CARCASS - Necroticism - Descanting the Insalubrious (DIGIPAK CD)

Carcass’ Necroticism - Descanting the Insalubrious is a grotesque masterpiece that slices through the death metal landscape with surgical precision. This third album marks a pivotal evolution for the Liverpool legends, stitching together the raw, festering aggression of their goregrind roots with a newfound melodic sophistication. It’s a sonic autopsy that reveals the band’s brilliance, blending technical ferocity with infectious hooks that linger like the stench of decay.

From the chilling industrial clatter that opens “Inpropagation” to the relentless, jagged riffs of “Corporal Jigsore Quandary,” the album is a relentless assault that never sacrifices its eerie atmosphere. The addition of Michael Amott’s guitar wizardry alongside Bill Steer creates a dual-axe attack that weaves intricate, razor-sharp melodies into the band’s signature brutality. These aren’t the polished strains of traditional melodic death metal; they’re warped, serrated, and dripping with menace, evoking a nightmarish operating theater where chaos reigns. Ken Owen’s drumming is a standout, driving the songs with off-kilter rhythms and explosive blast beats that feel like a pulse racing under a scalpel. Jeff Walker’s vocals, a mix of rabid snarls and guttural shrieks, deliver the morbid lyrical content with a deranged enthusiasm that’s both unsettling and captivating.

The production is pristine yet punishing, offering a clarity that lets every grisly detail shine—each chugging riff, named solo (like “compost humous horticulture”), and gruesome sample lands with maximum impact. Tracks like “Incarnated Solvent Abuse” and “Symposium of Sickness” are relentless, balancing technical prowess with headbanging grooves that demand repeat listens. The album’s thematic obsession with forensic gore, underscored by eerie samples, creates a cohesive, macabre narrative that feels disturbingly real, setting it apart from the cartoonish horror of contemporaries.

Necroticism is Carcass at their peak, a flawless bridge between their grindcore past and the melodic death metal future they’d help define. It’s an album that dissects the listener with its intensity while stitching them back together with unforgettable melodies. For anyone seeking the pinnacle of extreme music’s early ‘90s evolution, this is essential—a bloody, brilliant triumph that leaves you both horrified and exhilarated.