Review by illusionist for Carcass - Necroticism - Descanting the Insalubrious (1991)
The ultimate bridge between the filthy goregrind of Symphonies of Sickness and the razor-sharp Melodic Death Metal of Heartwork, 1991 landmark Necroticism is an unparalleled album in these genres, melding Carcass' two sides with bloody aptitude and surgical precision.
Jeff Walker's raspy punctured-lung growls, mortician's vocabulary, and disturbing spoken-word intros maintain the familiar air of demented bloodlust and organic decay from previous records, though there is also significant and noticeable evolution in the band's due to Bill Steer's increasing sophistication as a guitarist and songwriter. While not all the way over the fence into Melodic Death Metal yet, there is undeniably a potent infusion of dynamics and melody - lifeblood into the old Carcass skeleton - primarily in the the guitar work.
This is still a Death/Grind album at its beating heart, but medical signs of the coming transformation are already plainly visible. Just look at the opening track "Inpropagation". It has Carcass' frantic grindy sections and grisly subject matter ("Deteriorated flesh used as top-soil, to replenish and nourish seed"), but the song is multidimensional in a way Carcass had not previously been, with brief slower phrases and melodic guitar leads spliced in to increase the impact of the heavier riffs when they re-enter ("I PROPAGATE, DUST IN THE GRATE!").
This combination works to devastating effect throughout the album. For example, the incredible guitar soloing at the beginning of "Pedigree Butchery" and the end of "Symposium of Sickness" is extremely melodic, played with a level of feel and sensibility that feels more characteristic of progressive or neo-classical metal than Deathgrind. But these moments never overstay their welcome. You never forget on this album that you are still listening to Carcass, the legendary Gore/Deathgrind innovators. Michael Amott and Bill Steer rattle off sickeningly heavy riffs one after the other, just as fast as Jeff Walker can rattle off esoteric medical terminology. Some riffs mid-paced and churning, others nimble and punchy - often in quick succession. Some of them are really unique-sounding, like string-bending ones at the end of "Forensic Clinicism" (you'll know which one I mean as soon as you hear it). Some of them even make the listener think of sounds the narrating mortician's tools might make as he mechanically dismembers his corpses ("Carneous Cacophony").
All in all, if you could only listen to one Carcass album, it should be Necroticism, as it effortlessly captures the best of both worlds of their earlier and later periods. It's just the total package for people who want Metal that has 1) brutal heaviness, 2) excellent musicianship and melodic composition, and 3) a unique atmosphere or feeling. It is rare to find albums that have all three of these qualities. The ones that do, like this album, earn classic status in the genre.
Top 3 Songs: "Inpropagation", "Symposium of Sickness", "Incarnated Solvent Abuse"