Cosa c'è di meglio di una raccolta alla fine della carriera artistica di una band?
Il "the best of..." è anche abbastanza odioso, visto che spesso si tratta di una mera operazione commerciale per avicinare qualche fan in più e per dare ai vecchi aficionados qualcosa in più da comprare e da commentare, anche se le canzoni le conoscono già tutte. Prima di questo "Wake up and smell the...carcass" Jeff Walker e soci avevano dato alla luce 2 album di grindcore furiosissimo ma che lasciavano già intravedere, con "Symphonies of sickness", una futura evoluzione del songwriting, e poi 2 capolavori assoluti del death metal tecnico come "Necroticism..." e "Heartwork", album che anche oggi non perdono un solo pizzico della loro potenza e del loro valore. Poi il buio; i Carcass lavorano al nuovo album e passano alla Sony, che cerca di imporre loro le proprie regole del music business, e tutti questi casini portano a continui slittamenti nella pubblicazione del disco, a un eccessivo stress nei componenti della band e al suo inevitabile scioglimento, prima che "Swansong" uscisse ancora grazie alla salvatrice Earache.
L'album che recensisco non è però una semplice raccolta con un paio di inediti, ma è una chicca, un regalo per tutti i fans dei Carcass, visto che le prime 5 tracce sono inediti presi dalle sessioni di ""Swansong" e non incluse nel CD originale, quindi un mini-album che completa la loro discografia, visto che sono songs molto recenti. Ecco quindi "Edge of darkness", che non sarebbe sfigurata come opener o singolo su "Swansong", la veloce "Emotional flatline", "Ever increasing circles", la più tranquilla "Blood spattered banner" e la rockeggiante "I told you so (corporate rock really does suck)".
Non sto a commentare uno per uno i pezzi, visto che sono semplicemente sullo stesso livello degli altri presenti su "Swansong" e idealmente ne sono la sua prosecuzione, lo stile è quel rock/blues super distorto di cui sopra e cantato da Jeff Walker con la sua voce sempre più al vetriolo. La produzione e i suoni sono i migliori della loro discografia, grazie a Colin Richardson che negli anni li ha sempre seguiti ed è riuscito ad ottenere il meglio di loro, gli assoli sono belli, articolati, puliti e ci mostrano un Bill Steer ispirato e per nulla in crisi di creatività nonostante le vicissitudini che hanno portato al loro scioglimento.
Le altre tracce sono 4 pezzi suonati live in uno show radiofonico nel 1994, 2 pezzi dell'EP di "Heartwork" (tra cui la mitica "Rot 'n' roll") e poi ancora altri brani tratti dall'EP "Tools of the trade" e dalle compilations "Pathological" e "Grindcrusher", tra cui alcune canzoni presenti sui primi 2 album registrate nuovamente qualche anno dopo con suoni decisamente migliori e meglio eseguite; rimarrete così stupiti dalla strumentale "Genital grinder II", dalla spaccaossa "Pyosisified (still rotten to the gore)" o dalla super tecnica "Hepatic tissue fermentation II", della quale ci viene proposta anche la versione originale del 1989.
"Exhume to consume" chiude questo CD che suggella definitivamente la carriera dei Carcass e li consacra tra i migliori gruppi grind/death degli anni '90. Una carriera la loro che più di tante altre ha dimostrato come una band può progredire tecnicamente pur partendo dalla quasi cacofonia degli esordi; ascoltando "Reek of putrefaction" e successivamente "Swansong" sembra di non sentire lo stesso gruppo.
I Carcass sono partiti dal grindcore più brutale e underground, sono passati attraverso il death metal tecnico e melodico per giungere poi al brutal rock del loro ultimo album, mantenendo sempre una loro identità e sapendosi mettere in gioco album dopo album. Questo "Wake up and smell the... carcass" (che ci mostra in copertina la testa di J.F.Kennedy con il cervello spappolato sul tavolo dell'obitorio) ripercorre la loro carriera ma non attraverso una raccolta di brani già sentiti, bensì proponendoci ben 5 nuovi brani inediti e una serie di pezzi live e b-sides che non possono che farci dispiacere del fatto che i Carcass non ci siano più, anche se le loro ultime esibizioni live lasciano intravedere uno spiraglio di luce.....
