Autopsy is crawling back.
Created in 1987 in the United States, the band helped to give Death Metal its fame, then knew a period of inactivity between 1995 and 2009. Now composed of Chris Reifert (drums/vocals, Static Abyss, Siege of Power, ex-Death), Eric Cutler (guitar/vocals, Necrosic, ex-House by the Cemetary), Danny Coralles (guitar, ex-Abscess) and Greg Wilkinson (bass, Brainoil, Deathgrave, Static Abyss, ex-Laudanum), the band is releasing Morbidity Triumphant, their ninth album, on Peaceville Records.
The album opens with Slit the Brain, a raw and aggressive composition which lets effective riffs mix with massive and muffled screams. Frantic leads are also part of the track, creating an interesting contrast with the more hazy parts, then Final Frost slowly emerges with dissonant and ominous sounds while offering a heavier rhythmic pattern. Sharp eruptions of violence offer some bursts of energy as The Voracious One lets heady patterns reveal more groovy influences to accompany the raging vocal parts. Once again, the leads allow the musicians to diversify their waves of rage as Born in Blood returns to a simple haunting and oppressive sound which becomes more energetic and catchy. The final drives us to Flesh Strewn Temple and its mysterious atmosphere made of heady riffs and dark leads, letting speed and slowness meet just like on Tapestry of Scars which uses quite the same elements to bury us under waves of greasy and heavy sounds. Knife Slice, Axe Chop follows with wild riffs interspersed with slow and morbid Doom roots, still feeding the contrast between these two complementary shades before Skin by Skin places more melodic elements in its unhealthy rhythmic. Unexpected explosions of violence send us straight to Maggots in the Mirror and its uncontrollable Old School speed with Grindcore influences, but the track is quite short, and Slaughterer of Souls takes over to offer us a new fix of violence as raw and straightforward as rhythmed. Your Eyes Will Turn to Dust, the last track, will not change the band’s recipe, and will offer us a final between frantic harmonics and heavy riffs to close the album.
Autopsy never disappoints. Since the first years, the band knows perfectly how to handle speed and slowness, making each album a sound with a crushing contrast of which Morbidity Triumphant is the worthy heir.
90/100