Carcass - A Congealed Clot of Blood

     I didn't do any kind of a Throwback Thursday post this week, so since I'm out of "old band new music" stuff (for now...) I'm going to jump in the wayback machine for some Old School Saturday... kinda sorta.

     I say "kind sorta" because while this song is not chronologically very old at all, it's got a classic, old-school vibe to it in spades. The 2013 album Surgical Steel from British death metal legends Carcass was hailed as a bit of a return to form, but whatever you want to call it, the record's old-school flavour is undeniable. The riffs, the solos, the vocals -- the whole thing feels retro with feeling like it's trying to feel retro. You follow me?

     Whatever. You don't have to follow me to enjoy today's Old School Saturday song, "A Congealed Clot of Blood" from Surgical Steel by Carcass. Crank this one and whip your mullet/metal hair around like you just don't care.

Friday: Carcass - Captive Bolt Pistol

     It's Friday (in case you didn't know) and I decided to go for something with a little old school brutality, even if it is from a new album.

     Your Friday song is "Captive Bolt Pistol" from last year's Surgical Steel by legends Carcass. Why this song? Why today? Because for some reason I find the step-up in intensity that occurs around 2:12 to be both awesome and really amusing, and I can't help but share that with you. I hope a little shredding will brighten your day as it's brightened mine.

Carcass - The Master Butcher's Apron

     I might be a little late to the party when it comes to today's band, but as the saying goes, better late than never. Since their latest album is appearing on a number of end of the year lists, I felt I had to pick up a copy, and after a couple of listens, I can say that Carcass's Surgical Steel is a bit of a monster.

     I've never been a Carcass fan, but all the positive reviews for Surgical Steel twisted my arm, so to speak. So far I'm glad they did. Surgical Steel is a melodic death metal album that to me feels pretty thrashy, both modern sounding as well as a little retro. And, perhaps more importantly, there's a plethora of truly evil-sounding riffs, always a bonus in any metal record worth its salt.

     Methinks I need to go back through Carcass's catalogue to see what other filthy goodness I can uncover, but for now, let's listen to "The Master Butcher's Apron" from Surgical Steel to get us started. Sometimes I have one specific reason or other for choosing a particular song, but "The Master Butcher's Apron" gets the nod tonight simply because I dig it. Surgical Steel has a number of nicely vicious cuts that could just as easily warrant some time in the spotlight, but I've been gravitating towards this one in my listens through the record, so "The Master Butcher's Apron" it is. Enjoy.