CARCASS – Symphonies of Sickness Review

CARCASS – Symphonies of Sickness

Earache Records

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This is raw, uncompromising death/grind but more on the death metal side I’d say. One word describes this release: HEAVY. There are slow points i.e. tempos but overall it has many different elements to it. And a dark production quality. It’s really fitting for the music wholeheartedly. They covered every aspect of death/grind here. It’s just a way solid album to tell you the truth. Both Walker and Steer fluctuating on the vocal department. This album is way underground.

The vocals at some point are muddled and in some points are blended between both Steer and Walker. Such an awesome release and everything seemed to fit just right. The guitar is better heard with just headphones to make out the riffs closely. A solid album!! I cannot relate to the lyrics though. Just the music I’m concerned about. 3 musicians on this one before they acquired Michael Amott for their follow-up to this one. I think that his ideas might’ve been why CARCASS went melodic.

This is where they belong though, in the underground. But that’ll never be again. Even though they’re still making music, nothing is like the old stuff. That goes with a lot of bands. That’s why I was compelled to write about this one for the millennials. So that they just don’t get the newer material but the old because that’s where the heart of this band was the strongest. I think CARCASS’s first 4 albums are my favorites. Such a transformation with this band though. Later on, more mainstream.

The music on here is just heavy as hell the riffs all over the place. But they’re well blended in with the production aspect and drums as well as the vocals. There aren’t really many leads here, which is good because it keeps the music just downright kick ass brutal. You would never think that after hearing this they’d come out with something like “Swansong”, that is way mainstream. But “Surgical Steel”, their comeback album is quality just not like this though. This is HIGH-QUALITY.

To sum it up, there are high-and-lows in terms of tempo changes on here, more death metal than anything else. It’s really quality and I can’t stress that enough. Probably one of their best releases ever. Total underground and uncompromising. They hit-home with death metal fans world-wide with this. I really enjoy hearing the old material. Even though it’s pretty grim, it suits their lyrics and musically they were just developing still. Every death metal fan should own this!!

Ryan  “Death8699”  Fanucchi