Reactivated British extreme metal legends Carcass have inked a deal with Trooper Entertainment for the Japanese release of the band's comeback album, "Surgical Steel".

Commented Carcass guitarist Bill Steer: "As many of you will be aware, this is the first Carcass album for eighteen years. We have not taken this venture lightly, and finding the right home for this recording has been crucial to us.

"In all honesty, when it came to a Japanese release, from the beginning there was only one name that we gave serious thought to — Trooper. There are a couple of reasons for this. Firstly, over the last few years, Trooper has established an enviable reputation as a metal label with integrity. But also on a personal note, I have been fortunate enough to consider Tetsu Miyamoto a friend for some time now. He's an impressive human being and a genuine connoisseur of heavy metal music. We are genuinely looking forward to working with him and the rest of the Trooper team."

Carcass has inked a deal with Nuclear Blast Records for the worldwide release (outside Japan) of "Surgical Steel". Due in the fall, the Cd was mixed by Andy Sneap (Megadeth, Accept, Exodus, Arch Enemy) after the project's producer, Colin Richardson (Fear Factory, Machine Head, Napalm Death, Slipknot, Bullet For My Valentine), quit the project two weeks into the mixing process. During a March 2013 concert at the Underworld in London, Carcass bassist/vocalist Jeff Walker claimed that Richardson walked away from the mix in order to work on the new Trivium album.

The first official photo of the new lineup of Carcass can be seen below (courtesy of Adrian Erlandsson of Murder Mile Studios). Joining guitarist Bill Steer and Walker in the band's current incarnation are Wilding and guitarist Ben Ash (Pig Iron, Desolation, Liquefied Skeleton).

Carcass' first studio Lp since 1996's "Swansong" will feature guest vocals from original sticksman Ken Owen.

In a recent interview with Chile's Radio Futuro, Walker stated about the new Carcass Cd: "We think we've made a good album, so it's gonna be very interesting when people get to hear the record. We can't wait to see what people think."
He continued: "It sounds like Carcass. Even the drumming sounds like Carcass. Everything about it… I think it's gonna shock people, how good it is. I think it's got all the elements that people like, yet it still sounds fresh. So that's all I can say, really, 'cause we don't really sound like any other band, and the fact that after 17 years, we wrote music and it still sounds like Carcass, I think it's good."

Guitarist Michael Amott and drummer Daniel Erlandsson, who had been touring with Carcass since the band's reunion was announced in 2007, are no longer involved with the group due to scheduling conflicts with their main band, Arch Enemy.

Photo credit: Adrian Erlandsson of Murder Mile Studios