I said it before and I'll say it again. I'm not a death metal fan. While I do appreciate the genius of a few groups like Death, Opeth, and the long defunct Cynic; I feel most death metal is over saturated with so-called musicians who sacrifice musicianship and imagination just so they can show the world how "extreme" they are. And what they end up doing is sounding like every other band. The underground is full of copycats and trend followers just like the mainstream is. But every now and then a diamond will arise from coal (or at least a bunch of black rocks that look coal). The diamond in the coal pile here being Carcass' Heartwork.

A lot of people like to call Heartwork Carcass' sellout album. For the sake of argument, let's say they're right. Back in 1993, Carcass signed on to Columbia with fellow Earache stalwarts Napalm Death and Entombed. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to understand that a few compromises were necessary in order to bring their music to a broader audience. So some of the group's more blatant characteristics like their graphic lyrical content went out the window. Add to that, the band was now playing songs of accessable length ranging from 3 to 5 minutes instead of the brief blasts of noise that they were (in)famous for early in their career. What could have came out as an over-produced mess actually turned out to be a sonic juggernaut that easily ranks up there with anything 1980s Metallica and Iron Maiden put out. Although frustration with the music industry would prove to be Carcass' undoing (and not to mention the reason guitarist Bill Steer nearly quit music for good), "selling out" turned them into a way, way better band if only for a short time.

Heartwork is an incredible wall of aggression and melody from beginning to end with neither element cancelling out the other. Even though there are no clean vocals, no acoustic interludes, and no lame attempts at a ballad; none of the songs sound alike. Bill Steer and future Arch Enemy guitarist Michael Amott prove to be a duo as great as Tipton/Downing or Smith/Murray. Don't let Ken Owen's short hair fool you. He threw down some nasty blast beats. And bassist/ vocalist Jeff Walker is one of the few death metal vocalists I can listen to. He actually sounds distinctive. So many Death growlers have to either do the unoriginal cookie monster growl or scream like Power Ranger villain Rita Repulsa (yes, Cradle of Filth, I'm talking about you). Walker has a demonic, insectile voice that fits perfectly.

Like I said earlier, Heartwork isn't just a great album from a band that the average music critic thinks is incapable of producing great albums; it's one of the greatest metal albums ever. I recently read an interview featuring Walker in which he states that Carcass will more than likely never reform. And even more saddening was news of Owen's health problems - from which I wish him to get well. Still, Heartwork is something Amott, Owen, Steer, and Walker should be very proud of.

The quintessential melodic death metal album, _Heartwork_ is simply one of the most popular and important metal releases in all of the 1990's. If ever there was a metal album which should be included on top 10 lists, _Heartwork_ would be it. On this album, Carcass effortlessly marries the perfect amounts of heaviness, technicality, melody, and catchiness - all the ingredients which make for high-quality heavy metal sound.

Hailing from England, Carcass is a band that incorporates more than just heaviness into their music. They have enough technical capability, originality, and songwriting skills to dazzle and amaze just as easily as they can cave the listener's skull in. Each of Carcass' members is highly talented at their subjective musical contributions. Guitarists Bill Steer and Michael Amott (the latter well-known for his later work in Arch Enemy) are a tight duo, shredding at their instruments with stunning speed and brutality; all at once, however they create flowing, often beautiful, melodies - perhaps the most significant quality of Carcass' sound. Jeff Walker's bass rhythms, while not particularly prominent, are nonetheless integral to Carcass' sound (one of his shining moments is on the title track, during the post-intro melody). Jeff is also the group's vocalist; generally belting out an alto-range growl, his voice is quite harsh, adding new dimensions of ferocity to the music. And drummer Ken Owen is nothing short of amazing as he thunders out some of the most intricate and captivating percussions that metal could ask for.

Having already established themselves as pioneers of the grindcore genre with their previous three albums (1988's _Reek of Putrefaction_, 1989's _Symphonies of Sickness_, and 1991's _Necrotism: Descanting the Insalubrious_), Carcass took a bit of a departure from their usual style with 1994's _Heartwork_. The songs are every bit as intense and crushing as before, but with much more emphasis on melody. Take, for instance, "This Mortal Coil," with its propulsive drum beats, brutal riffs, and galloping tempo; the song only lessens its brutality in the breakdown, where it slows to a mid-tempo rhythm as Michael's and Bill's leads slice in with fluid precision. "Doctrinal Expletives" starts with a devastating metal salvo, which quickly breaks into a catchy lockstep rhythm and brilliant leads scattered throughout. "Blind Bleeding the Blind" has some great vocal work, namely when Jeff makes a chilling snarl in the first verse. Opening track "Buried Dreams" sports some great double-bass drum beats and a repeatedly changing series of melodic guitar riffs. The drumming on all the songs is a particular treat when listened to on headphones, well-emphasized by the excellent production (kudos to Colin Richardson); it's easy to hear the various cymbals and hi-hats crash all around the listener's head, the double-bass pedals thundering from below, and seemingly from within come the blasts of the snare and toms. All in all, every song on _Heartwork_ leaves the listener's mind in the clouds...and their body in ruins.

