The last two years have had a slew of reunions and band reformations (SKINLESS, CARCASS, MASSACRE, BRUTALITY, AT THE GATES) including legendary death metal band AUTOPSY, whom were one of the first to reunite in 2011 with Macabre Eternal, then follow up with 2013’s Headless Ritual, the latter of which left people underwhelmed. Well the new album Tourniquets, Hacksaws, and Graves is far from underwhelming. It’s an intense and disgustingly heavy smorgasbord of old school death metal flavor, so needed in today’s chug-chug world. It seems AUTOPSY has gotten their legs back (or had them surgically reattached with rusty sewing needles).
The California quartet of slaughter opens with a kickass opener called “Savagery” which will get any mosh pit going, it’s a thrash infused death rattle that will explode your head from banging so hard. It’s reminiscent of rather new band VAMPIRE’S “At Midnight I’ll Possess Your Corpse” in the main riff, almost exactly, but it kicks so much ass it doesn’t matter.
Things slow down for the next few songs though, after such a powerful opener. The next few tracks “King of Flesh Ripped” and “Tourniquets, Hacksaws, and Graves” are slower more vocal-relying songs. The main new single “The Howling dead” at first listen sounds more like a black metal song, with vocalist Chris Reifert (who was the drummer for DEATH) doing a satanic intro then trying his best MAYHEM impression. The song is crazy heavy though, but would be better if done by a black metal band. AUTOPSY is back so pick up your shovel and dig up their new album from your local graveyard.
Prepare yourself for bowel clenching heaviness and gut busting riffs that the metal scene of today SHOULD be listening too. All the Emmures (I’m not bolding them, because they’re not a band) of the world need to fall off a cliff, hit their head, and realize that this is true death metal, not tuning your guitar as low as possible and playing open notes. All real death metal fans check out this album right now!! Tourniquets, Hacksaws, and Graves is out via Peaceville Records so get yours today!
For fans of: EXHUMED, VAMPIRE, MAYHEM, CANNIBAL CORPSE, SUFFOCATION, CARCASS, DEATH
STANDOUT TRACKS: “Savagery”, “The Howling Dead”
RATING: 7/10
WRITTEN BY SAUCY JACK
