CARCASS is a death metal (death n' roll) band based out of Liverpool, England and originally formed back in 1986 and have been reactivated since 2007. It is safe to say the band is considered as a forefather in the grindcore and extreme death metal genre. Their style varied over the years and basically got more of a rock edge (see "Swansong") but their comeback album (and subsequent EP) "Surgical Steel" was more of a return to their roots of the "Heartwork" days. This is their first Ep since those releases, entitled "Despicable", released through Nuclear Blast Records, on October 30^th 2020.

The opening stanza is in the form of "The Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue" showing that the fascination with the wonderful atmosphere of a corpse-filled morgue still inspires the members of the band. The slow start with the trademark guitar melodies, mixed with some good old distortion really has that 1993 feeling. There is a slow build with some galloping guitar riffs put in there and the vocals are on point as always with that gritty tone that has made Jeff Walker ab absolute legend in the genre. The song goes into hyperdrive about halfway through and just oozes Swedish death metal filth. One thing that just makes these guys amazing are those absolutely crazy solo parts thrown in there that sound so chaotic and controlled at the same time. You also get your more traditional wallowing solo in there too do not worry. The song has a bit of everything from melodic parts to thrashier elements and the occasional doom-laden grooves as well.

After going through that maelstrom of aggression, we are presented with the rather comically titled number "The Long and Winding Bier Road", most likely having something to do with the arduous road schedule the band has endured over the years and its accompanying alcohol. The song has some very loud parts and a more traditional approach in the early moments. The song is much more mid-tempo and focused on a more simplistic structure. One thing that is very noticeable is how the vocals are not as harsh at times, while I would not say they are clean, they definitely are more audible than what has been the cornerstone of the band in the past. The song possesses a lot of groove matched with some really strong rhythm portions and once again, well-crafted solos. If some of you recall the band ARMAGEDDON, some of these added melodic portions are very reminiscent of that band in their early days.

The third song "Under the Scalpel Blade" should not be a surprise to fans of the band, as it had been released for quite some time as a stand-alone track. This one is straight to the point with the blast beats and the rapid-fire guitar notes all wrapped up in a big pile of flesh-pounding sonic dissonance. You get your fair dose of low-tone guitar riffs in there, that just bring me back to the melodic death metal masterpiece that is "Heartwork". The band has always known how to balance the speedy notes and violence with perfectly timed "money riffs" (as Phil Anselmo loves to call them) and this song is no exception to that rule.

Finally, we have the "Slaughtered in Soho" which I assume has nothing to high quality clothing (look up the last word on google if you do not get the joke). The backbone of this one is very simple, the heavy dueling guitars that absolutely resonate through the eardrums. For those of you who may have missed it, the ultimate instrument is back on this number, the quintessential cowbell! It would not be a CARCASS album without a bit of that touch. The vocals sound so devilish here, yes because of the effects added to them and the fact they are doubled, but they really have a huge impact on the aggression side of things.

There is not a single weak track on this EP and while it only lasts a mere 18 minutes, it is packed with all the key components to a band that has mastered the art of having harmonies yet pulling no punches in all the other areas. If you missed your classic melodic death metal, give this wonderful EP a spin today.