CARCASS guitarist Bill Steer recently spoke with Chad Bowar at About.com Heavy Metal to discuss the band's highly anticipated comeback. An excerpt from the interview is available below:

Chad Bowar: After getting back together, at what point did you decide you wanted to write new material?

Bill Steer: "In my head, the decision was made very early on, when we were still rehearsing for the reunion cycle of shows. But it quickly became apparent it wasn’t going to happen with that lineup, because quite understandably, Michael and Daniel had priorities elsewhere. So the idea got killed very quickly. Then by about 2010 when they quit the group, Jeff (Walker) and myself started to talk seriously about trying something, a situation where we just write some songs and see how it feels. If it sounded like Carcass to us, we were going to proceed. We also said if it didn’t feel right, we’d just drop it."

Chad Bowar: The new album (Surgical Steel) takes different elements from your previous recordings along with some new stuff. Is that the sound you had planned going in, or just how things turned out?

Bill Steer: "It’s pretty much how it turned out. I don’t think Jeff or I are narcissistic enough to be spinning our own records at home for fun. There have been occasions when I’ve listened back, just to refer to a certain part and how it felt and how it should be played. But I’m a firm believer that once the thing is done, it’s done. I’ve never understood people who listen to their own stuff a lot. I guess we were quietly confident enough that it was going to be a Carcass record. It’s not really cool if you’re influenced by yourself. I think the way we approached this record with how Jeff writes lyrics and how he does arrangements and how I play riffs on a guitar, that stuff hasn’t really changed, and the combination of the two of us makes it sound like Carcass. We’re definitely drawing from the same pool of influences that we always drew from, so that’s probably the main factor in why the album sounds like it does."

Go to this location for the complete interview.

In a huge accomplishment for a metal band, Carcass have hit #43 on the world sales charts with their new album Surgical Steel.

Global Surgical Steel first-week chart positions include:

Finland: #6

Germany: #10

Austria: #24

US: #41

Sweden: #42 (Sweden Rock/Metal #4)

World: #43

UK: #47 (UK Indie #13, UK Rock #4)

Australia: #59

Netherlands: #73

France: #80

Ireland: #84 (Ireland Indie: #15)

Belgium: #117 (Flanders #130, Walloonia #87)

Surgical Steel, the band’s first studio release since their 1996 LP Swansong, was produced by Colin Richardson (NAPALM DEATH, BOLT THROWER, GOREFEST, CANNIBAL CORPSE, SINISTER, RODRIGO Y GABRIELA) and mixed/mastered by Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, ACCEPT, EXODUS, TESTAMENT). Joining guitarist Bill Steer and bassist/vocalist Jeff Walker in the band's current incarnation are new drummer Dan Wilding (ABORTED, TRIGGER THE BLOODSHED) and guitarist Ben Ash (PIG IRON, DESOLATION, LIQUEFIED SKELETON). Expect some guest vocals from original sticksman Ken Owen as well, when Surgical Steel is finally released this fall worldwide.

'Captive Bolt Pistol' lyric video:

Check out BraveWords' glowing review of Surgical Steel here. BraveWords scribe Aaron Small's new Carcass feature is available at this location.

Carcass have confirmed more dates of their upcoming European tour with label mates HELL and the Swedish death institution AMON AMARTH.

Tour dates:

November

7 - Oberhausen, Germany - Turbinen Halle
8 - Tilburg, Netherlands - O13
9 - Osnabrück, Germany - Hyde Park
10 - Brussels, Belgium - AB Hall
12 - Birmingham, England - Academy
13 - Manchester, England - Academy
14 - Glasgow, Scotland - Barrowlands
15 - Bristol, England - Academy
17 - London, England - Forum
18 - Paris, France - Olympia
19 - Ludwigsburg, Germany - Arena
20 - Wiesbaden, Germany - Schlachthof
22 - Zürich, Switzerland - Komplex
23 - München, Germany - Kesselhaus
24 - Trezzo Sull'Adda (Milano), Italy - Live Club
27 - Berlin, Germany - Columbiahalle
28 - Leipzig, Germany - Haus Auensee
29 - Hamburg, Germany - Docks

December

1 - Oslo, Norway - Rockerfeller
3 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Tradgarden
4 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Vega
6 - Malmö, Sweden - Kulturbolaget
7 - Stockholm, Sweden - Arenan
9 - Helsinki, Finland - Cable Factory