Carcass - Torn Arteries (2021)

As one of the most awaited releases of 2021, today we have the legendary Carcass and their latest opus “Torn Arteries”. Aging as a fine wine, the band unleashes 49 minutes of their signature Death ’n’ Roll, fully delivering the good for long time fans. While the wait was long (8 years or so since their last full-length release, Jeff Walker and company effortlessly deliver one of the most incisive and engaging releases of their career.

Opening with the title track, the band quickly sets a very hectic and crafty mood with incisive guitars and engaging tempo changes. The traditional snarl of Jeff Walker is one of the band’s staple elements and, as always, perfectly complements the superbly catchy nature of the music, as we can hear in the playful “Dance of Ixtab” and the chugging “Eleanor Rigor Mortis”.

Billy Steer and Tom Draper masterfully handle the guitars, while unleashing some very Carcass-like riffs on songs like “Under The Scalpel Blade” and “The Devil Rides Out”, which features a very familiar pace. It is quite amazing how songs like “Flesh Ripping Sonic Torment Limited”, “Kelly's Meat Emporium”, and “Wake Up And Smell The Carcass / Caveat Emptor”, sound exactly like most of the older stuff from the band, sans some guitar leads and small tweaks, and yet they are superbly engaging, catchy and energize the listener.

Saving one of the best for last, “The Scythe's Remorseless Swing” closes this release in a very melodic way, giving in for some furious headbanging onslaughts. Overall, “Torn Arteries” is exactly the album we expected from Carcass. The band’s timeless sound keeps being highly engaging and very energetic, while still being familiar and comfortable. Jeff Walker and company have managed to craft songs that keep their fans pleased while trying some new things here and there to challenge themselves.

Label: Nuclear Blast Records

Release: September 17th, 2021

Genre: Death Metal/Death ’n’ roll

Country: UK