Wake Up and Smell the Carcass

by Ned Raggett

When Carcass finally called it a day after ten years of some of the most disgusting music in existence, casual observers couldn't be blamed for wondering what the point of a collection of rarities, demos, and the like would be. However, Carcass did mutate and change over time, a fact little appreciated by those who only know their initial blasts of vocal and musical insanity. That's why Wake Up serves as both a gift for fans and a not-bad way for newcomers to figure out what the heck is going on. Arranged in reverse chronological order, starting with leftover numbers from the Swansong sessions and concluding with a version of the classic "Exhume to Consume" from the Grindcrusher compilation, Wake Up is in many ways a model retrospective package. Detailed, appreciative liner notes go over the band's complete history while explaining the origins of all the tracks, while tons of photos of the group in its full long-haired glory crop up throughout. The sound is crisp and clear throughout; about the only thing missing is the intentionally hilarious, over-the-top lyrics which accompanied most of their albums. The later selections showcase both the more deliberate, less crazily psychotic playing and curt images of general darkness in place of biological grue. The surprisingly pretty guitar chime of "Ever Increasing Circles" demonstrates the band's abilities to move beyond the expected. Best title and lyrics of the bunch -- "I Told You So (Corporate Rock Really Does Suck)." Tracks from both the Heartwork and Tools of the Trade EPs will satisfy rarity hunters, while a great BBC radio session from 1994 is included in full. "No Love Lost" is very much not the Joy Division track of the same name, instead being a reworking of a Heartwork cut.