METALLIAN - General Surgery

Left Hand Pathology - 2006 - Listenable
Corpus In Extremis: Analysing Necrocriticism - 2009 - Listenable

Members

Vocals

Carbonized, Meat Missile, Gaylord>>Grant Mcwilliams>>Carbonized, Meat Missile, Gaylord - Maze Of Torment, Serpent Obscene, Under The Church>>ERIK SAHLSTRÖM>>Maze Of Torment, Under The Church

Guitar

Dismember, Proboscis, Afflicted Convulsion, Afflicted, Face Down, Meat Missile, Nice Idiot>>JOACIM CARLSSON>>Afflicted, Face Down, Meat Missile, Nice Idiot - Repugnant, Sonic Ritual, Iron Lamb>>Johan Wallin>>Iron Lamb

Bass

Carbonized, Therion, Dismember, Slaughter Ceremony, Murder Squad>>Matti Karki>>Carbonized, Therion, Dismember, Slaughter Ceremony, Murder Squad – Proboscis, Sayyadina>>Andreas Eriksson>>Sayyadina - Regurgitate>>Glenn Sykes – Proboscis, Sayaddina>>ANDREAS ERIKSSON>>Sayyadina

Drum

Crematory, Regurgitate>>Mats Nordrup>>Crematory, Regurgitate - Sayyadina, Birdflesh, Dethronement, Jigsore Terror, Entrails, Sickrecy>>ADDE MITROULIS>>Sayyadina, Birdflesh, Dethronement, Jigsore Terror, Entrails, Sickrecy

History & Biography

General Surgery is known as a Swedish Carcass-inspired band, which featured several known death metal musicians. Formed in 1989, the band released a demo called Erosive Offals. The line-up changed and the band released a new tape called Pestiferous Anthropophagia. Grant McWilliams would return to the operating room, the band would announce a deal with Grind 'Til Global Perfection Records and release the Internecine Prurience tape. This would become a Relapse 7"EP and MCD with the initial contact having been strengthened through Relapse Records' work with Matti Karki's Dismember during that period.

The Relapse EP was entitled Necrology and was an underground hit. Despite the fact that General Surgery was basically defunct, Relapse Records was enthusiastic and offered the band a full-length contract if only they would reform. This was not to be. The core of the band reformed in 1999 and contributed a cover song to a Necropolis Records' Carcass Tribute CD called Requiems Of Revulsion : A Tribute To Carcass. The line-up at this point was Joacim on guitar, Grant on vocals, Matti also on vocals, Richard (originally vocalist) on bass and Anders Jakobson of Nasum on drums.

Due to missing a stable rhythm section, this reincarnation soon drifted back into sleep however. Three years passed before Carlsson drafted Andreas Eriksson who in turn introduced the band to Adde Mitroulis. Eriksson knew Birdflesh's drummer Adde Mitroulis. The drummer had filled in as a session drummer for Eriksson's band Sayyadina on its German tour. This line-up signed up with Razorback Records for a split-CD after being contacted by The County Medical Examiners, the other half of the planned CD. The split-CD appeared in the summer of 2003. A vinyl edition was also announced through Yellow Dog Records. Guitarist Johan Wallin of Repugnant and Scurvy joined the band in the summer of 2003.

The Swedish grinders parted ways with bassist Andreas Eriksson in late 2003. According to the band, Andreas "left the band due to other commitments. The vacant bass player position will be handled on a stand-in basis by our demon-director and good friend, Glenn Sykes of Regurgitate." The band begun work on releasing a split 7" with Machetazo and another with Filth.

General Surgery signed with Listenable Records for three albums in the summer of 2004. The band then announced it is entering Soundlab Studio in order to record an album for early 2005. The men in white coat were seen on stage at Maryland Death Fest in 2005. The band had to cancel its announced tour of Europe in early spring of 2006 following the sudden departure of singer Grant McWilliams. The man was supposedly an alcoholic. Listenable Records delayed the band’s latest album, Left Hand Pathology, until May. The band announced the addition of a bassist named Dr. Van Touminen (Fingerspitzengefühl and The Grokenbergers) and the inevitable return of singer Grant McWilliams in June! General Surgery and Face Down members joined together in a hardcore band called Nice Idiot in 2007. The band featured singer Mikael Van Tuominen (Fingerspitzengefühl and General Surgery), guitarist Joacim Carlsson (Face Down and General Surgery), bassist Johan Norsebäck of Massgrav and drummer Ove Wiksten (Sayyadina and I Quit!). Bassist Dr Van Tuominen left in early 2007 and was replaced with Dr Andreas Eriksson who is also in Sayyadina. Singer Grant McWilliams was booted apparently due to alcoholism in mid-2007. His replacement was Erik Sahlström of Maze Of Torment and Serpent Obscene. The band released a new album, Corpus In Extremis: Analysing Necrocriticism, in March, 2009 through Listenable Records. The album was self-produced. A Collection Of Depravation, a compilation of 30 General Surgery tracks was due be out through Relapse on March 27th, 2012. The label had re-signed the band with plans for a new album and a single. Urban Skytt became the second guitarist in 2015. The band was booked for Scandinavia Deathfest 2019, which would take place in October in Stockholm. Other bands playing included Dismember, Benediction, Centinex and Birdflesh. Lay Down And Be Counted was a 2021 demo. The band was booked for the Goteborg Extreme Sounds alongside Anaal Nathrakh, Centinex, Carnosus and The Generals in 2024.

Reviews

GENERAL SURGERY/THE COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINERS split CD - RAZORBACK
One can't ask for much more value in a grindgore CD than what is offered on this Razorback release. The CD offers seven songs from General Surgery and six from Razorback's house band, The County Medical Examiners.
This is the infamous Swedish Carcass worshippers first set of songs since the band's reformation in 1999. Now featuring a new rhythm section, General Surgery competes with TCME for the number one spot in Carcass rip off skates. Having said that, General Surgery's sound here is more independent and less Carcass-oriented than ever before. Song titles like Pre-Bisectal Corrosive Immersion and Convivial Corpse Disposal Methodology/Severe Catatonic Intersection Of Pathological Activities of course speak for themselves, but General Surgery 2003 is more an average grindcore band than the world's best Carcass cover band. It is good to see the Swedes finally back though and people have to get a grip on that bass sound too!
The County Medical Examiners have had a drop out from medical school since their last CD. Replacing the drop out is Dr. G. Radcliffe, MD, a medical examiner of a certain advanced age. The good doctor does nothing to diminish the band's Carcass grinding attack. The trio goes for the cadaver's jugular with all the passion of the other good doctors on the scene and in the course of songs like Bloatation (Repugnant Refloatation) and A Brief Discourse On Wound Ballistics proves why the metal and grindcore communities are among the most medically-knowledgeable folk in the world. Dual-vocal assaults, creepy down-tuned riffs and general musical flatulations are the order of the day.
Health care and medical science will never be the same again now that The County Medical Examiners and General Surgery have united! - Ali "The Metallian"

Interviews

General Surgery