Heartwork, the classic album from British grindcore/death metal legends CARCASS, has been remastered with Full Dynamic Range audio and is available now on limited edition CD and LP.
Check out the lead-off track ‘Buried Dreams’ on YouTube below:
‘This Is Your Life’
‘Rot ‘N’ Roll’
‘Carnal Forge’ (live in Tokyo)
‘Heartwork’ (live in Tokyo)
Originally released in 1993, Heartwork was Carcass’ biggest-selling album, and their first to land in the top 50 of the UK charts. The album has been specially remastered from the original tapes using Full Dynamic Range (FDR) mastering, allowing the music’s nuances to shine through and giving the whole album a more ferocious, immersive and dynamic sound than ever before.
The typical method of delivery for mastered audio involves using heavy limiting to restrict the dynamic range and increase perceived loudness. However, this results in unwanted artifacts caused by the process, such as the increased likelihood of distortion. This led to what is known as “the loudness wars”, with the dynamic range of music being restricted more and more in an effort to make it sound louder.
Full Dynamic Range, on the other hand, delivers music at its optimum sound level dynamically, leaving the listener to decide on the playback level. This means that the track is not heavily limited to increase perceived loudness – you hear the tracks as they were made and intended to sound, with no loss of quality.
The Heartwork Full Dynamic Range edition is available now on CD, including four bonus tracks and a limited edition slipcase sleeve, and is also available on limited edition coloured vinyl LP in the following quantities and colours:
100 – Desensitized White (SOLD OUT)
200 – Right Ventricle Blue (SOLD OUT)
300 – Left Ventricle Red (SOLD OUT)
400 – Perpetual Decay Green
900 – Bleeding Dark Black
Get the Heartwork Full Dynamic Range Edition now on CD and LP in Europe here, or in North America here.
The Heartwork Full Dynamic Range Edition is also available now on iTunes here.
After their performance in Rockwave Festival, Greece, Jeff Walker and Bill Steer from CARCASS talked with Antonis Kondylis and Chris Karadimitris from Rocking.gr about the band’s current status, the new album Surgical Steel and a few other interesting topics. Here are a few excerpts from the chat:
Rocking.gr: So far, we have listened just to one song. Can you provide us more information about the album, the lyrics, the music etc or some general information?
Walker: “It is 40 minutes long, it’s called Surgical Steel, it is a Nuclear Blast record, it has 11 tracks on the standard album, 10 tracks and an intro. One song is two minutes long, one song nearly eight minutes long and the other ones are in between. The song that leaked is not representative of the album.”
Rocking.gr: Compared to your albums, which are the differences? Is it something different or is something that follows Heartwork or Swan Song for instance?
Walker: “I think it is a bit of all five. Someone, who heard it, says it is close to Heartwork. I think it is a mix of Necrotitism… and Heartwork and a bit from Swan Song. It is hard to explain. Although it is a bit of all five albums, it still sounds different.”
Rocking.gr: You have not released an album since 1996. After almost 20 years, what are your expectations?
Walker: “It is either going to be fantastic or it is going to be a little drip. It is going to be a blow or it is going to be extremely disappointing.”
Steer: “There are so many bands. I saw last week the sales in America and it was nothing. We take nothing for granted. For example, we saw less people here today than the last time we played…”
Rocking.gr: Why did it take you so many years to release an album? You reactivated the band in 2007.
Walker: “It was not something that we considered in 2007.”
Steer: “To be honest, we were not able to, because Mike (Amott) was busy with ARCH ENEMY and he stated very clearly that he did not wish to make an album with Carcass. So, as long as the lineup was together we were just playing shows. Later as we hold it, Jeff and I talked about it to make a record. For me, I thought very mixed about doing reunion shows. So, I and Jeff realized that it is a good idea to do a new record.”
Rocking.gr: You mentioned Mike. Why isn’t he in the band anymore?
Walker: “Ask him when you meet him. Ultimately, his priority is not Carcass. No matter the other bands we play in, Carcass is our priority. For Michael, it is Arch Enemy first, SPIRITUAL BEGGARS second and then it is Carcass. That’s not something we’re interested in. But, when he found out that we were writing an album and he wanted to be involved…”
Steer: “It was just really about timing… He said he wanted out on the last show we played together. He said he had enough. And then when we were doing the album he said he wanted to be back in. It’s hard to go back and forth like that. As Jeff said, it’s a commitment issue. We started this band, he came later on and he left quite early too. So, it is not the same thing with him. It is always going to be something that matters more.”
