…but that was the old days. Pioneering grind merchants CARCASS are enjoying sold-out shows and rapturous fan response as they stomp all over North America performing melodic surgery on the headbanging masses.

“Well, this will be the fourth (last night - September 11th),” says guitarist Michael Amott, sipping on a brew at the BW&BK; offices. “It’s very early days,” adds co-axe Bill Steer. “It’s 19 days in total. It’s quite a select tour, major markets. We’ve had some old friends come out. Over the summer we played festivals so we’ve had some people come out. We’ve met some interesting people - Gary Holt, Gary King; that was nice. In Europe.”

Have you considered making a new album?

“We’ve definitely considered it, I think,” laughs Steer. “Everywhere we go, people ask that question, and obviously we have discussed it ourselves. Because we went into this with… what’s the word, agreeing to do some tours and festivals, and the attitude is, we’ll see how we feel at the end of it.”
“We ended on a bad note,” adds Michael. “And then we tried to reform the band in 2006, and that went horribly wrong, and ended on a bad note again (laughs). And then we got together now and did it, and we’re doing it, and we’re having a great time. But it’s one thing to go out and celebrate the catalogue and play that stuff, try to play it as well as we can, and it’s another thing to go into the creative phase. The fans all go, ‘Wow, just seeing you guys tear it up on stage… why don’t you bust out and make an album?’ And it’s that enthusiasm, you know, but it’s such a different process.”
“It is, really,” agrees Steer. “The chemistry has to be excellent to work on new stuff, but I guess what we’ve all said is we are open to the possibility. Because if you say no, no way, to people, and next year you change your mind, then you look like a fool. So we just say it’s 50/50.”

Are you feeling more distant from it, musically, Bill, given that you have FIREBIRD, versus Michael with ARCH ENEMY?

“Oh, yeah, sure, sure, but this is what I hadn’t realized. Because before I jammed with Mike two years ago, I had convinced myself I couldn’t do it. And then I decided I would try it, and I was actually quite worried. But it was just like turning a tap - it was there. But it makes sense, in a way. Because I played that material endlessly for about seven years, so it’s just programmed into your brain. But yeah, it’s just amazing how easily I related to the music. It wasn’t an effort at all. It was just there. Yeah, it’s cool, and it’s actually an education for me, because I love what I’m doing with Firebird, but this is a different thing altogether. It connects me with some of the very earliest music I was involved with. And it’s just so enjoyable to do it. Musically and socially, because obviously we’re all good old friends and stuff. And obviously, that angle had to be there, because if we hated each other, it just wouldn’t work.”