So as you breed... they will bleed!
Elenco tracce testi e samples
01 Edge of Darkness (06:10)
A rising, bleak dawn
A permanent sunset
On the human condition
A boot perpetually treads
Illumination snuffed
Fowards on time will march
Holding as a mirror
Condemning to repeat the past
Endtime
The realms of a setting sun
Twilight
A new age has begun
Decline
Decension to a new dark age
Blank time
An old world not quite so brave
Right on the edge,
Of a new dark age,
Back on the edge,
We stand...on the edge of darkness
A fading dusk
Empty, blanketing shade
A dying sun
Only blackness radiates
An aeon ends
A millenium overturned
Time lies in embers
As barren horizons burn
End time
The realms of a setting sun
Twilight
A new age has begun
Decline
Decension to a new dark age
Blank time
An old world not quite so brave
Right on the edge,
Of a new dark age,
Back on the edge,
We stand...on the edge of darkness
Endtime
The realms of a setting sun
Twilight
A new age has begun
Decline
Decension to a new dark age
Blank time
An old world not quite so brave
Right on the edge,
Of a new dark age,
Back on the edge...
Right on the edge,
Of a new dark age,
Back on the edge...
03 Ever Increasing Circles (04:07)
Round and round we go,
Like a merry-go-round out of control
The same old tune, same old song
Again, again, and again
Round and round we go,
When will it stop, nobody knows
The same old chords, the same old words
It all sounds familiar, all starts to sound the same
Turn on, tune in, drop out,
Out of tune, dropped in, turned off
Who calls the tune?
Round and round we go,
Ever get the feeling you've heard this before?
Same old melody, rejuvenated,
Recycled again and again
Round and round, we go,
Never able to stem the flow
Same old notes, going round in cycles
Over and over again, and over again...
Turn on, tune in, drop out,
Out of tune, dropped in, turned off
Who calls the tune?
Who plays the fool?
As the circles ever increase
Round and round we go,
Like a merry-go-round out of control
The same old tune, the same old song,
Again, again, and again
Round and round we go,
Ever get the feeling you've heard this before?
Same old melody, rejuvenated,
Recycled again and again, again and again...
Turn on, tune in, drop out,
Out of tune, dropped in, turned off
Turn on, tune in, drop out,
Out of tune, dropped in, turned off
Who calls the tune?
Who plays the fool?
Who calls the tune?
As the circles ever increase
04 Blood Spattered Banner (04:43)
Your blood flies in the wind,
It's old and worn and has no glory
Hand on heart allegiance pledged
Patriot, hatred instilled
Ignorant, white trash stand proud
With bigotry endowed
These colours don't run
These colours well worn
These colours don't run
But put to the torch they'll sure as hell...
Burn like your passion,
The passion of the damned
Can you still hear Dixie?
Ignorance is your strength
A raped stolen land stands so proud
Can you still hear Dixie scream out loud?
These colours don't run
These colours are well worn
These colours don't run
But put to the torch they'll sure as hell...
Burn...
Burn...
Burn...
Burn...
Your blood flies in the wind
Aged, ragged it's a sorry story,
Blood-spattered banner unfurled
A nation, hatred instilled,
With slavery stained,
Your dream of shame
These colours don't run
These colours are well worn
These colours don't run
But put to the torch they'll sure as hell....
These colours don't run
These colours are well worn
Your colours don't run
But put to the torch - I'll tread on you !!!
These colours don't run
These colours are well worn
These colours don't run
But put to the torch they'll sure as hell...
Burn...
Burn...
Burn...
Burn...
Want to see your flag up in flames
Burn...
Burn...
Burn...
Burn...
I'll tread on you.
