AUTOPSY — Severed Survival (review)

AUTOPSY — Severed Survival album cover Album · 1989 · Death Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
UMUR
"Severed Survival" is the debut full-length studio album by US death metal act Autopsy. The album was released through Peaceville Records in April 1989. "Severed Survival" has since seen various reissues. The one from 1993 included the "Retribution for the Dead (1991)" EP tracks as bonus material.

Drummer/lead vocalist Chris Reifert formed Autopsy in 1987 after leaving Death. Chris Reifert played the drums on the now legendary "Scream Bloody Gore (1987)" debut album by Death. In addition to Chris Reifert on drums and vocals, and Eric Cutler and Danny Coralles on guitars, the album also features bass by the omnipresent Steve DiGiorgio (Sadus, Death, Iced Earth, Testament...etc.).

The music on the album is pretty much the epitome of old school death metal. If you´re looking for the most authentic old school death metal release, look no further. The vocals are brutal yet intelligible and delightfully aggressive. The tempo is mosty mid- to slow paced with the occasional faster part thrown in. But there is no blasting on the album. The riffing is brutal and heavy but generally pretty simple. It´s safe to say that this is not the most precise playing that I´ve ever heard, but there´s a primitive charm to the proceedings that you won´t find on most modern and more clinical sounding death metal albums. "Severed Survival" is raw and filthy sounding. A suiting sound production for this kind of music. Song titles like "Service for a Vacant Coffin", "Disembowel" and "Ridden With Disease" pretty much give away the horror/gore lyrical themes of the album.

While Autopsy would further develop and refine their sound on subsequent albums, "Severed Survival" is a great album in it´s own right. Maybe a bit too one-dimensional in the end and the quality of the tracks also drop a notch toward the end of the album, but overall it´s still a great release. Personally I think this is one of the best pre-nineties old school death metal releases out there and a 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.
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