Artist: Carcass Album: Swansong

Year: 1996
Duration: 49:40

Carcass' Swansong: A Critical Review of the Album

Carcass is a British extreme metal band that has been around since 1985. Their music has been described as goregrind, death metal, and even melodic death metal. They have released several albums, but in 1996, they released Swansong, their final album before their seven-year hiatus. In this blog post, we will explore the genre of the album, the best tracks, the most innovative parts, and ultimately, give a review of the album.

Swansong, as many fans of Carcass would say, is the band's most divisive album. Unlike their previous albums, Swansong is more focused on rock and groove metal, which is quite a departure from their usual sound. As such, the album is often criticized for being too commercial. However, as we explore the album, we realize that this departure was intentional, and it paved the way for many bands who use a similar sound today.

The album has 11 tracks, and Keep on Rotting in the Free World and Tomorrow Belongs to Nobody are some of the standout tracks on the album. Keep on Rotting in the Free World is a commentary on modern society, and the title is a play on Neil Young's Rockin' in the Free World. Tomorrow Belongs to Nobody, on the other hand, is a fast-paced track that features some of the band's familiar death metal sounds.

One of the most innovative parts of the album is the use of clean vocals. Jeff Walker, the band's vocalist and bassist, uses clean vocals on some of the tracks, which was a departure from their usual guttural growls. Clean vocals are present in tracks such as Firm Hand and Rock the Vote. This experimentation paved the way for other death metal bands to explore clean vocals, which can be heard in bands such as Opeth.

Now, let's get into our review of the album. Swansong was widely criticized upon its release, but as time has gone on, it has become an iconic album. While it is quite a departure from their usual sound, it still retains their signature heavy sound and macabre lyrics. The album is also incredibly diverse, with tracks that range from fast-paced death metal to slower, more groovy tracks. While some may argue that the album was too commercial, it paved the way for many bands who use similar sounds today. Overall, Swansong is a fantastic album that showcases the band's willingness to experiment with their sound.

Carcass' Swansong may be one of the most divisive albums in extreme metal, but it is still an iconic album that has stood the test of time. The album showcased the band's willingness to experiment with their sound, and it ultimately paved the way for many bands who use similar sounds today. While the album may not be everyone's cup of tea, it is a fantastic album that any metal fan should give a chance.