05 I Told You So (Corporate Rock Really Does Suck) (03:52)
Please tell me how to think
Please tell me what to say
Please tell me what to do
Please tell me how I should behave
Please tell me what to sing
Please tell me what to play
Please tell me how to act
Please tell me the rules of your game
Please tell me who I should be
Please tell me what to do
Please tell me how to please
I really want to be like you
Really done it now, sold out
But to who, what, when, where and how,
Yeah, really done it now, sold out,
I've taken my cut
And corporate rock really sucks
Don't try and tell me how to think
Don't tell me what to say
Don't tell me what to do
Don't try and tell me how to behave
Don't tell me how to sing
Don't tell me how I should play
Don't tell me how to act
I don't want to play to your game
Don't tell me who I should be
Don't tell me what to do
Its myself I'm trying to please,
Don't anyone, least of all, you.
Really done it now, sold out
But to who, what, when, where and how
Yeah, really done it now, sold out
I've taken my cut
[lead]
Yeah, really done it now, sold out
But to who, what, when, where and how,
Yeah, really done it now, sold out
I've taken my cut
Yeah, really done it now, sold out,
But to who, what, when, where and how,
Yeah, really done it now, sold out
I've taken my cut
And corporate rock really does suck
06 Buried Dreams (04:07)
Welcome, it's a world of hate
Your life of buried dreams
Smothered, by the soils of fate
Welcome, to a world of pain
Bitterness your only wealth
The sands of time kicked in your face
-Rubbed in your face
When aspirations are squashed
When life's chances are lost
When all hope is gone
When expectations are quashed
When self esteem is lost
When ambition is mourned
...All you need is hate
When aspirations are squashed
When life's chances are lost
When all hope is gone
When expectations are quashed
When self esteem is lost
When ambition is mourned
...All you need is hate
In futility, for self preservation
We all need someone
-Someone to hate
(1st lead - Steer)
(2nd lead - Amott)
Welcome to a world of hate
When aspirations are squashed
When life's chances are lost
When all hope is gone
When expectations are quashed
When self esteem is lost
When ambition is mourned
...All you need is hate
07 No Love Lost (04:52)
Sensual awakening,
Numbing feeling's dead,
Conception's romanticised,
Synthetized broken heart's to bled,
Without emotion, your heartstring's played,
Strummed and severed to the tune of a tragic serenade,
(A tragic chorus,)
Without emotion, your hearstrings break,
Snapped and severed to the tune of a tragic, sad-cliche.
No love lost,
When all is said and done,
There's no love lost.
The low cost of loving,
Amorous travesty,
Human frailties and weakness are easy prey,
How your poor heart will bleed.
09 Edge of Darkness (05:50)
A rising, bleak dawn
A permanent sunset
On the human condition
A boot perpetually treads
Illumination snuffed
Fowards on time will march
Holding as a mirror
Condemning to repeat the past
Endtime
The realms of a setting sun
Twilight
A new age has begun
Decline
Decension to a new dark age
Blank time
An old world not quite so brave
Right on the edge,
Of a new dark age,
Back on the edge,
We stand...on the edge of darkness
A fading dusk
Empty, blanketing shade
A dying sun
Only blackness radiates
An aeon ends
A millenium overturned
Time lies in embers
As barren horizons burn
End time
The realms of a setting sun
Twilight
A new age has begun
Decline
Decension to a new dark age
Blank time
An old world not quite so brave
Right on the edge,
Of a new dark age,
Back on the edge,
We stand...on the edge of darkness
Endtime
The realms of a setting sun
Twilight
A new age has begun
Decline
Decension to a new dark age
Blank time
An old world not quite so brave
Right on the edge,
Of a new dark age,
Back on the edge...
Right on the edge,
Of a new dark age,
Back on the edge...
10 This Is Your Life (04:10)
The spirit distilled, the soul is bought.
The D.N.A. split, the virus is caught.
The germination of reproduction,
Complex patterns of genetic devolution.
The die is cast.
Birth, copulation, and death.
Is this your life?
Birth, copulation, and death.
Is this the meaning of life?
Is this the genesis of devolution?
The die is cast.
Birth, copulation, and death.
Is this your life?
Birth, copulation, and death.
Is this the meaning of life?
Birth, copulation, and death.
