Severed Survival

Remember growing up and having the authoritative figures tell you that certain things are "bad" and should be avoided like the plague. However, like mild-allergenic foods, we tend to be drawn towards these things like a slow moving magnet. Pulling us in closer and closer, until these terrible items take a hold of us and pervert our minds (as the parental figures like to make us think). Well, I'm glad Autopsy's parents weren't around to make better choices for them. Because then the band itself might of not existed to rightfully stimulate our distasteful ears.

In another comparative sense, Autopsy was that band that had so many diversities that it was hard to pick one right out of a line up. 'Uh, uh...officer, they ahhhll look so sick and homely.' It's like that summer blockbuster, mixed with multiple genres, but actually working as a collective piece. They keep their mediums, and the overall genre mix works for them. Ranging from early era Black Sabbath, which they blatantly take direct influence from. As well as stated in interviews that they listened to the doom band Trouble, and the 70's era King Crimson. The drummer Chris Reifert, which previously played on the debut of Death. Death's Scream Bloody Gore sounded in a similar way to the previous debut of Possessed. As Autopsy on their first demo sounded similar to Death's debut. Confused? First you get possessed, then comes death, and then you get an autopsy. If you were to mix all of these aforementioned genres together; ranging from traditional doom metal to death and thrash metal, and a stated influence from the 70's. We get Autopsy as we may or may not know them on their debut Severed Survival.

The production on this release has a very primitive sound quality. Often filthy in context compared to later 90's death metal groups. However, all of the instruments are heard equally as loud, including the often excluded bass guitar. Severed Survival has a very analog production as well. Giving it a certain 80's metal charm. Reverb—you'll notice it right away—is water logged into every instrument on this album. The effect further adds to their unclean atmosphere. It is like watching an old dubbed 70's horror movie. Unhindered and unmastered. The dubbing, reverb in this case, almost gives it that real presence. Like watching a second generation tape of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Last House on the Left, and having an over-your-shoulder, lurking uneasiness. 'Hey dude, where did you get this tape...it is so life-like' 'I...uh...rented it.'

The overall record isn't all effect. The music can be quite creative at points. Adding stunning drum work from Chris Reifert himself. His drumming on Scream Bloody Gore was only mildly adventurous in comparison. However, his chops built their way up from demos days. Often adding non-breaking fills and buildups. Typically when a band plays a faster and slower style, there can be plenty of stop-and-go moments. The drumming displayed here is mostly seamless. He will take advantage of a break to add tom rolls, hi-hat and ride count offs, as well as other various fills to whet your appetite. The pace of the music, as a whole, ranges from thrash speed, doom-like depths to mid-pace catchiness. On the thrashier moments, Reifert adds a cool gallop technique utilized by the double bass drums. The most stand out aspect is how he can actually sing and play at the same time while doing all of the rolls and various fills. His screams are more higher pitched compared to later outputs. Like a patient with a multiple personality disorder. He adds a dual half growl and yell/scream technique. There is no strict pattern of where he places these Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personas. 'Jekyll screams in a driven maniacal panic. In the eventual—uncontrollable—transformation to Hyde.' Reifert rather sprinkles them throughout the songs. Mainly matching the overall intensity of the musical pieces. The guitar riffs sound deep and reverbed. His style throws in many different thrashy type riffs, mixed with slight palm muted sections, and slower Black Sabbath like doom sections. There are a few techniques utilized from a past Tony Iommi. Like the slowly played single notes, mixed in with extended hammer-ons. This is especially heard at the beginning of track two. The two guitarists will often use dual lines, mixed together to throw highlights to certain sections. Both throw in plenty of solos throughout the album, which vary in technicality. Some of them sound more traditional and thought through, while others will sound quite improvised and all over the fret board. Autopsy will go through many different bassists through their run. This album is no different. But they keep in mind a louder bass than other groups. The bass lines played are a focused effort, even though they already have two guitarists. Which the bass in the mix can be heard just as loud and separated. It sounds like it may contain a slight distortion effect. But nothing too drastic. With a deep, present tone, often adding different varying rhythms than the guitars.

Deep within the songs, the lyrics display a hidden destructive and grotesque side. They range from burning, cannibalism, self-cannibalism, and many other shocking and horrific, and sometimes down right painful and slow ways to go. Another topic they used is an underlining psychosis on the song Critical Madness. Although, there are fortunately no technical understandings of the condition in the song. Just pure "crazy" thoughts of death. There is a cool part towards the later part of the song where he says, "ok, I'll do it" when the music breaks down. Like a one sided response to an inner influential voice. However, this line wasn't printed in the lyrical booklet, and was probably improvised. Although, it turned out fitting to the idea of this person's deadly obsessive maddening thoughts. Also, the original cover artwork and creative torn flesh and bone logo, I think fits the song about self amputation and cannibalism better. Rather than the gets-the-job-done hideous looking surgical aliens and dripping blood logo.

Overall musically, Autopsy proved that they weren't a mere effect. Rather a force, and not easily imitated. They would have overall worthy musical qualities; ranging from a drummer who boldly vocalizes, dual guitarists that pump out primitive and calculated rhythms, also the presence of a bass in the mix. There would be bands that would have similarities to Autopsy that would come and go. More than likely coincidence, Sweden's Nihilist at the time was one of these bands. With early songs that resembled from where Autopsy came from. As well as the graduated mainly slower, doom like song 'Morbid Devourment'. Looking at the later band Mausoleum, which would purposely emulate a sound that was a little too close to Autopsy's. I've read even Darkthrone, in an interview, was really into Autopsy's releases. So it isn't surprising that they had/have a respectable following. After Autopsy's break in 95', two particular bands were started from primary members: Abscess and then The Ravenous. Both have varying degrees of listenability. Abscess was the band that was started right after the split-up. They incorporate a simplistic death-grind approach. The Ravenous is similar to the early Autopsy era, with a close resemblance to this release of Severed Survival through Mental Funeral releases. With all of their extended reaches of influences, whether it was chance, or just their playing style or musical approach that caused these other bands to be attracted to their aura. One thing is clear, Autopsy's music in itself, has been a valid center for comparison.

Autopsy had a somewhat lasting existence. At an early point they sounded like various, at that time, current bands. For instance, their first demo sounded like Reifert's previous band, but shifted to a more creative second demo output. Which found a few aspects of Autopsy's more doom metal side and varying degrees of vocal changing. They moved on, and had found their niche per release. But towards the end of their existence would still challenge people's ears with a different musical approach. Even though I didn't like this sudden plummet into a dark-comedic-like grind metal approach on their very last eventuality. However, going back, these early releases show us a succession of grotesque qualities. They did in fact have a non-conformed sound compared to the mainstream, with their against the grain approach of explicit lyrical concepts, and nasty, raw production qualities. Furthermore, some bands around that time, that would later be called death-grind, would use these different musical outlets to spout their political agenda. Notably Napalm Death, also bands such as Terrorizer, Carbonized, etc. These bands would take what early punk groups like Discharge and others were doing, with rougher and harsher music, and further add politically oriented lyrics. Through all of this, I respect Autopsy for keeping it just plain twisted and ugly on their debut Severed Survival.