Reactivated British extreme metal legends CARCASS are rumored to be putting the finishing touches on their first studio album in 17 years with acclaimed producer Colin Richardson (FEAR FACTORY, MACHINE HEAD, NAPALM DEATH, SLIPKNOT, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE). The band has yet to secure a label home for the effort, which is expected in early 2013.

Guitarist Michael Amott and drummer Daniel Erlandsson, who have been touring with CARCASS since the band's reunion was announced in 2007, are no longer involved with the group due to scheduling conflicts with their main band, ARCH ENEMY. Joining guitarist Bill Steer and bassist/vocalist Jeff Walker in the studio for the new CD recording sessions was drummer Matthias Voigt of German death metal and hardcore fusionists HEAVEN SHALL BURN.

CARCASS is in the process of booking a number of live shows for 2013, including appearances at next year's Maryland Deathfest and Chile's Metal Fest.

In a May 2012 interview with Metal Forces, Amott said about CARCASS' future plans, "I'm not working with CARCASS at the moment. From what I hear they're working on something new, but it's not with me. I'm not included in it. I don't know. I don't comment. [laughs] I don't really know what they're working on, so it's not really for me to say, but whatever it is I wish them well, of course. I had a great time doing the reunion shows; we played a lot of shows in 2008, 2009, 2010, and I had a fantastic time at those shows. I'm a very busy guy as well, so I could see why I wouldn't be included. I've pretty much got a full-time thing going on with ARCH ENEMY, and I'm with SPIRITUAL BEGGARS on top of that. It's very difficult for me to fit in a third band with touring and everything."

CARCASS' last album, 1996's "Swansong", was re-released in July 2008 via Earache Records. The reissue came fully remastered on a DualDisc (combined CD and DVD) in a deluxe digipak with extra artwork and a free sticker sheet featuring exclusive CARCASS designs, and included part 5 of a mini-documentary series entitled "The Pathologist's Report" as bonus video material, plus an exclusive bonus track, "Deathrider Da". The documentary consisted of interviews, filmed in London and Liverpool at the end of 2007, featuring the members of CARCASS — drummer Ken Owen (who is not involved in the band's current reunion because he suffered a near-fatal brain hemorrhage in February 1999 and has had some rather serious health problems since then), Steer, Walker and Amott — who met up for the first time in ten years and were filmed discussing in-depth the story behind the band's development from their gore-soaked grind beginnings to the more refined, melodic moments of their later output.

I don't know how many of you knew this already, and it may not be worth its own thread but oh well.

[Blabbermouth article]

Swansong has a bit of mixed reception around these parts, but overall what are your thoughts and are you expecting a tour after the band plays the few select shows? How do you think the album will turn out?

Not expecting anything great but Amott being out helps a bit.

I'm expecting it to be shit. I hated heartwork and Swansong.

I don't know how many of you knew this already, and it may not be worth its own thread but oh well.
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SOURCE:
http://www.blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?m ... mID=182963

It might just be a good thing that Amott's not doing the new Carcass considering how goddamn crappy Arch Enemy have become.

As for my impressions, they will contrast with the ones the thread showed so far, in that I'm not at all optimistic about this new record.

First of all, ...
Now, that's what some call integrity, although others may point out that touring without him contradicts this, but either way, touring doesn't leave the kind of trace a new album does. So there's that. Apparently enough time has passed that they now feel they can truly be Carcass without Owen... Why?
Second of all, no Amott either?! ...
no... they just give us the "due to scheduling conflicts" bullshit cliché. Not a good thing, regardless how much one may dislike latter-day Arch Enemy, and not a good sign at all.
Third of all, no replacement as a second guitarist. ...
A proper, full-time lead guitarist would be required. It they're going to play anything even remotely in the vein or spirit of Necroticisim or HeartWork, that is. I'd give in to the "yeah, but then it wouldn't really be Carcass" argument there too, but that ship has sailed (see above), so why the hell not, at this point?
Last but not least, the new drummer is described as "Matthias Voigt of German death metal and hardcore fusionists HEAVEN SHALL BURN". Also, their own producer from back in their legendary days is called back to the fold, and the way he is introduced, rather than "their good old producer from back in the day" is "acclaimed producer Colin Richardson (FEAR FACTORY, MACHINE HEAD, NAPALM DEATH, SLIPKNOT, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE)". No good signs there either.

If the new material is like Heartwork or Swansong, I don't care about this album. Little are the chances for them to play something like Necroticism once again IMO.

Also, their own producer from back in their legendary days is called back to the fold, and the way he is introduced, rather than "their good old producer from back in the day" is "acclaimed producer Colin Richardson (FEAR FACTORY, MACHINE HEAD, NAPALM DEATH, SLIPKNOT, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE)". No good signs there either.

Sorry, but since when is producing Fear Factory, Machine Head, and ND records not a good sign?

Well, Machine Head isn't a good sign at least. That band is fuck.

I'm expecting it to be shit. I hated heartwork and Swansong. Anything remotely like that would be a disappointment. So I'm not going to care or think about this again till it comes out and most likely confirms my thoughts. If it comes out something like Symphonies of Sickness or such... well being surprised would be an understatement.

Well, Machine Head isn't a good sign at least. That band is fuck.

Sorry, but since when is producing Fear Factory, Machine Head, and ND records not a good sign?

MH IS a mixed bag for me (though I do genuinely love some of their records), but I'd have to pick Slipknot and/or Bullet as the most concerning mention there

And Colin Richardson has also produced great bands such as Gorefest, Disincarnate, Sinister, Bolt Thrower, Gorguts, and as already mentioned Napalm Death so I hardly understand why people would be up in arms or even concerned about his involvement.

Eh, I like everything Carcass has released to at least some degree. I think I'll enjoy this as long as the songwriting and the production are good enough.

On a side note, I'm stunned by how many of you guys lump together Heartwork and Swansong... They sound nothing alike, but more importantly the former is unquestionably one of their seminal, most influential works, whereas the latter is arguably the lowest point of their career in any respect (so far...). What do they have in common, again? Aside from not being grindcore?

Yeah, that confuses me too. Swansong is deathrock while Heartwork clearly isn't. That said, I'm one of the few that likes Swansong (it's better than Reek ) but I hope they don't go in that direction. Give me another Heartwork, or Necroticism (in case it wasn't abundantly clear that I love that album).

@ShaolinLambKiller:
Thanks for detailing your perspective on the last two albums compared to the rest (except for Necroticism, which you oddly didn't place in that context). I suppose a number of other fans of Symphonies of Sickness probably reject Heartwork and Swansong coming from a similar experience/viewpoint. It seems to me that this is ignoring Necroticism in particular, and the overall evolution of the band in general, though. They never went from goregrind to melodeath.