Review by Death8699 on October 10, 2018.

This legendary Swedish melodic death metal act needn't an introduction, especially since they're well established and have been for over 16 years. The lineup on this release features Johan Liiva on vocals, Michael Amott on guitars, Christopher Amott on guitars, Martin Bengtsson on bass, and Daniel Erlandsson on drums.

There is no intro just tremolo picked guitar riffs that give you the overall dark feel of the release. This album is filled with melodic overtures, B-tuned thick guitars, and Johan's distinctive low throat. The guitar riffs are entirely unique, imaginative, creative, melodic and quite memorable and I believe it to be the band's best output in their entire discography. It's too bad Johan isn't still on vocals.

The music is what's the most enduring. There's a combination of sweet distinct songs on this original sounding overall release. It features the band's unbelievably awesome writing capabilities. Songs such as "Beast of Man", "Dark of the Sun" and "Bridge of Destiny" feature such great catchy guitar bits. Christopher dominates on lead, while Michael overuses that wah-pedal. It would be ideal if Michael was solely on rhythm guitar. Christopher is way more technical than his brother on lead, but Michael still has some good melodic solos that compliment the album. That chunky guitar is what is most admirable. The bass guitar was hard to hear. It was barely audible during the entire album. That is where I think is the weakest point is on the album. Everything else blends well in it's entirety. Nothing else lagging behind except the bass.

This is an album where you can't really get sick of because it's simply intoxicating, especially if you're a melodic death freak like me. The leads, rhythms, vocals, and drums are perfectly executed without much discretion. There is nothing not to like here since the melodies shine so well here. Without a doubt, Stigmata reigns in its' entirety and remains to be the most ideal melodic death metal release that Arch Enemy has ever put out!

Rating: 9.8 out of 10

Review by Adam on March 20, 2001.

Everyone knows that Black Earth was the kind of debut any band would kill for. For Arch Enemy, this meant that they had the dreaded task of producing a follow-up to such a album that could equal it or even surpass it. With this album; however, it is difficult to say what they have done exactly since it is a bit different from the Arch Enemy we heard from before. Sure the overall sound is the same, yet the band has gotten to writing more complex material this time around. For most of the songs it works to their advantage; however, several suffer from monotony. The Amott brothers do an excellent job on this album as they did with Black Earth, and this time drummer Daniel Erlandsson only plays on one track, the Godlike Beast of Man, while drum machine, Peter Wildoer, plays on the rest of the songs. This stylistic change in drummers also serves as a change for the band's sound as well. Another minor change, if you will, are Johan's vocals which are not exactly up to par with his delivery on Black Earth, but still have the ability to send chills down anyone's spine. Even though it is a stylistic departure from their debut, this is still the same Arch Enemy we know and love and they still kick ass!

Bottom Line: If you are look for complex and technical melodic death metal from Sweden, then this is your kind of cd!

Rating: 8 out of 10

Review by Adam M on December 19, 2025.

This was a somewhat revolutionary album for the band as it brought a melodic style to the forefront. There are songs like “Carnal Forge” that are memorable and make good use of the dynamics of the outfit. There is a very pessimistic vibe that is characteristic of the band. This is different as it is not as complex as the albums that came before it. The album is very catchy and addictive sounding.

The musicianship on the album is solid and bolstered by a great production job that brings the instruments to the forefront. The guitars are crisp and bring a large amount of impact tot eh table. There is a very catchy and melodic flavor to the work are snarly and aggressive as ever. The production helps greatly and rounds out this aspect of the album.

The issue I’m having with this disc is that it loses some steam when compared with the complexity of other album like Necroticism and Symphonies of Sickness. The is a somewhat normal feeling to the songs that would be echoed on future albums. The tunes are straightforward, but catchy and addictive.

The overall feeling of the album is that is is a streamlined and accessible work that still has some chops to be powerful. It is a very crunch and hard-edged album that also has an eye for melodicism. There are very fine-tuned ideas on the album and it all comes together quite nicely.

Rating: 7.9 out of 10

Review by Jeger on May 29, 2025.

Carcass' Jeff Walker once expressed the notion that much of the death metal that was released in the late '80's - early '90's was "dumb" and "cartoonish". And while he may have hit the nail on the head, I didn't happen to think so. I bought into it at a young age and allowed it to move me in much the same way as Faces of Death is moving in its own gruesome way. I was taken aback by Vince Locke's artwork for Cannibal Corpse. As an avid comic collector, it felt surreal to see such gruesome images drawn out in comic form, and the sound… Repelled by it and drawn to it at the same time.

