Carcass made a triumphant return with "Surgical Steel" last year after reforming in 2007. The band that (along with At the Gates) created melodic death metal, only to vanish, had a lot to live up to when it came to new material. But "Surgical Steel" delivered and in a big way. The EP "Surgical Remission / Surplus Steel" contains the rest of the tracks from those sessions and most have appeared as bonus tracks somewhere. Now they are collected in one place so fans don't have to hunt down some obscure flexi-disc.
But how good are the leftovers? Honestly, the EP plays more like the conclusion of "Surgical Steel," especially with "1985 (reprise)" being a book end to the opener "1985" from the album. "Surgical Steel" walked the line between "Necroticism" and "Heartwork," while this EP has songs that are all mid-tempo. This really makes these songs seem like extras from the "Heartwork" sessions. And yes, they are that good!
Sure, many fans have heard some of these tracks before, but if you are a completist, you must own this EP. The overall consistency of these songs and how well they sound together make this an EP that can stand on its own merits.
