CoC : Firebird - Firebird : Review

Firebird - _Firebird_
(Rise Above, 2000)
by: Paul Schwarz (7 out of 10)

Bill Steer's new project with Spiritual Beggars drummer Ludwig Witt and Cathedral's bassist/organist Leo Smee is certainly a departure from vintage or even final Carcass material. However, it shouldn't come as a great shock to anyone who could hear where Bill was headed for in Carcass' final days, or who has any knowledge of the output of Lee Dorian's Rise Above label, that Bill nowadays commits himself to rehashing '70s rock. What may be somewhat more of a surprise is that the man who once so gruesomely named his solos has actually not made too bad a job of it. It's essentially cliched and unadventurous (and not of interest, it seems to me, merely for the fact that it has been penned by Bill Steer), but compared to others of its anti-progressive character Firebird is not bad. I'd suggest listening before buying, though: somehow I doubt _Firebird_ will be of much interest to the average CoC reader, or the average fan of Carcass -- even if you -did- like _Swansong_! I certainly can't see myself putting it on again.

(article published 20/11/2000)