Each song is greatly deserving of high praise; indeed, that is why this album is such a good album as a whole. Even those who are not so fond of death metal vocals would (and so often do) hold this album in high respect. _Heartwork_ is heavy metal in its finest form, and now, over ten years after its release, it is still, without a doubt, a heavy metal classic.

'Heartwork' is stunning. I've had this album since the day it came out and I've listened to it countless times... easily over 1000. There is not a bad song to be found. I've been a metal fan since the early 80's, I own hundred of CDs, and this is simply one of the best. The guitar work is exquisite with solos that literally immerse you in emotion. In my opinion, nothing has even come close to this album since its release. The biggest musical disappointment of my life was when I heard news that Carcass disbanded. Of course, its hard to imagine them topping this effort anyhow. While I believe 'Swansong' had some decent songs, it just doesn't stand up to Carcass' earlier works. It would be impossible to pick a favorite song on 'Heartwork'. Its that good. Also, their previous album 'Necroticism' is an amazing work. More brutal than 'Heartwork' to be sure, however the songs are incredible. If you are a metal fan, and you do not have this album, buy it now. Then buy 'Necroticism'. ;)

Carcass - It is unbelievable how much I heard this name (as well as the title 'Heartwork') before actually hearing the band. I knew they were a spin-off of the legendary Napalm Death; I did not know however, how much this album could single-handedly eclipse anything Napalm Death (or any Grind band) had ever put together. This album is more than just 'melodic grind' as some have put it; it is a metal milestone. "Buried Dreams", the opener, is by far one of the best placed openers ever. The opening riffs of Ammot and Steer play off of each other, echoing what the other had done. Then it goes into full-on thash mode; this is a great song, and is actually catchy, something that grind is the contrary to. Then there are other stunning numbers like "Emodiment", a song which begins slow and staccato, foreshadowing the doomy feeling that is to come. "Death Certificate" is a great song, fansastic lyrics, masterful structure. And then of course there is "This Mortal Coil", a song which is considered by many, including myself, to be one of the finest heavy metal songs of all time. It uses melody like no other, going from mid-paced and gradually becoming thrasy and ferocious. The lyrics are wonderful, and Walker is a great front man, he adds so much to what can be considered "puke-like growls".

What makes this album so amazing is the fact that it is not just a 'grind-core' album. It is a metal album. It has the ferocity and grunted vocals of death, grind, and thrash. It has the technicality of prog and jazz. The lyrics are above, way above, what most metal bands are capable of. The production redefines the definition of "flawless production". Think of this album as Morbid Angel's "Alters of Madness" pro-creating with Megadeths "Rust in Peace".

For those who cry "Sell-out!", I have one question. Can a band not progress? And when the progression is this damn good why complain? I mean Death and Napalm Death both progressed in style and sound over the years and never were the accusations of selling-out as loud...But I digress.

This album easily ranks in my top 10 Metal albums of all time and as far as I'm concerned it was the next stage in Carcass evolutionary progression. I love Necrotiscm...Descanting the Insalubrious. The combination of Sludgy C-Tuned riffs, light-speed solos and morbidly humorous lyrics make it an excellent album.

But it is Heartwork that I keep going back too. From the opening Buried Dreams it is clear that this is a band on a mission to make the best damn album of their careers. And they suceed. Highlights are plentiful - my picks are Buried Dreams, Heartwork, Arbeit Macht Freisch and Blind Leading the Blind (the solo trade off at the beginning is classic). Michael Amott and Bill Steer trade fluid guitar solo lines over crushing warp speed riffs (e.g Heartwork) and sludgy grinding mid-tempo numbers (e.g No Love Lost). Drumming colossus Ken Owen cements his reputation as one of the best(and most underrated) drummers in Metal with a phenomenal performance and as always Jeff Walker's accessible rasping vocals adds an air of the sinister to proceedings as he barks out much more listener friendly lyrics than on previous albums. Kudos to Producer Colin Richardson whose work showcases the undeniable power and ferocity of the band. Apparently the guitar parts for this album were actually not recorded in the studio but on a smaller demo type recording rig in one of the band members attics!

All in all a fantastic album by a band at the top of their game. Swansong wasn't a patch on this album which is, in my opinion one of the top Metal albums of all time. Many of my friends who detest Death/Grind love Heartwork because while it is accessible it is still bloody heavy.