According to Nuclear Blast, the disinterred British extreme metal legends, CARCASS will release the track `Captive Bolt Pistol´ from their highly anticipated sixth full-length album Surgical Steel on August 09, 2013. The single will be available digitally and on colored vinyl.
Track list:
Side A: Captive Bolt Pistol
Side B: Intensive Battery Brooding
Surgical Steel, the band’s first studio release since their 1996 LP Swansong, was produced by Colin Richardson (NAPALM DEATH, BOLT THROWER, GOREFEST, CANNIBAL CORPSE, SINISTER, RODRIGO Y GABRIELA) and mixed/mastered by Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, ACCEPT, EXODUS, TESTAMENT). “We went back to working with Ian Tilton, who is an iconic English photographer famous for working with THE STONE ROSES,” stated frontman Jeff Walker regarding the cover artwork.
“He actually did the front cover for Necroticism… as well. We’ve deliberately tried to evoke the feeling of that album and Heartwork.” Joining guitarist Bill Steer and bassist/vocalist Jeff Walker in the band’s current incarnation are new drummer Dan Wilding (ABORTED, TRIGGER THE BLOODSHED) and guitarist Ben Ash (PIG IRON, DESOLATION, LIQUEFIED SKELETON). Expect some guest vocals from original sticksman Ken Owen as well, when Surgical Steel is finally released this Fall.
Check out this trailer previewing music from Surgical Steel.
Surgical Steel will be released on September 16 (UK), September 13 (Rest of Europe) and September 17 (North America).
“Surgical Steel”, the new full-length album from reactivated British extreme metal pioneers CARCASS, will be released on September 16 in the U.K., September 13 in the rest of Europe and September 17 in North America via Nuclear Blast Records. The effort was produced by Colin Richardson (FEAR FACTORY, MACHINE HEAD, NAPALM DEATH, SLIPKNOT, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE) and mixed by Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, ACCEPT, EXODUS, ARCH ENEMY).
“Surgical Steel” will be made available in the following formats: CD, CD-Digi, Double-LP Black, Double-LP White (pictured below) and Nuclear Blast Mail Order Edition (pictured below).
The “Surgical Steel” Mailorder Edition is limited to 666 units and is packaged as a first aid-kit.
Joining guitarist Bill Steer and bassist/vocalist Jeff Walker in CARCASS‘ current incarnation are new drummer Dan Wilding (ABORTED, TRIGGER THE BLOODSHED) and guitarist Ben Ash (PIG IRON, DESOLATION, LIQUEFIED SKELETON).
CARCASS‘ first studio LP since 1996’s “Swansong” will feature guest vocals from original sticksman Ken Owen.
In a recent interview with Chile’s Radio Futuro, Walker stated about the new CARCASS CD: “We think we’ve made a good album, so it’s gonna be very interesting when people get to hear the record. We can’t wait to see what people think.”
He continued: “It sounds like CARCASS. Even the drumming sounds like CARCASS. Everything about it… I think it’s gonna shock people, how good it is. I think it’s got all the elements that people like, yet it still sounds fresh. So that’s all I can say, really, ’cause we don’t really sound like any other band, and the fact that after 17 years, we wrote music and it still sounds like CARCASS, I think it’s good.”
Regarding the direction of the forthcoming CARCASS album, Walker previously stated: “We’ve taken stylistic cues from all the albums because it’s in our blood, but it’s no rehash or mess of ideas. I think it sounds almost like the missing link between the third and forth albums but with some groove in there. I’ve jokingly christened some parts ‘trad blast’ and some ‘death sleaze’… don’t think for a minute this is just some nostalgic throwback album — we’re setting up another 17 years of ideas for other bands to copy and clean up on. [laughs]”
British grindcore/death metal legends CARCASS will release their sixth full-length album, Surgical Steel, on September 16th (UK), September 13th (Rest of Europe) and September 17th (North America).
Prior to the album’s release, Carcass will issue a 7″ vinyl single, for the track ‘Captive Bolt Pistol’. The single artwork can be seen below:
“Captive Bolt Pistol”, a brand new song from reactivated British extreme metal pioneers CARCASS, can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. The track comes off the band’s comeback album, “Surgical Steel”, which will be released on September 16 in the U.K., September 13 in the rest of Europe and September 17 in North America via Nuclear Blast Records. The effort was produced by Colin Richardson (FEAR FACTORY, MACHINE HEAD, NAPALM DEATH, SLIPKNOT, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE) and mixed by Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, ACCEPT, EXODUS, ARCH ENEMY).
