UMUR
"Ashes, Organs, Blood and Crypts" is the ninth full-length studio album by Us death metal act Autopsy. The album was released through Peaceville Records in October 2023. It´s the successor to "Morbidity Triumphant" from September 2022 and if you count the two Static Abyss albums released in 2022 and 2023, which also feature Autopsy lead vocalist/drummer Chris Reifert and Autopsy bassist Greg Wilkinson, some of the members of the band have been real busy in the last couple of years. It´s great to experience death metal veterans who still love what they do and who are dying to show the world what they have composed, and who don´t spend years and years between album releases. Autopsy have of course been guilty of just that in the past, but it looks like things have changed.
Stylistically there are few surprises on "Ashes, Organs, Blood and Crypts" if you´re familiar with the preceding releases from Autopsy. It´s raw, organic, and primal old school death metal with both death-doom metal parts and hardcore punk influences. The lyrics are as always gory and vile along with the image and cover artwork. When that is said I think "Ashes, Organs, Blood and Crypts" actually is slightly different from "Morbidity Triumphant". Maybe it´s the sound production which is a bit more clear sounding and not as bottom heavy and organic as the sound production on the predecessor. Whatever it is, it´s a good idea to try something a bit different when you have such a well established style as Autopsy do. At least that makes an album like "Ashes, Organs, Blood and Crypts" stand out a bit from the last couple of releases.
Other than that this is Autopsy exactly how they´ve always sounded and if you´re in the mood for some infested, gory, and old school death metal, look no further. Autopsy are one of the originators of this style, and there is a reason they are considered death metal legends. They understand the dynamics of a good old school death metal tune. The brutality, the gore, the impact of the death-doom sections, and the morbid leads and harmonies...all spiced up by Reifert´s depraved growling vocals, which sound as demented as ever. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.