Carcass at Spotify O-East, April 19th 2024

 

Unlike in other aspects of music and life, frankly, it feels like the UK hasn’t gotten its dues when it comes to their contributions to the extreme metal genre. Of course there’s Grindcore and Napalm Death, but even they are usually placed on the undercard at festivals featuring Norwegian, Swedish or American bands from a similar musical vein. In a different but somewhat related context, is like Kiss being in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame but not Iron Maiden (I’m not saying Kiss doesn’t deserve it, though). I don’t think it is too wild to ask why is Carcass not as big as Metallica?

For one thing, they are a group of musicians that seem to be unwilling to compromise their vision and yet there’s a clear and fascinating evolution in their seven albums and almost forty years trajectory. The founders of the goregrind genre set the foundations with their first album Reek of Putrefaction and perfected the structure with their sophomore Symphonies of Sickness. The following two albums are considered by most as their peak, Necrotism: Descanting the Insalubrious and Heartwork, with the latter embracing a more melodic sound that will become an essential part of their sound. Swansong, the appropriately titled last album before a 16-year hiatus, probably took things a bit too far melody wise and reimagined the band as a Death N’ Roll combo. In 2013 Surgical Steel and in 2021 Torn Arteries, encompassed a summary of their path and constituted arguably a new peak. Bill Steer, Jeff Walker and Ken Owen definitely came up with one of the most innovative and interesting extreme metal offerings in the nineties. Now with Dan Wilding on drums since 2012 and the current second guitarist James Blackford they continue to be more relevant than ever in the extreme metal scene.

They proved it with the relentless intense hour and a half show I witnessed last April. It was their first visit to Japan as a headlining act since 2014. Actually they played two shows in Tokyo for this year's tour. A second one was added after the first one sold out pretty quickly. I was lucky and I could cop a ticket for the second show. It was my first visit to this mid-size venue since it switched its name from Tsutaya to Spotify O-East. A sign of the times. The second show I’m assuming didn’t sell out, because it was pretty comfortable at the front on the side where I decided to stand, at a fair distance from potential moshpits, even though these are rare in Japan

Right on time the show started with the opening song from Heartwork, Buried Dreams. What a way to start a show! It pointed to a tasteful song selection (pun intended?) it didn’t disappoint at all. Every album was represented, even a couple from Swansong were in there. The opener was followed by Kelly’s Meat Emporium from their latest album Torn Arteries. The third song on the setlist was my favorite Carcass song, Incarnated Solvent Abuse. To me that number contains several of the best riffs in metal history. A time it sounds like funk to me. The groove that this musicians convey is unparalleled in metal. The epic Torn Arteries closer, The Scythe’s Remorseless Swing, was another highlight with an incredible solo from Bill Steer on guitar and the unwavering left hand of Dan Wilding on drums. From where I stood I could see the drummer clearly and I was blown away. His blast beats, in my opinion, are unmatched.

The last three songs of the set reached a climax in which the unusual happened, we got moshpits and crowdsurfing. I’ve seen my fair share of metal shows in Japan and trust me, these are rare sightings, even applauding is rare at shows in Japan. Another testimony of the strength of Carcass catalog and their meticulous setlist design. But, of course, what else to expect when you have songs of the caliber of the last three they performed? Starting with the anthemic Corporal Jigsore Quandary, followed by the classic Heartwork with a Ruptured in Purulence intro and closing with the chant and response of their single only Tools of the Trade. 

They returned for an encore that took them back to their first two albums from their catalog. The played Genital Grinder off of their debut and closed with Exhume to Consume and Reek of Putrefaction, a song borrowing its title from their first album but actually included in their second one, Symphonies of Destruction. These three songs brought back Steer's guttural vocals that along with Jeff Walker, in lead put the cherry on the top of one of the best metal shows in a while. Hopefully the wait for an eight album won’t be as long this time.

 Thank you for reading. Please follow me on Twitter for updates at @ConcertTokyo. You can also click the Like button and get notifications at The Tokyo Concert Experience on Facebook.