It’s been less than a year since Autopsy released The Headless Ritual and I think many fans are wondering how TH&G’s would turn out since they usually take an average of two year breaks between releases during their consistent phases. Well I have to tell you that Autopsy is still Autopsy in that they never fail to disappoint. The first thing you’ll notice here is the excellent production. The overall atmosphere manages to be dense without being overdone. When the opener ‘Savagery’ kicks in you’re immediately introduced to the bands brutal tendencies of heavily distorted guitars and pounding drums and yet everything seems to be peacefully leveled. That might sound ironic but that’s the case here. This first track features a mid-tempo style of average riffs but regardless it’s nicely done. For me the emotions don’t really kick in until the second track which is ‘Kind of Flesh Ripped’. What works here is the slower paced beginning which really allows for the degraded evil feeling to penetrate your mind. This track is without a doubt a highlight of the album mainly because the compositions seem to contain the most attention. From the sneering slow paced intro, to the harmonizing soaring riffs with crescendo solo, to the alternating melodic riffs, to the tempo drops into the depths of debauchery, to the transitioning catchy bridges, this track is one of the finest Autopsy tracks to date.
I actually found it quite interesting that Autopsy would start this album off with such a weak track average track while everything else is superior. But when I think about it I can kind of look at that decision as they wanted a track that got the listeners amped and siked so it’s not that big of a deal. The opener is only 2 minutes long so it makes sense. You’ll notably notice how tasty the guitars are on the album and the solos are that perfect icing on the cake. Bringing in not only metal vibes but the solos also contain some rock vibes like on the ‘The Howling Dead’ where there’s some serious Deep Purple styles.
‘After the Cutting’ is a great track that really brings attention the albums artwork. Chris Reifert really shines on the drums here and although he’s using some simple techniques the little nuances can’t be overlooked because he does every little fill and transitions so perfectly you can’t miss his signature feels. I really tried to relate to the artwork using the track names and lyrics and symbolically I can’t help but get the feeling of trying to escape my body and exit this stupid world.
There’s really several great moments on this album but collectively I’d summarize this one solid effort from Autopsy and this could easily be the best release this year. I hope everyone enjoys this!
