Heartwork (Carcass)

Originally beginning life as an influential grindcore band, Carcass turned to a more accessible death metal style for their fifth effort. Musically, the album emphasizes more groove laden segments and simpler song structures that hide a more complex band performance. Lyrically, the album moves away from the pathological obsessions of the band's past and into more introspective material not unlike Death's transition around the same time. The album is also noteworthy for being the last to feature Arch Enemy/Spiritual Beggars guitarist Michael Amott and for being a major influence in the development of melodic death metal.

Buried Dreams: Building drums and powerful guitar harmonies open this song's introduction, the verses continue at an almost bouncy mid-tempo pace with some echoing growls thrown in, the chorus features some catchy vocal lines, and the bridge brings in a solid breakdown that leads into a squealy solo section. A pretty groovy start.
9 out of 10

Carnal Forge: Faster guitar harmonies open this song nicely, the verses continue with angry vocals thrown in, the choruses briefly slow the song down, and the first solo section leads into a more mid-tempo direction with the bridge's stanzas continuing with a similar style, and the second solo section returns to the more intense style. A solid addition.
8 out of 10

No Love Lost: Now we come to another groovy mid-tempo tune. It features more downtrodden guitar harmonies, memorable vocal lines, angry pre-choruses, a strong hook during the chorus, and more upbeat guitar solos. One of my personal favorites on the album.
9 out of 10

Heartwork: Dissonant guitar squeals open this song before going into another intense guitar chug, the verses continue at an energetic pace with more direct growls, the chorus features a more uplifting refrain, and the solo section offers more melodic guitars before going into another angry breakdown. A pretty cool track.
8 out of 10

Embodiment: Another downtrodden set of guitar harmonies open this song in a way that reminds me of "South Of Heaven"-era Slayer, the verses have that almost bouncy style, the pre-chorus returns to the downtrodden style, and the chorus goes in a more upbeat direction with uplifting solo sections following suit. Another cool track that reminds me of late period Death for some reason.
8 out of 10

This Mortal Coil: A strange mix of melody and dissonance open this song in an interesting fashion, the verses continue with a particularly upbeat set of guitar gallops, the chorus returns to the introduction's style, and the solo section continues in a melodic mid-tempo style.
8 out of 10

Arbeit Macht Fleisch: This track comes in with yet another upbeat set of riffs, the verses throw in some interestingly sequenced vocals, the chorus goes in a more violent direction, and the solo sections throw in more melodic guitar shredding. A good song, though the solo section is rather brief. . .
8 out of 10

Blind Bleeding the Blind: Without warning, another batch of violent gallops open this song's introduction before suddenly into a slower direction with looser rhythms and sweet guitar fills, the verses continue with more restrained vocals and solid fills kept in the background, the pre-chorus and chorus provide more faster segments, and the solo section keeps the intensity flowing with some great guitar trade-offs. Another particularly groovy tune.
8 out of 10

Doctrinal Expletives: This song opens with more of the same, the verses continue with angry guitar/vocal trade-offs with some strong drumming in the background, the chorus offers a solid refrain, the various solo section provide uplifting guitar parts, and the lyrics are filled with some interesting puns.
8 out of 10

Death Certificate: Drawn out guitar melodies and ticking drums open this song's introduction before another charging set of riffs come in with a more noticeable bass line beneath, the verses continue with more sweet guitar/vocal trade-offs, the chorus offers another great refrain, and the solo sections offer some great variety. A pretty sweet closer.
9 out of 10

Overall, this album gets 83 out of 100, 83%, and 4 stars. Death metal isn't exactly my forte, but I can certainly acknowledge this album for its major influence and for providing some sweet songs. I imagine it would be a good way to get a new listener within the metal scene. All in all, it's another one of those albums whose rating may go up once I get a better taste for it. . .