UMUR "Tools of the Trade" is an EP release by UK death metal act Carcass. The EP was released through Earache Records in June 1992. All tracks from the EP are also featured on the "Gods of Grind (1992)" split compilation with Cathedral, Confessor, Entombed, as bonus tracks on at least one reissue version of "Necroticism: Descanting the Insalubrious (1991)" and on the "Wake Up and Smell the... Carcass (1996)" compilation.

"Tools of the Trade" features 4 tracks, distributed over a 17:38 minutes long playing time. The title track opens the EP. It´s the only completely new track on the EP. It´s a short, simple and effective track. "Incarnated Solvent Abuse" from "Necroticism: Descanting the Insalubrious (1991)" is up next. The two remaining tracks are re-recordings of "Pyosisified (Still Rotten to the Gore)" from "Reek of Putrefaction (1988)" and "Hepatic Tissue Fermentation II", which in it´s original form appeared on the "Pathological (1989)" compilation.

All tracks feature a sound production similar to the one on "Necroticism: Descanting the Insalubrious (1991)" and my guess is that "Tools of the Trade" is an outtake from the recording sessions for that album and that "Pyosisified (Still Rotten to the Gore)" and "Hepatic Tissue Fermentation II" were also recorded at those sessions.

The material on "Tools of the Trade" are generally of high quality and the re-recordings really help make clear how great and unique a band Carcass already was very early on, despite their efforts often being drowned in murky and noisy sound productions. Both of the re-recorded tracks are greatly entertaining and powerful tracks, "Incarnated Solvent Abuse" is also a great track, featuring snarling aggressive vocals, tempo changes, quirky ideas and absolutely brilliant guitar solos, and with the powerful and raw title track to top things off, "Tools of the Trade" is more than a worthwhile release. So while the title track is the only "new" material on the EP, there are plenty of value for the money and a 4 - 4.5 star (85%) rating is fully deserved.

Time Signature Rotten to the gore...

Genre: death metal

"Tool of the Trade" is in many ways an interesting release because, like the full length albums, it reflects Carcass' dynamic approach to music. I mean, it is a well-known fact that Carcass never stuck to just one style of metal throughout the band's career; they started with grindcore and finished off with traditional heavy metal.

Two of the tracks on "Tools of the Trade" are for the most part rerecorded versions of tracks from older releases, while one is taken from their masterpiece "Necroticism" and one is an original, and sort of forward-looking as it combines the sound and style of "Necroticism" with a more thrashy approach, which would become more dominant on the following full-length "Heartwork". It is also interesting to hear the two older tracks with a more updated sound.

If you are interested in this EP, and you are not a collector, I recommend that you purchase the 2008 remastered version of "Necroticism", which includes "Tools of the Trade" in its entirety as bonus material.