoyment out of finding this at the store than listening to it. Any of the first 5 Carcass albums would be a far superior listening experience. That said, the vocals and guitarwork give this enough of a Carcass touch that I can't condemn this as being on the level of some newer generic melodeath or death'n'roll band. Fine for $2.
Oh yeah, before I forget--the artwork on the disc face is awesome, and even the ribcage art on the back cover is pretty cool. Either one of those would have made for one of the best Carcass cover artworks ever. Conceptually, I think a death metal version of the Rod of Asclepius is an interesting idea, and I'll even concede the Carcass logo scalpel is pretty cool. But the serpent skull looks more dinosaur than snake to me, and that it was used on the cover above some of the other art in the layout shows someone (not sure if the band or label are directly responsible) has totally lost the plot.
No comments:
Post a Comment