Autopsy: Mental Funeral (1991)
35 years ago, while numerous bands (Death, Morbid Angel, Atheist, Pestilence, etc.) were "complicating" the death metal genre in fascinating ways, Autopsy vocalist and drummer Chris Reifert was still committed to, in his own words, "creating the sickest shit imaginable."
But that doesn't mean there weren't changes afoot on the band's sophomore album, Mental Funeral, which augmented the Floridian D.M. style heard on '89's Severed Survival with a sludgier sound, doomy tempos, lower tunings, and cavernous production to match.
Opening cut "Twisted Mass of Burnt Decay" may have ripped into action with devastating speed, but it soon down-shifted and set the tone for a slew of form-challenging death/doom creepers, like the spine-freezing "In the Grip of Winter," organ-necrotizing "Destined to Fester," and grossly distasteful "Torn from the Womb."
Move over Cannibal Corpse!
By the time listeners reached the end of side two with the spartanly named "Dead" (yes, that's the name of the song, just "Dead") they'd be forgiven for momentarily thinking they were listening to Candlemass; at least until Reifert's croaking recalled Obituary, instead.
And as much as I love doom metal and enjoy Autopsy's foray into the style, I still think they were at their best when guitarists Eric Cutler and Danny Coralles were unleashing manic melodic solos over the desperate thrashing of "Robbing the Grave," "Slaughterday," and "Hole in the Head."
All the while, Reifert showed the same range with his battle-scarred vocals as he did behind his kit, spanning the decibels with both bowel-vacating grunts through spleen-bursting shrieks, yet always spewing disgusting lyrics a la Carcass.
Three sub-minute interludes, including the suitably-named "Fleshcrawl," grindcore-fast "Bonesaw," and sinister title track pad an otherwise brief short LP, but any more of this glorious violence would have put lesser listeners in the hospital.
And, come on, how can you not love that mutant cover art illustrated by British artist Kev Walker, also known for his extensive comic book work for titles like The Amazing Spider-Man, Thunderbolts, Daemonifuge, Rogue Trooper, and Judge Dredd.
Unfortunately, Mental Funeral's stylistic evolution turned off and won over fans in equal quantities, turning Autopsy into one of death metal's ultimate love/hate propositions, and certainly a band no one seemed able to agree about.
Not least the band members themselves, as a series of increasingly inconsistent, controversial, grindcore-influenced albums ('92's Acts of the Unspeakable, '95's Shitfun) expedited Autopsy's demise just a few years down the line.
More Autopsy: Severed Survival.
