Jeffrey Easton of Metal Exiles recently conducted an interview with guitarist Bill Steer of the reactivated British extreme metal pioneers CARCASS. An excerpt from the chat follows below.

Metal Exiles: So why did you pick now to do a reunion tour?

Bill Steer: Most of the band has wanted to do it at different times and obviously we have been busy with different things with our lives. It was a real procedure to get us back together.

Metal Exiles: Why is that? What was the big interest to have CARCASS back together?

Bill: It took us all different lengths of time to get back together. You have Michael [Amott] out with ARCH ENEMY and I was the last one to understand because I have been playing a different genre of music but once we started jamming it came back quickly.

Metal Exiles: The music was amazing and it was so sad to see you guys go away.

Bill: It was sad in a way but the demise was timely. The climate for that music was not so good and we were not comfortable with where we stood in the situation. There were bands coming out that were playing styles of metal that we did not sympathize with. Those bands were getting massive and we think we had played our best at that point.

Metal Exiles: Some of the press that is coming out has Jeffrey [Walker; bass/vocals] saying that they do not want CARCASS being forgotten about. How is that possible to have CARCASS being "forgotten" about?

Bill: That is really Jeffrey's suspicion that if we have not reformed that we would have been forgotten about. I think that is a bit extreme, but I do know what he is talking about. In the UK it is a fickle industry and the "average Joe" in the British papers have a fickle knowledge and they have forgotten what happened three years ago and it is all about now. They tend to get ecstatic about what happens now and what is exciting now but they could be passé in a few years.

Metal Exiles: What is going to happen after the tour. Will the reunion continue with a new album?

Bill: It is a possibility. We will not say certainly because we will be out for awhile but we are open for the possibility. We do not want to get people hyped up then disappointed but we will see what happens. I would be up for it because it was a good atmosphere and I think we are playing better than ever.

Metal Exiles: What direction would you guys go in?

Bill: Just off the top of my head it would continue from where we were with "Heartwork". There is no point in trying to get back to that place because we are much older and everything is different now.

Metal Exiles: If there is not another CARCASS album after this is over what will you be doing?

Bill: FIREBIRD is still out doing stuff. We will be doing shows later on this year but right now I feel musically satisfied. Playing this stuff with CARCASS takes me back to something I am comfortable with and I like being harmonious with my past because for years I was away from it.

Read the entire interview at Metal Exiles.

Quality fan-filmed video footage of the September 19, 2008 concert by CARCASS at The Grand Ballroom in San Francisco, California can be viewed below.