Severed Survival

Anyone exploring the death metal canon will encounter Autopsy soon enough. These guys were never as commercially successful or as famous as Obituary, Deicide or Morbid Angel, but they always had cult value on their side. Arguably, they were closer to the original death metal essence than anyone. Drummer/vocalist Chris Reifert was already a stalwart of the scene before recording this debut album. He had previously joined forces with Chuck Schuldiner to record one of the most influential death metal albums ever made ("Scream Bloody Gore"). His mission with Autopsy involved putrefying that old Death sound and beefing it up with massive, sludgy Black Sabbath riffs. The result was as awesome as it sounds on paper.

For context, "Severed Survival" is definitely not my favourite Autopsy recording. I prefer their second demo ("Critical Madness") from a year prior. I also prefer their transition into the full-on death/doom style ("Retribution for the Dead", "Mental Funeral"). Still, this debut album is a death metal genre staple and should be treated with due reverence. It is worth remembering that this record came out between "Leprosy" and the next generation of classics like "Altars of Madness", "Slowly We Rot" and "Left Hand Path". This album exists in a death metal cesspool of its own making. It ended up being more influential on the European death metal scene(s) than on the American one. Many Swedish bands, along with the likes of Pungent Stench and Asphyx, owe much of their sickening death metal brand to Autopsy.

Describing this record is easy enough. Imagine a sicker, uglier, heavier version of "Scream Bloody Gore" with loads of Sabbath riffs thrown in (and maybe some Necrophagia and Celtic Frost). The cover art is a good visual metaphor for how it sounds. This is fleshy, corporeal, violent death metal that claws into your psyche. It is some of the heaviest music of its time, and few acts have attained this degree of putridity since. The band’s fetid obsessions are more than a mere surface aesthetic, they worm their way into the riffs, the solos and the arrangements. The core of the Autopsy sound is dank and horrid. The band would perfect this approach on subsequent material, but it was already rotten from the beginning.

All eleven songs on this album are strong (Autopsy didn't write bad songs when they were in their prime). My favourite song is probably "Ridden with Disease", which is the longest and most engaging track here. This song is so well constructed that it even sounds 'mellow' in places. This is because Autopsy had an effortless heaviness arising from their brilliant use of momentum and well-timed transitions. Other personal highlights include "Pagan Saviour", which includes a rampaging opening riff, merging into one of the bounciest mid-paced death metal sections ever, and then into a death/doom melody towards the end. The title track is worth a mention, particularly with its slow, bastardised Slayer riff near the beginning. Even the old school punk vibes of "Embalmed" (taken from the first demo) sound as real as it gets.

No-one did death metal quite like Autopsy. Even Autopsy evolved away from pure/sick death metal soon after recording this album. "Severed Survival" is homework for anyone exploring the genre. The production and performances may not be as visceral and vital as they were on the "Critical Madness" demo. I will always prefer the grainy, buzzy sound of that demo to this album (which also suffers from an overbearing bass sound, apparently played by Steve DiGiorgio). I also don't have the same nostalgic or emotional connection to this record as I do to other death metal classics from the period, like “Slowly We Rot”. Still, Autopsy were a one-off within the death metal scene and this album retains its primordial power. Essential listening.