Is this your life?
Birth, copulation, and death.
Is this the meaning...
Birth, copulation, and death.
Is this your life?
Birth, copulation, and death.
12 Tools of the Trade (03:07)
Steel skin clips,
Forceps, grooved awl, retractors, needles
Gouges and saws,
Intestinal clamps, blunt dissectors,
Scalpels, pins, toothed directors.
Tools of the trade, forceps and blades
Skillfully lathed, for us to maim.
Bone levers, spikes, malleable scoops,
Plates and chisels, screws and spoons,
Drills, respatories, files and durettes,
Guillotines, gags and compression forceps.
Tools of the trade, ripping the rib-cage,
To remissly lustrate, so pleased to maim.
Retractors, mallets, rugines and benders,
Chisels, rods, sharps and catheters,
Trephines, undines, irons and styrups,
Depressors, tongues, sterile catgut.
Tools of the trade, stainless steel blades,
Painstakingly lathed, we're so pleased to maim.
16 Hepatic Tissue Fermentation (06:13)
Orally force fed, until cirmosis is induced,
Fatal renal failure, bleeds like a sluice,
Spewing blood as the gallbladder extrudes,
Alcoholic poisoning, bloated lobules burst,
Toxins flood the stomach, in diffluence submerged.
Coughting waste as the wrecked colon tears.
The blood now critically proof, neural cells fatally quenched,
Drowning in spilt retention, hepatic tissue ferments.
Poisoned retention, with intoxication,
Inflamed nephrons burst, your condition's getting worse,
Chronically diffused, your liver you will lose.
Bodily distillation, as emerged flesh reacts,
With alcoholic contents, in your urinally tract.
Dripping fluid as the decrepit appendix weeps.
Matter turns to fluid, intoxicating ablution,
Bilary dehydration, innards to solution.
Bleeding urine as the inflamed bladder rips.
The blood now critically proof, neural cells fatally quenched,
Drowning in spilt retention, hepatic tissue ferments.
Contamination, foul circulation.
Alcohol force fed, goes straight to your head,
Brain tissue damaged, fused with alcohol sewage.
In a stupor you die, your brain lobes you fry.
17 Exhume to Consume (04:18)
Grimly I dig up the turfs
To remove the corrupted stiffs
Trying to contain my excitement
As I desecrate graveolent crypts...
Fingers claw at coffin lids
Eager festal exhumation
Hugging your wry, festered remains
With post-humous joy and elation...
Body snatched, freshly interred
Whatever takes my fancy
To satisfy my gratuitous pica
My culinary necromancy...
Scrutinised then brutalised
My forensic inquisition is fulfiled
My recipe is now your epitaph
Be it fried, boiled or grilled...
I devour the pediculous corpse
Whetting my palate as I exhume
The festering stench of rotting flesh
Makes me drool as I consume...
Caskets I grate
My larder's a grave
I'm sickly obsessed (with the badly decomposed)
Rotten remains I eat
Purulent meat
What a funeral feast (putrid reek)
Weeping tissue is stripped
Pus dribbles from my lips
Pulverising this pustular chaff
Butchering up morgue's makes me laugh...
Ulcerated flesh I munch
Rotting corpses are my lunch
On bones I love to crunch (on the badly decomposed)
Shrivelled innards I lick
The corpse's head I kick
Crumbling shreds I pick (eat the stiffs)
Rancid flesh, slaughter the dead
Caskets exhumed...
Corpses disinterred, graves disturbed
To consume...
Bereaved relatives are not amused
As on their dear departed I feverishly consume...
Slavering worms, decomposure burns
Corrosion born, as bacteria gnaw
Desecrate...
Precipitate....(from the muddy grave)
Macerate...
Eviscerate...
Caskets I grate
My larder's a grave
I'm sickly obsessed (with the badly decomposed)
Rotten remains I eat
Purulent meat
What a funeral feast (putrid reek)
Saponified fats, nibbled by rats
freshly exhumed...
Deep down six feet is where I like to eat
Human flesh to consume...
Carico i commenti... con calma
