New song:



Sounds rather good I have to say. Production's a little sharp though.

[edit]

Actually the production is fine. This is a very good track.

YAY!

Sounds extremely promising.

The wait for this album has been killing me, but if this song is anything to go by, it'll be well worth the wait!

Jeff said the album was like a missing link between "Necroticism" and "Heartwork", and this song for sure backs up that statement. It has the melody of the "Heartwork" material, especially the solos, but the backing vocals of Bill Steer and parts of the music gives a more acerbic feel that the "Necroticism" material had. Can't wait for the album! \m/

Fuck me sideways, this exactly the Carcass I've been hoping to hear.

Man I cannot wait for this album, that was one righteous song, definitely Carcass.

Sounding pretty promising.

Written by Daniell on 30.06.2013 at 21:29

Fuck me sideways, this exactly the Carcass I've been hoping to hear.

My thoughts

This is fucking great, new song sounds exactly like I wanted it to be! I'm really hyped now.

A band that listened to its fans? Waaaaaaaaat.

I love the three people who had it before the cover art was even revealed! classic.

I am more close to belive god exists............. is it good, is it bad dn but tks Carcass for making me believe that sometimes "to live is not to die" as CF says and make me thank i am alive to hear and hope for this album. Cheers metal fans

It has been leaked, and I'll have to wait till tonight to hear it, shit

Edit: Well, after listening to it, I found it good, but just it. I thought it could be less melodic... Sometimes I couldn't tell that it was Carcass if it wasn't for the vocals.

Overall, a good melo death album.

Written by Rulatore on 01.08.2013 at 13:25

It has been leaked, and I'll have to wait till tonight to hear it, shit

I was just going to post about it being leaked!

Listening to it now...

Fucking Carcass!! \m/

Okay, after 2 listens, here's my initial brief thoughts on every song!

"1985" - A wonderful harmonized guitar intro that Mike Amott would kill to have written! Has been heard on the trailer, and they've also been opening recent shows with this.

"Thrasher's Abbatoir" - A total throwback to the band's earlier material (with a modern sheen of course!), it's a short, but very sweet, vicious, pummelling assault. This is both the shortest and harshest song on the album, brilliant opener!

"Cadaver Pouch Conveyer System" - An interesting blend of Maiden-esque harmonies, and crushing riffage blend together to create a captivating sound, which is a perfect blend of acerbic Necroticism-era Carcass attack with the more melodic approach of their last two albums. Some great solos on this one!

"A Congealed Clot Of Blood" - A more moody, and mid-paced number, which could have been lifted straight off "Heartwork". One of the more linear cuts on the album, but it's still a very good song.

"The Master Butcher's Apron" - This sounds like a mash-up of Symphonies (with cleaner production), Necroticism, and Heartwork era Carcass, and it's a devastating hybrid to be sure! They harness almost all the weapons they invented over their initial incarnation to unleash a deadly barrage of sounds which is a treat for the ears!

"Non Compliance To ASTM F 899-12 Standard" - This one features some great thrashing moments, a big dollop of Necroticism-era brutality, and a dash of melody too, including an awesome melodic solo by Mr. W.G. Steer himself. It's one of the longest songs on the album, and very non-linear in it's structure, which again, it has in common with the great Necroticism album!

"The Granulating Dark Satanic Mills" - This is without doubt, the most melodic cut on the album, with triumphant sounding guitar melodies and riffs, which again must make Mike Amott seethe with jealousy that he didn't come up with them himself for Arch Enemy! Carcass were a pioneering act in the melo-death genre, and here they show that the originals still do it better than anyone else!

"Unfit For Human Consumption" - A classic sounding Heartwork-era harmony riff kicks this one off, yet a swinging, macabre riff in the chorus, complete with Bill Steer and Ken Owen backing vocals, embues it with a massive sound which is absolutely classic Carcass. A crushing thrash break mid-song, followed by a grinding assault before going back to the melodic main body of the song, are the final ingredients in this wonderful metal sonic brew.

"316 L Grade Surgical Steel" - The semi-title track is mainly death n' roll, though even this cut is non-linear, as it also features what I can only describe as "happy-go-lucky grind". And the last couple of minutes of the song are much more moody, and darker, than the earlier portion of the song. Again, the twists and turns makes this one such an engaging listen, a delight to listen to!

"Captive Bolt Pistol" - Most people here will have already heard this, so I'll keep it brief. This song sounds for all the world like "Tools Of The Trade" Mk II, just more melodic due to the bright and breezy solos of Bill Steer on this one!

"Mount Of Execution" - The album ends with a song that not only sounds like nothing else on the album, it also sounds nothing like anything else in Carcass' catalogue. This is an epic and atmospheric piece, with a marauding quality that is absolutely captivating. If you ever wondered how Carcass would sound if they went full-blown prog metal, then this song provides the answer! An unexpected and stunning climax to the album for sure.

All in all, this album is Carcass paying homage to all eras of their past, respecting all the sounds they helped to pioneer, but presenting it in a way that sounds up-to-date, and fresh. Some may not appreciate the clean production, but it makes the album title all the more fitting, as the sound is cold, clean, and clinical, just like Surgical Steel! Great comeback which exceeded my expectations. So glad to have the Carcass lads back! \m/

To hell with modern production, it ruins all the atmosphere a band like Carcass creates...