Joining guitarist Bill Steer and bassist/vocalist Jeff Walker in CARCASS‘ current incarnation are new drummer Dan Wilding (ABORTED, TRIGGER THE BLOODSHED) and guitarist Ben Ash (PIG IRON, DESOLATION, LIQUEFIED SKELETON).
CARCASS‘ first studio LP since 1996’s “Swansong” will feature guest vocals from original sticksman Ken Owen.
In a recent interview with Chile’s Radio Futuro, Walker stated about the new CARCASS CD: “We think we’ve made a good album, so it’s gonna be very interesting when people get to hear the record. We can’t wait to see what people think.”
He continued: “It sounds like CARCASS. Even the drumming sounds like CARCASS. Everything about it… I think it’s gonna shock people, how good it is. I think it’s got all the elements that people like, yet it still sounds fresh. So that’s all I can say, really, ’cause we don’t really sound like any other band, and the fact that after 17 years, we wrote music and it still sounds like CARCASS, I think it’s good.”
In a separate interview with Terrorizer magazine, Steer spoke about how the decision to record a new CARCASS studio album came about.
“I found myself playing riffs that sounded like CARCASS,” he said. “This was after the band had finished the whole reunion cycle of shows and festivals. So, officially, I would have been playing with other bands and stuff, but for some reason whenever I picked up a guitar at home I was coming up with riffs that sounded like CARCASS. I got on the phone to Jeff and said, ‘We could have a crack at writing a couple of tunes and seeing if they’re strong enough and take it from there.’ We also agreed if it didn’t sound like carcass or have that kind of vibe to it, we would just drop it. So that was the thing, we got together and started working on some stuff and just immediately got the excitement back very quickly.”
He added: “It definitely sounds like CARCASS. I think we just generally by accident captured the flavor of past music that we have done and you can’t help but push it forward. We have really been creative and when you are looking at things like guitar harmonies, it’s way more adventurous on this record. It’s not just parallel harmony like we did in the past, things branch off in different directions.
“A lot of what is happening now is based on rhythms rather than actual riffs. We were discussing this a lot during record sessions about how the riff is almost dying or dead already. People spend a lot of time chugging on the bottom string [but] that’s a rhythm, it’s not a riff. We can’t write a song, never mind an album, without it being chock-full of riffs.”
Stated Walker: “I’d like to feel like we are giving CARCASS fans what they want again. I’m a realist and I think Bill has realized and Dan know what people like about CARCASS. We’re definitely delivering.”
Regarding the sound of the forthcoming CARCASS album, Walker previously stated: “We’ve taken stylistic cues from all the albums because it’s in our blood, but it’s no rehash or mess of ideas. I think it sounds almost like the missing link between the third and forth albums but with some groove in there. I’ve jokingly christened some parts ‘trad blast’ and some ‘death sleaze’… don’t think for a minute this is just some nostalgic throwback album — we’re setting up another 17 years of ideas for other bands to copy and clean up on. [laughs]”
Asked if this means we’ll be hearing some death metal vocals out of Bill for the first time since “Necroticism”, Walker told Decibel, “Yes, already in the can. It’s more along the lines of how I envisioned him backing me up on ‘Heartwork’. That said, my own vocals have a hell of a lot more range than they did in the past solely down to the luxury of having time to record them — I did all the vocals for ‘Heartwork’ in two days and it shows!”
Walker on the “Surgical Steel” cover artwork: “We went back to working with Ian Tilton, who is an iconic English photographer famous for working with THE STONE ROSES,” stated CARCASS bassist/vocalist Jeff Walker. “He actually did the front cover for [1991’s] ‘Necroticism – Descanting the Insalubrious’ as well. We’ve deliberately tried to evoke the feeling of that album and [1993’s] ‘Heartwork’.”
While the final track listing has yet to be confirmed, the following songs were recorded during the sessions:
* The Master Butcher’s Apron
* The Granulating Dark Satanic Mills
* A Congealed Clot Of Blood
* A Wraith In The Apparatus
* 316l Grade Surgical Steel
* Cadaver Pouch Conveyor System
* Captive Bolt Pistol
* Intensive Battery Brooding
* None Compliance To Astm F899-12 Standard
* Mount Of Execution
* 1985/Thrasher’s Abattoir
* Unfit For Human Consumption
* Zochrot
* Livestock Marketplace
Guitarist Michael Amott and drummer Daniel Erlandsson, who had been touring with CARCASS since the band’s reunion was announced in 2007, are no longer involved with the group due to scheduling conflicts with their main band, ARCH ENEMY.
CARCASS will support AMON AMARTH on their upcoming European tour.
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