Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Carcass - Heartwork (1993)
Heartwork is probably the album where Carcass was the most dedicated. They began demoing this album as early as during their tour for the less melodic Necroticism, even playing their new songs on tour. Much of the recording time was wasted finding the right guitar tone and the right ideas from their producer Colin Richardson. Things were going down to Hell for the people working on the album. With all that trouble going on, Carcass was still determined to get things right in order to reach higher lengths. In the end, they've made an offering that the world would recognize as a game-changing classic to this day!
I would never disagree with this album's melodic death metal legend status, but to be honest, it's not the most melodic melodeath album I've heard. The Maiden-like melodic harmonies that really make the genre, but that's a small step Carcass was missing here. The melodic harmonies in this album is mostly in just passages and solos, the latter not sounding as perfect as in Gothenburg bands. Mike Amott performed them slightly better in Arch Enemy that would've crystallized Bill Steer's standard riffing and groove.
The album's bleak emotion appears from the start with "Buried Dreams". Then things speed up with "Carnal Forge", beginning with harmony-powered intro riffing. Probably the closest this album has been to their earlier violent gore lyrics that would've traumatized people who aren't ready (like I would've been if I checked it out like 5 years ago). Swedish melodeath band Carnal Forge would get their name from that track. "No Love Lost" is certainly not easy-listening for most people, but it perfectly fits the more precise and mature direction the band has taken. The fast title track has really shaped up the melodeath genre as what we now know.
"Embodiment" has a mid-tempo groove and other aspects that would inspire a newer generation of deathcore created by Embodyment (I wonder if that track is where that band got their name). "This Mortal Coil" is straight on melodeath to kick things up high. "Arbeit Macht Fleisch" (Work Makes Meat) takes on a greater amount of harmonies that would inspire the last two Death albums.
There's a baffling breakdown in "Blind Bleeding the Blind" that would confuse people into thinking this is Coroner's Grin. The somewhat disappointing "Doctrinal Expletives" doesn't taint the album's greatness when some slight redemption is on the way. "Death Certificate" touches on dehumanization of life in a melodic yet blazing ending bang.
Heartwork is the album that gave later death metal bands the idea to add more melody than brutality, and it's quite an impressive achievement of a lifetime for this band. Where there any other bands before Carcass and the Gothenburg crew that started adding melody to an extreme genre with extreme lyrics? I think not! However, At the Gates who would make an album two years later that would inspire melodic metalcore bands to rise. In the meantime, enjoy the original melodeath work!
Favorites: "No Love Lost", "Heartwork", "This Mortal Coil", "Arbeit Macht Fleisch", "Death Certificate"