In celebration of the first Carcass album in 17 years, Surgical Steel, we are counting down the band’s best five songs. Granted, there are more than five awesome Carcass songs, but this seems like an appropriate number, eh? As with anything, this countdown is based solely on opinion, derived from years of listening experience. If you disagree with our choices, then voice your displeasure below!
Probably an obvious choice, “Heartwork” reigning as one of the band’s most popular and enduring songs, but it’s worth inclusion here. As a showcase for the melodic capabilities of Bill Steer and Michael Amott (the opening riff is legendary), “Heartwork” is also notorious for its unintentional lifting of Kreator’s “People of the Lie” in the chorus. No matter, for the song is relentless in execution, one of the first real death metal anthems before bands started to have the guts to be song-oriented in such a context.