Captive Bolt Pistol

Album: Surgical Steel (2013)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • A captive bolt pistol is used to stun livestock before they are slaughtered. In our interview with Carcass lead singer Jeff Walker, he explained that the music was written first, and he wrote the lyric to complement it. Said Walker: "To me that song was short, straight to the point, had a lot of impact, it just remind me of the captive bolt pistol from a slaughterhouse."
  • Carcass is an influential British Metal band who released their first album in 1988, then broke up after their 1996 LP Swansong. Surgical Steel was their first release since the group re-formed. Along with lead singer/bass player Jeff Walker, original guitarist Bill Steer appears on the album along with new drummer Dan Wilding.

    Said Walker: "Bill and Dan basically constructed the track. If I had it my way, I would have mixed it up a bit, because it's a quite linear song: verse/chorus/verse/chorus/break. Very simple song. It actually in some respects sounds like a mash-up of an older song we have called 'Tools of the Trade.'"

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Why Does Everybody Hate Nu-Metal? Your Metal Questions Answered

Why Does Everybody Hate Nu-Metal? Your Metal Questions AnsweredSong Writing

10 Questions for the author of Precious Metal: Decibel Presents the Stories Behind 25 Extreme Metal Masterpieces

Christopher Cross

Christopher CrossSongwriter Interviews

The man who created Yacht Rock with "Sailing" wrote one of his biggest hits while on acid.

Tony Joe White

Tony Joe WhiteSongwriter Interviews

The writer of "Rainy Night in Georgia" and "Polk Salad Annie" explains how he cooks up his Louisiana swamp rock.

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star RidersSongwriter Interviews

Writing with Phil Lynott, Scott saw their ill-fated frontman move to a darker place in his life and lyrics.

Hawksley Workman

Hawksley WorkmanSongwriter Interviews

One of Canada's most popular and eclectic performers, Hawksley tells stories about his oldest songs, his plentiful side projects, and the ways that he keeps his songwriting fresh.

Mac Powell of Third Day

Mac Powell of Third DaySongwriter Interviews

The Third Day frontman talks about some of the classic songs he wrote with the band, and what changed for his solo country album.