There are few, if any, better in the death metal field than Carcass. Relentlessly old school… (well, just relentless really) they appear infrequently, but with deadly precision. As such, it’s been an unbelievable eight years since the monumental return that was Surgical Steel (with only two EPs to bridge the gap), but absence is supposed to make the heart grow fonder and so, appropriately, Torn Arteries comes complete with a picture of one on the front. At any event, Torn Arteries is fucking immense. It sounds massive, it packs ten songs into fifty minutes and not a moment is wasted.
Opening with the title track Carcass make the sort of entry that normally comes bracketed by explosions and the smell of sulphur. A pummelling, no-nonsense melee of hyper-speed riffing, backed by Dan Wilding’s percussive barrage, Torn Arteries shows just that, within this veteran band, the flame still burns white hot and the listener is left somewhat shellshocked by the song’s conclusion. Dance Of Ixtab (Psychopomp & Circumstance March No.1 In B) offers up a whimsical title, but there’s nothing whimsical about the layers of feedback and the foundation-threatening beat that announce the track. A stark, mid-paced reminder that Carcass built their career on this type of neck-threatening nightmare, Dance Of Ixtab is a scything ode to whiplash with a dirty doom groove that is impossible to ignore. Next up, and significantly raising the pace, Eleanor Rigor Mortis may have a title based on a Beatles pun, but the hyper-speed riffing and nimble lead guitar work suggest the band are far from joking with this scabrous entry in their catalogue. The previously released Under The Scalpel Blade (from the Despicable EP) continues to make a ferocious racket, segueing between savage blasts and vitriolic doom. Simply a masterclass in dynamic death metal, it remains a dirt-encrusted gem in the band’s tattered crown. With the first half reaching its dark conclusion, Denis Wheatley’s spirit looms large over the death-doom horror of The Devil Rides Out. Opening on a suitably cinematic note, the band evoke the title with a galloping riff that sounds like Iron maiden being battered to death by venom.
Following the briefest of interludes, in which the band show their instrumental chops, the band unleash the splenetic riff of Flesh Ripping Sonic Torment Limited against the unwary listener. Hulking and delivered with fierce glee, it’s matched by deftly layered vocals that suggest an entire army of demons are held in harness by the band. It’s followed by the disturbing grind of Kelly’s Meat Emporium, a truly hideous den of dangling meat hooks and tortured flesh if the serrated riffs and Eastern chord progressions are any indication. The sneering In God We Trust may have an opulent introduction that’s more doom than death, but beyond the multi-tracked guitars lies a ferocious piece of music indeed. The crushing weight of Wake Up And Smell The Carcass / Caveat Emptor, with its taut percussive stabs, sees the album approaching its end with defiance in its eyes before The Scythe’s Remorseless Swing brings things to a satisfyingly blistering conclusion. A savage, tightly executed finale that neatly combines might and majesty, The Scythe’s Remorseless Swing is a grand, even haughty, piece of music that leaves the breathless listener very much wanting more.
Mixed by David Castillo, Torn Arteries sounds absolutely stunning, with David ensuring that the band remain dynamic and vital, without ever sacrificing the raw authenticity of their performance. Of course, Carcass are veterans and their experience shows, as does their passion for the music, with the result that Torn Arteries comfortably sits alongside the band’s classic albums. Brutal as all hell, yet melodic enough to be memorable, Torn Arteries is pretty much flawless. 9.5/10
