10 Metal Albums That Shouldn't Have Been Great (But Totally Were)

Surgical Steel (2013) may just be one of the best metal comeback albums in recent memory. Released 17 years after Carcass's presumed-to-be final record, the aptly named Swansong (1996), Surgical Steel was a perfect summary of the Midlands quartet's career up to that point, coming across with equal levels melodic death metal and skull-crushing grindcore.

However, need you be reminded, 17 years is an immense length of time. A lot can happen in 17 years. Because of that, there was a measure of doubt from fans when going into Surgical Steel. Could Carcass really recapture their fabled glory days, while also bringing themselves into the 21st century? Could they compete with the new generation of extreme metal, which has since been revolutionised by an upped dose of heaviness and intense, progressive songwriting?

In response to these questions, Surgical Steel was a defiant wail that screamed out in the affirmative. Proving to be just as good as classics including Necroticism: Descanting the Insalubrious (1992), the record was inalienably fast and powerful, proving that Carcass never lost their mojo during their near-two-decade hiatus.

And with a new Carcass album rumoured to be on the horizon, we can only hope things continue to get better and better for the vintage extremists after their gigantic comeback.