Review by Adam M on March 8, 2026.

This album was a revolutionary mix of progressive music and death metal that turned into one of the most extraordinary transition albums we have seen. It was punishing, yet complex and very interesting in its use of medical terminology. The music here is very thoughtful and made for one of the more compelling types of albums for the genre in some time.

The musicianship on the album is superb with great guitar playing that is both aggressive and versatile at the same time. The drumming is very intelligently done and complements the guitars nicely. The vocals are dynamic and interesting, yet at the same time brutal and acidic making for a nice rounding out of the instrumental sections.

The problem with the disc isn’t really much of one, but some people prefer the more melodically oriented Heartwork because it is catchier. I still think this is one of the major moments in death metal history with its thoughtful performances. There are many moments like the last track that will become ingrained in your memory

All in all, this is a very strong album of death metal with great playing and a nice mix of complexity and brutality. It is perhaps one of the more necessary albums in the genre if not the greatest and is entirely compelling and revolutionary. Fans of bands like Exhumed will find a lot to like here because this is really the album that started it all.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10-

Review by Allan on April 3, 2002.

Between going from a downright nasty grindcore achievement with “Symphonies of Sickness” to a more clean-cut sound on “Heartwork”, Carcass released this less-acclaimed gem. “Necroticsm – Descanting The Insalubrious” is a transition from hell to the world above, while still keeping it raw but showing fans what was in store for the future.

“Necroticsm” didn’t completely defy what the band had done before, but surly some fans were disappointed. The production isn’t as muddy, and everything is a bit more decipherable. It’s of the same ilk as “Heartwork”, but a lot darker. It’s very melodic, mostly due to the fact that the band brought in Michael Amott. The interplay between Bill Steer and Amott is amazing. Great rhythms and lead, and both guitarists do an excellent job sharing duties. This has to be one of the very best guitar duos in the history of metal, hands down. Drummer Ken Owen does a great job of keeping the band together. He plays pretty fast and somewhat technical, but doesn’t quite make it up to the highest of players. He’s definitely a worthy addition to the band though, and he does an excellent job. Bass/Vocalist Jeff Walker does an exceptional job. His vocals are a cross of death and black metal. Usually I can tell if its Jeff Walker or not, which is good that he doesn’t sound like every other vocalist under the sun. Overall the musicianship on this album is terrific and it is much more noticeable then on the bands last release.

“Necroticsm” overall is a good record, but sometimes lacks the ability to keep the listener interested in the album for the entire duration. The ideas are there but everybody in the band is having a little bit of trouble manifesting it. All these problems are solved on the bands next album, “Heartwork”, though.

Bottom Line: Not the highlight of the bands career, but its definitely worth owning.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Originality: 8
Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 6
Production: 7
Overall: 8

Rating: 7.6 out of 10