Carcass

It's safe to say that when Carcass recorded their debut album, Reek of Putrefaction, back in 1987 and 1988, the last thing they had in mind was a "special deluxe 20th anniversary edition." Death metal, after all, was so extreme, so outlandish, and so over-the-top that few people thought it would still be around in the late 2000s. But death metal not only survived, it became a lot more plentiful, and even though it has never achieved mainstream acceptance the way that grunge, alternative metal, and hip-hop have achieved mainstream acceptance, death metal has maintained a passionately loyal cult following. So given death metal's staying power, it made perfect sense for Earache to provide a deluxe 20th anniversary edition of Reek of Putrefaction -- which was one of the definitive releases from death metal's early years. In September 2008, Earache turned Reek of Putrefaction into a two-disc set consisting of a 59-minute audio CD and a DVD; the CD includes all 22 tracks from the original Reek of Putrefaction LP as well as everything from 1987's Flesh Ripping Sonic Torment demo, while the DVD (titled "The Pathologist's Report, Part 1: Incubation") contains a Carcass interview from 2007. Earache digitally remastered both Reek of Putrefaction and Flesh Ripping Sonic Torment for this 2008 reissue, although the sound quality still isn't going to win over any audiophiles. But then, the 1987-1988 recordings' low-budget ambience is a big part of their raw, primitive charm, and what these performances lack in sound quality, they more than make up for in terms of inspiration, excitement, and historic value. Reek of Putrefaction has gone down in history as one of early death metal's most important and influential albums; Carcass were true death metal/grindcore pioneers, and Earache's nicely assembled 2008 reissue gives the band's earliest recordings the respect they deserve. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide