Seventeen years have passed since the last official Carcass release, Swansong. Panned because of its regular rock leanings, the album became somewhat of an example on how a once groundbreaking and extreme band could, for the lack of a better term, “go soft.” Swansong isn’t a total dud (“Child’s Play” and “Polarized” come to mind), but it left a mild stain on the legacy of Carcass, which should be rectified once their Surgical Steel comeback has been released this fall. Other death metal bands have made comebacks (see: Atheist, Cynic, Suffocation, et al), yet none have the clout of Carcass, who can be charged with kickstarting both the goregrind and melodic death metal scenes. Let the wild hunt for a leaked version of the album begin… – David E. Gehlke
General housekeeping
The Dead Rhetoric Twitter account is available for your 24/7 metal needs. Follow us!
We are holding a CD and DVD giveaway for British metal legends Saxon. Check it out!
Pictures of Machine Head, Children of Bodom, and Amon Amarth from the July 12 Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival stop in Burgettstown, PA are posted.
Charnelle Stohrer snapped some shots of Howl, Lord Dying, and Pyres on July 24 in Toronto.
Features
Finnish metal big-timers Children of Bodom caught up with DR backstage at this year’s Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival.
Midwest doom upstarts Stone Magnum chatted it up with our own Matt Coe.
Canadian party thrashmeisters Fatality penned their fourth North American tour diary.
Another Finnish band, Noumena, waxed with DR on their new Death Walks With Me, and the perils of being a metal band from Finland.
Reviews
Mexican dark death/doom masters Majestic Downfall return with their second mandatory album in as many years, Three.
Zippy power metal is in the house on Victorius’s The Awakening.
Former Scar Symmetry throat Christian Avestam and his Quest of Aidance side project release, Misanthropic Propaganda.
Chicago doom legends Trouble are back with The Distortion Field, and it doesn’t disappoint.
French avant garde metallers CROWN create some waves on their Psychurgy effort.
The awesomely-named The Pete Flesh Deathtrip tears retro death metal a new one on Mortui Vivos Docent.
Philly post-black metal gang Averse Concept come out swinging on their Symbol of Loss EP.
Swedish producer/multi-instrumentalist Dan Swano returns with Witherscape; the band’s The Inheritance debut is brilliant.
Black Tusk define the term “stopgap” on their Tend No Wounds EP.
Jack Frost and a new bunch of characters in Seven Witches return with Rebirth.
The news in ten
1. Black Sabbath kicked off their North American tour in Texas.
2. Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine posts an update from the winding-down Gigantour.
3. Red Fang announces album details for Whales and Leeches.
4. Soulfly revels details for their new album, Savages.
5. Former Iron Maiden vocalist Blaze Bayley to release Soundtracks of My Life.
6. Devildriver and Trivium announce co-headlining North American tour.
7. Primal Fear starts tracking drums for their new album.
8. Carcass announce plans to release a remastered version of their classic Heartwork album.
9. Tyr set release date for their new album, Valkryrja.
10. GWAR announce details for their new album, Battle Maximus.