CARCASS — Necroticism: Descanting the Insalubrious (review)

CARCASS — Necroticism: Descanting the Insalubrious album cover

Album · 1991 · Death Metal

5/5 · 2020-09-26
UMUR

"Necroticism: Descanting the Insalubrious" is the 3rd full-length studio album by UK, Liverpool based death metal/grindcore act Carcass. The album was released through Earache Records in October 1991. It´s the successor to "Symphonies of Sickness" from 1989 and it features one lineup change since the predecessor as Swedish guitarist Michael Amott has joined Carcass, making the band a four-piece on "Necroticism: Descanting the Insalubrious". Before joining Carcass, Amott had been an instrumental part of the early Swedish death metal scene with Carnage. A band which released one of the early Swedish death metal albums in "Dark Recollections (1990)".

Right off the bat the new four-piece lineup have great impact on Carcass sound. While "Symphonies of Sickness (1989)" showed great progression from "Reek of Putrefaction (1988)", by incorporating death metal heaviness and brutality to the goregrind intensity of the debut album, it´s nothing against what has happened between "Symphonies of Sickness (1989)" and "Necroticism: Descanting the Insalubrious". The gory (and almost completely impossible to understand) lyrical subjects, the combination of high pitched aggressive snarling and deep growling grunts, and the occasional blast beat, are elements the two albums have in common, but other than that Carcass have made a lot of changes on "Necroticism: Descanting the Insalubrious" compared to the predecessor.

The tracks are composed with more focus on catchy riffs/rhythms and melodic hooks in mind. Not that this is easily accessible music in any way, but it´s still quite melodic at times and there are several really strong recognisable moments featured on the album. A powerful catchy vocal phrase, a melodic guitar solo (on an interesting sidenote, all guitar solos on the album have been given titles), or a memorable death/thrashy riff or drum pattern (like the drum intro to "Corporal Jigsore Quandary"). All elements which make the listening experience a more memorable one. The tracks generally require some spins before they sink in though, and it has a lot to do with the complexity of the song structures, which may feature vers/chorus like sections, but often go way beyond that "regular" structure. Sometimes to a point where you can call the song structures progressive.

In addition to the very well written material, the high level performances, and the brutal and powerful Colin Richardson production, "Necroticism: Descanting the Insalubrious" also features something else which defines it and that´s its dark and sick atmosphere. The short intro samples, which appear between most tracks on the album, of medical examiners/coroners speaking about decaying flesh, skeletal remains, and identifying decomposed bodies, provide exactly the right atmosphere for the music to shine. It´s one of those releases where the tracklist and the overall flow of the album are constructed almost perfectly.

The album is more or less one long highlight, but I´d still like to mention "Inpropagation" and "Incarnated Solvent Abuse" as some of the standout tracks (the latter is the Carcass track I will always tell people to listen to first if they are new to the band and want to explore them). Upon conclusion "Necroticism: Descanting the Insalubrious" is a high quality release through and through and to my ears the artistic peak of Carcass discography. Carcass may have refined and perfected their sound on "Heartwork (1993)" and thereby brought a more accessible appeal to their music, but they were never able to bring the gloomy and vile atmosphere of "Necroticism: Descanting the Insalubrious" with them, in my opinion they lost a bit of their magic because of it. "Necroticism: Descanting the Insalubrious" is a unique piece of extreme metal and a 5 star (100%) rating is fully deserved.