In 1991, Carcass went out of their way to shock people with the release of their third LP, Necroticism - Descanting The Insalubrious: murder, disposal and forensic biology. An entire death metal album dedicated to the ingenuity of corpse disposal. It was as if Carcass' name was called and it was their turn to write a legendary death metal record (a traditional one with more than a few bloody twists to stoke up the imagination) because none of their albums sound like this one. Then in 1993, Carcass traded in their implements of murder and weird medical dictionary song titles for their big boy pants. On that year, Heartwork was released via Earache / Columbia Records.

I'm not sure if it's just the natural order of things, or if it's something that a band sets out to accomplish, and that thing is perfection; that "Master of Puppets", "Peace Sells" and "Reign In Blood" fucking album that everyone admires or at the very least respects. You could compare Carcass' career trajectory to that of Metallica: a progression into that perfect album, questionable releases following and a late revival of the good old days shit in the form of a couple of stock metal albums that herald the heyday in spirit, but that's about it. For Carcass, their "Master of Puppets" is Heartwork.

Maybe it was the reality of getting distributed by a major label in the US that did it? Tends to bring the very best or the very worst in a band. Carcass just does it up so pro-like, from the album's sharp/crisp tones to the genuine sculpture album cover art, all the way down to the epic of the songwriting, an elite affair. Heartwork has been cited as one of the original melodic death metal albums alongside shit by bands like In Flames, Dark Tranquility and At the Gates, but I'm not buying it. Just a fucking death metal album that happens to be somewhat melodic. Way ahead of its time is what it is. Stuff that other bands don't wanna listen to, because they know it will make them sound like Jerry's Kids.

There's literally a bit of everything on Heartwork; a feast of flesh for the fiend, served up in the form of speed/aggression one moment, followed by some soulful leads the next and then into… a pile driver! That's right my friends, it's a pile driver… (Tommy Boy). Jackhammering chugs set to wet snapping beats, evenly composed, easy to anticipate but not boring and enough melody to get people thinking. Every track is memorable for obvious reasons, like everyone recognizes the opening riff to "This Mortal Coil" and that's the way it should be. It's what everyone is fucking looking for! So, that's what Carcass bring all day. Sometimes you just gotta give it to 'em I guess. Let the ole boys eat…

Carcass has gone on to release a few questionable albums since the Heartwork era. I do fucking hate the current state of most of the bands I grew up listening to and I'd be lying if I said that I think Carcass have anything left in their creative reserves. A once-so-innovative and sharp death metal band just trying over and over these days to capture some more of that familiar glory. Make another gore-grind album! Revisit Necroticism, just do something fucking different. One of the greatest death metal albums ever made 2.0 is not a thing. But Heartwork is, and it is that fucking album, man - prime time - doing the bull dance, feeling the flow, working it, working it… (Happy Gilmore). Give it the worship it deserves! One of the greatest of the era, of all time! And still no stopping it. Why would you want to? Let's rot…

Rating: 10 out of 10

Review by Allan on May 6, 2002.

And Bill Steer and Ken Owen said, “Let there be Carcass!” Ok, maybe it didn’t exactly happen like that, but it sure as hell should have. I don’t think you can really deny the greatness of Carcass. Sure you can dislike the band, but come on... they’re great! “Heartwork” is a legendary album, and Carcass is a standout act. It’s a continuing step in the bands evolution, while they further distance themselves from their grind roots.

So the band decided to add Michael Amott to the lineup after “Symphonies of Sickness”. Then, the band released “Necroticsm: Descanting the Insalubrious”. Amott’s guitar playing gave the band a new flavor, and “Necroticsm” was a pretty darn good album. But then “Heartwork” came around, and it whooped the entire scenes ass.

With pseudo-grind rhythms hinting at their early days and melodic rock/bluesy guitar to accompany it, this is one amazing album. Bill Steer and Michael Amott are one of the very best guitar duos of their day, stressing a high amount of talent while not sacrificing anything to show of a technical skill ego. Their often technical leads, solos, etc. are tasteful, not obnoxious. Drummer Ken Owen is one of the best single-foot drummers of the scene. Again, tasteful is the word here. Not in the mindset of fitting into any certain category, he doesn’t feel the need to do constant double bass nor constantly perform blast beats. Then there is Jeff Walker on vocals. Definitely a great thing – his death vocals with a black metal rasp approach make him a few different things. He’s a great addition to the band and a unique vocalist. One of the best line-ups of the early 1990’s, not only could these guys play, they could write.

Bottom Line: If you’re a fan of melodic metal of any kind, this is nearly mandatory. Simply put, this album is amazing.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Originality: 10
Musicianship: 10
Atmosphere: 10
Production: 10
Overall: 10

Rating: 10 out of 10