The news that Abscess were splitting after their last album ‘Dawn Of Inhumanity’ earlier this year was met with a few groans. This soon changed to gasps of delight though as an announcement shortly after regarding the reformation of Autopsy was made. This was good news all round as lets face it they were always the more revered and the longer running of the two bands and at the end of the day you can easily recover from an Abscess but an Autopsy is generally a bit more final. Having originally split before release of their scatological ‘Shitfun’ in 1995 it has been a long time coming despite plenty of best of, reissue and live albums reminding us the band were dead but not quite forgotten. I was pleased to catch Autopsy along with Dan Lilker filling in on bass at Party San this year and they also played Maryland Deathfest before it, whilst many not able to get to these shows wait expectantly for a full tour announcement there is the matter of this EP with five brand new tracks.
Reifert, Coralles and Cutler are joined here by ex Abscess bassist Joe Trevisano and the sound they have crafted is suitably thick, slab-like and ghastly beyond belief (in a good way I hasten to add). The title track starts with a blood curdling scream before romping off at a fast pace and attacking at a slewed shambolic stumble. Reifert’s vocals are nice and high in the mix and he splatters his way and croaks and yells as the drumming trips over itself and guitars and bass fly out with skewed precision. ‘My Corpse Shall Rise’ is slower as well it should be considering the name of the song. Horrible yells and a death grunt see things suddenly flying in with fists flailing as though there is a punch up going off in the graveyard, bones flying in all direction. A solo flails in garrotting skulls and hacking at any other limbs and then the glorious doom, sludge riff at the centre of the song is back. Lyrics are as expected, the stuff of nightmares and this is a Ravenous feast of a song in more ways than one. Grinding, winding chaotic guitar work seethes through ‘Seven Skulls’ and the vocals rise up to venomous yells likely to cause the nervous listener to soil themselves.
Apparently an album called ‘Macabre Eternal’ is scheduled for some time next year and I have no idea if any of these songs are going to be on it. This EP however is not about filler in the slightest as each of these numbers is excellent. We finish at another cadaverous crawl with the amusingly entitled ‘Mutant Village’ possibly inspired by The Hills Have Eyes, reading the lyrics. If you like your death metal meaty and like flesh hanging off carrion this is well and truly the stuff and Autopsy have proved here that some things that rise from the grave are more than welcome. Hopefully this should keep my blood lust sated until Necrophagia finally release ‘Deathtrip 69’ later this year. Also available on 1000 edition limited vinyl with poster artwork from the link below.
http://www.peaceville.com/autopsy
http://www.myspace.com/autopsyofficial
