Carcass

YYFY!  Finally seen them live. Since my UKB sparring partner in death metal discussion, GCW, enjoyed it so much, I think I should celebrate too.

So, Carcass. I first heard them - and recorded them to cassette - on the John Peel show, playing Exhume To Consume I think. Pretty rabid stuff and I didn't follow them so much at the time. Later on I remember buying the first issue of Thrash n Burn magazine in a wee shop in Castle Douglas of all places, and I'm pretty sure it was them who reviewed the legendary Necrotism: Descanting The Insalubrious album, rightly hailing it as a milestone in death metal, and even drawing comparisons to classic music in how complex yet tightly structured the tracks were (a fair point, albeit one that uncultured oafs who dismiss metal as too noisy won't get). Suffice to say Necrotism and it's follow-up Heartwork became firm favourites. I skipped over the much maligned and more accessible Swansong, partly because it came out as I was getting more exclusively into hardcore and gabber, and consigned Carcass to historical legends.

Upon getting back into metal recently I re-purchased some albums and was of course very excited about the release of Surgical Steel, buying the actually rather good Swansong to get me warmed up in advance, and then Symphonies Of Sickness to round of my collection. Having seen my other long-term favourites Bolt Thrower live, it was great to see Carcass too....I'm not really a gig person, but will get tempted by top quality death metal. They were supporting flamboyant Viking battle metal masters Amon Amarth who also played a great set, so didn't play as long as I hoped (and I still can't believe the immediately catchy Master Butcher's Apron is missed out), but aside from that it was a great gig - Class of 85 provides a perfect intro, CJQ was as frantically groovy as expected, Exhume to Consume was pleasingly rabid with backdrop images of diseased penises, Bill Steer was clearly having a great time on guitar, and the catchiness of many of their tracks was firmly hammered home. \m/ enough said \m/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YVW9GmPiaM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vwYqEihTpQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmENcnXtwSM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THkGcjNKdoE