A View From The Back Of The Room: Carcass (Live Review By Mark Young)

Carcass, Unto Others & Conjurer, O2 Academy, Liverpool 02.06.23

It’s warm evening, the sun is out and the queue is long. The academy staff are on point and getting us in in rapid fashion.

Carcass are a bucket list band, any opportunity you get you have to watch them, incredible standard of music, and responsible for some of the greatest sonic destruction ever produced. Extra stoked for this.

Conjurer (9) are up first, and I'm expecting big things from them and they do not disappoint. Given the opening slot is a difficult task, with having to warm up the crowd and get their identity across in a short time. They absolutely smashed it, drawing greater response and enthusiasm from the crowd. It was a set rammed full of great riffs and the bass player just didn't stop moving, from almost constant windmilling to jumping into the pit to finish their last song. Excellent.

Unto Others (9) are second up and is a first time for them in Liverpool following an 11th break down last year. They made up for this in short time, with a fair few in the crowd here for them. Their moody, 80s goth new wave with heavier rock leanings couldn't be more different than Conjurer and yet the crowd was with them from the start, this enthusiasm feeding them and their performance. This builds as they drop banger after banger and the crowd are completely into it now. Unto Others have done the job and have set the scene ready for Carcass

At 9.40pm Carcass (10) hit the stage and at 11.01pm they finish having just torn through a set that took from their career to date. Each song seemed to be played faster, without losing any clarity or any of the heaviness associated. This was their first gig in Liverpool since 1994 (Krazyhouse anyone?) And as such we were treated to a triumphant homecoming show. Front man Jeff Walker was in commanding form, snarling, spitting vocals with the evergreen Bill Steer bouncing to and fro.

It's apparent that the crowd have gone into full party mode now and when Bill's mum is brought out, resounding cheers and shouts just make it that little bit better. You can get set lists online, but they played Buried Dreams, Corporal Jigsore Quandary (two of my all time faves) and Tools Of The Trade for older fans, plus newer cuts from Surgical Steel and Torn Arteries. There could be no one there tonight who could complain about the sheer quality displayed.