@ Angelic Storm: You couldnt be more on the spot than this track by track. Objectively this is what the album sounds like, so its up to the listener to let himself/herself enjoy it or not. I, a many, had hopes for a "Necroticism" approach but the result is astounding as it is. I must say that Carcass proved that they can easily do a Necroticism No2 but they can also do a Heartwork No2 so this is the outcome, a superbly done combination of their career's peaks BUT they havent wrote individual songs from each era rather they combined their experience WITHIN almost each song's structure, one word..BRILLIANT

Written by Schizonaut on 02.08.2013 at 16:22

To hell with modern production, it ruins all the atmosphere a band like Carcass creates...

This is not modern production, its decent production. Carcass suffered from crappy production in their early works, since you loved these works you probably loved everything about them including the crappy production which DOES NOT create atmosphere, the music creates atmosphere. This is not a serious reason to avoid decent production though. Separate that in your mind if you can and enjoy their newest creation or any other decently mastered death metal masterpiece you probably missed/avoided cause it didnt have crappy production. For music's sake get rid of this production sickness you carry from the 80's.

Okay album nothing more nothing less bordering on good. Would rate it from 7 to 8 my mood. But listening to this makes me grab back to album number 2 and 3 by these guys.

Written by matia on 04.08.2013 at 23:40

This is not modern production, its decent production. Carcass suffered from crappy production in their early works, since you loved these works you probably loved everything about them including the crappy production which DOES NOT create atmosphere, the music creates atmosphere. This is not a serious reason to avoid decent production though. Separate that in your mind if you can and enjoy their newest creation or any other decently mastered death metal masterpiece you probably missed/avoided cause it didn't have crappy production. For music's sake get rid of this production sickness you carry from the 80's.

This. Motherfucking this.

Written by matia on 04.08.2013 at 23:40

This is not modern production, its decent production. Carcass suffered from crappy production in their early works, since you loved these works you probably loved everything about them including the crappy production which DOES NOT create atmosphere, the music creates atmosphere. This is not a serious reason to avoid decent production though. Separate that in your mind if you can and enjoy their newest creation or any other decently mastered death metal masterpiece you probably missed/avoided cause it didnt have crappy production. For music's sake get rid of this production sickness you carry from the 80's.

This. A thousand times over. I'm sick to death of reading how modern/too clear production spoiled an album. Claiming that good production spoils the atmosphere is the most preposterous thing I've ever come across in almost 30 years that I've been into metal. As you said, first and foremost it's the music that creates atmosphere.

This album, by the way, has excellent production. And it happens to be one of the best reunion albums I've heard in my entire life. If you are able to discard that stupid their-old-albums-were-better stance and listen to Surgical Steel without prejudice, you will hear that it contains shitloads of great songs and tons of, simply put, excellent music. My favourite still is Necroticism, but Surgical Steel is a brilliant release that is on a par with Heartwork.

Sure, music creates the atmosphere but the production sure as hell enhaces it (or ruins it). Denying that would silly.
For the record, I think the production is just fine here. The production on their debut sucks, I'll give you that but on the next ones I see no problem.
Production will ALWAYS remain a case-by-case thing. Thinking that every band needs a clean/filthy, modern/old or whatever production is ridiculous.

Written by X-Ray Rod on 08.08.2013 at 14:16

Sure, music creates the atmosphere but the production sure as hell enhaces it (or ruins it). Denying that would silly.
For the record, I think the production is just fine here. The production on their debut sucks, I'll give you that but on the next ones I see no problem.
Production will ALWAYS remain a case-by-case thing. Thinking that every band needs a clean/filthy, modern/old or whatever production is ridiculous.

100,000% agreed. Especially "Sure, music creates the atmosphere but the production sure as hell enhaces it (or ruins it). Denying that would silly."

Glad we agree that music is first when it comes to creating atmosphere

Written by Daniell on 08.08.2013 at 20:00

Glad we agree that music is first when it comes to creating atmosphere

Absolutely! That's why production has to completely terrible before I'd significantly hold it against an album. The first Carcass album for example, definitely has production so awful that it is quite detrimental to the listening experience. As for Surgical Steel, it isn't the best album in Carcass' career, that's still Necroticism. But it's definitely one of the best reunion albums from a classic metal band that I've ever heard. Tempo Of The Damned is the only other one I can think of off-hand where an old band has reunited for a new album, and it deserves a place amongst their classic material.

Written by Angelic Storm on 08.08.2013 at 21:46
But it's definitely one of the best reunion albums from a classic metal band that I've ever heard. Tempo Of The Damned is the only other one I can think of off-hand where an old band has reunited for a new album, and it deserves a place amongst their classic material.

Asphyx and Autopsy would like a chat with you.
Then again, Autopsy's album was too long, their real return to force is the latest one!

Written by X-Ray Rod on 08.08.2013 at 21:54
Asphyx and Autopsy would like a chat with you.
Then again, Autopsy's album was too long, their real return to force is the latest one!

God, I can't believe I forgot about Macabre Eternal! Yep, it was too long, but so much of that album is classic Autopsy, I'd definitely call that one a return to classic form. I haven't heard the new album yet... I'll have to rectify that soon! As for Asphyx, yep Deathhammer is a fine slab of old school death metal goodness, that is true. hehe

It's a class album.

Written by Angelic Storm on 08.08.2013 at 22:03

As for Asphyx, yep Deathhammer is a fine slab of old school death metal goodness, that is true. hehe

Death... The Brutal Way was their reunion album and not Deathhamer