Autopsy is an American death metal band founded in 1987 by Chris Reifert and Eric Cutler. They disbanded in 1995 but reunited in 2009.[1]
Biography
Autopsy was formed in August 1987 by Chris Reifert and Eric Cutler, shortly after Reifert’s departure from Death.[2] The band recorded a demo that year, Demo ’87, before Danny Coralles joined in 1988 immediately prior to the recording of their second demo, Critical Madness, and along with Reifert and Cutler, would be a constant in the band’s lineup. The band signed to Peaceville Records and released their debut album, Severed Survival in 1989. These early recordings featured a pioneering death metal style that adopted a slower, doom metal influenced sound. The next full-length, Mental Funeral, continued in this style and has since been cited by many other death metal musicians as particularly influential. Having completed a successful European tour soon after Mental Funeral, the band reentered the studio to record the Fiend for Blood EP, which was followed by their third full-length, Acts of the Unspeakable, which featured shorter songs and a more grindcore influenced sound. A difficult US tour in 1993 led to the decision to disband Autopsy after the recording of a final album.[3] Shitfun, released in early 1995, was heavily influenced by hardcore punk and would prepare fans for Abscess, previously a side project of Danny Coralles and Chris Reifert which would become their main band after Autopsy’s demise.
Autopsy was featured in the 2005 music documentary Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey when the film’s narrator and star, Sam Dunn read aloud a verse from the band’s song “Charred Remains”.
Reunion
After several years of speculation regarding an Autopsy reunion, and denial of the possibility,[4] the band members briefly reunited in September 2008 to record two new tracks for the special edition of their 1989 debut Severed Survival.[5] They later reconvened to the Maryland Deathfest in 2009.[1] After Abscess broke up in June 2010, Autopsy immediately announced that they had permanently reunited.[6] They released The Tomb Within EP in September 2010, Macabre Eternal in 2011, Born Undead DVD in 2012, The Headless Ritual in 2013 and Tourniquets, Hacksaws and Graves in 2014. Autopsy released the EP Skullgrinder on November 27, 2015. They released the EP Puncturing the Grotesque on December 15, 2017. The band is currently working on a new album, which was planned to be recorded later in 2019;[7] as of July 2021 however, the new album has not been released.
Legacy
Along with fellow Bay Area band Possessed and Reifert’s previous group Death, Autopsy have been considered a pioneering band in the death metal genre. Early bands such as Entombed, Dismember, Gorefest, Immolation, Cannibal Corpse and Deicide have all credited Autopsy as an influence in their sound.[8][9] In addition, Autopsy have helped to pioneer death-doom.[10]
Discography:
Vocals, Drums (1987-1995, 2008, 2009-present)
See also: Siege of Power, ex-Abscess, ex-Doomed, ex-The Ravenous, Painted Doll, Violation Wound, ex-Burnt Offering, ex-Frightmare, ex-Death, ex-Desecration (live), ex-Eat My Fuk, ex-Guillotine, ex-Mirror Snake
Eric Cutler
Vocals, Guitars (1987-1995, 2008, 2009-present)
See also: ex-Funeral, ex-Necrosic, ex-House by the Cemetary, ex-Scolex (live), ex-Doomed, ex-Dark Hall
Danny Coralles
Guitars (1988-1995, 2008, 2009-present)
See also: ex-Abscess, ex-Doomed, ex-The Ravenous, Eat My Fuk, ex-Bloodbath, ex-Mirror Snake
Greg Wilkinson
Bass (2021-present)
See also: Brainoil, Leather Glove, ex-Cruevo (live), Deathgrave, I Will Kill You Fucker, PHT (Pig Heart Transplant), ex-Graves at Sea, ex-Laudanum, ex-Carrion, ex-Geni-Sore, ex-Lamar, ex-Lana Dagales, ex-The Malnourished Nothings
Past Members:
| Eric Eigard | Bass (1987-1988) |
| Ken Sorvari | Bass (1988) |
| See also: ex-Turmoil | |
| Steve Cutler | Bass (1990-1991) |
| Josh Barohn | Bass (1991-1993) |
| See also: Mammoth, ex-Iron Lung, ex-Suffocation, ex-Doomed, ex-The Henchmen | |
| Freeway | Bass (1993-1995) |
| See also: Redacted, ex-Immortal Fate, ex-Abscess, ex-Doomed, ex-Necrosic | |
| Joe Allen | Bass (2010-2021) |
| See also: ex-Abscess, ex-Von, ex-Eat My Fuk, ex-Mirror Snake, ex-Sixx |
| 1. | Charred Remains | 03:40 | Show lyrics |
| 2. | Service for a Vacant Coffin | 02:50 | Show lyrics |
| 3. | Disembowel | 04:05 | Show lyrics |
| 4. | Gasping for Air | 03:19 | Show lyrics |
| 5. | Ridden with Disease | 04:53 | Show lyrics |
| 6. | Pagan Saviour | 04:11 | Show lyrics |
| 7. | Impending Dread | 04:46 | Show lyrics |
| 8. | Severed Survival | 03:28 | Show lyrics |
| 9. | Critical Madness | 04:33 | Show lyrics |
| 10. | Embalmed | 03:02 | Show lyrics |
| 11. | Stillborn | 02:47 | Show lyrics |
| 41:34 |
batsival.com 
OMG PILLS NOMNOM, February 3rd, 2018.
I’m going to preface my review with a little bit about myself. I’ve always loved death metal. Always. After 15 years of listening to death metal (among other types of extreme metal) I had realized one day, out of the blue, that I had never given much attention to the classics. Those rare gems that literally spawned the genre. I did some searching and came up with a list of essential death metal. Severed Survival came up quite a lot. So I gave it a listen, at 6:00 in the morning. I turned it off about halfway through. Why? I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but something about this album really, really, really gave me the creeps. It affected me for days. It made me feel weird. I took a shower right after I listened to it. I put it away for months, too spooked to listen to it again. After digging into Mental Funeral, I decided I had to give it another try. I think I figured out why it gave me the creeps.
The atmosphere on this album is hideous, ugly, disgusting, and vile. They somehow managed to capture the sonic essence of all of the grotesque subject matter of the album. I think a lot of it has to do with the production. It’s raw, a little murky, with razor sharp guitars and the bass high in the mix, thumping away like a diseased human heart about to give up. I would call the music mid-paced speedy death metal. The thing is, nothing on the album is boring. It’s pure energy, from start to finish. Every riff, every lead, every kick on the bass drum, it’s all flawless, relentless power. This is a thrilling album. It’s primitive death metal, for sure. You certainly won’t find any technical acrobatics here, but what is here is a collection of exciting, in-your-fucking-face death metal.
Reifert’s vocals are interesting. Not quite the full-on death metal growl you hear on Mental Funeral, instead it’s more of a savage, sloppy bark/roar, but god damn, it works. Everything about this album is flawless. Everything meshes perfectly. They must have genuinely put a lot of thought into the sound because what’s here is completely and totally perfect. The only reason I don’t give this album a 100% is because, in my mind, the difference between a 96% and a 100% is exponential. 100% ratings are excessively rare, but this album comes awfully close. It is absolutely essential death metal. Don’t hesitate. Get it. If you can’t buy it (nowadays CDs are pretty much obsolete) get it on Spotify, or Apple Music, or whatever. (as an aside, the bands DO get paid every time you stream a song).
Really, it’s hard to say any more about this album. It captures a grotesque atmosphere while never, ever getting boring. It really is essential listening and absolutely one of the best death metal albums ever recorded. Absolutely the highest possible recommendation.
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