[colored_box color=”grey”]Rating: 8
Label: Peaceville Records
Website: Link
Author: Kostas “Krotidas” Triantafyllidis[/colored_box]
The pioneers of classic death metal are here to stay. Mr. Reifeirt and his companions made another brutal album to continue their legacy of gore. The brutality is of course evident by just looking at the cover. Another gory masterpiece that gives you a clue of what your ears are about to witness.
The speed of the album is shifted up a level comparing it with the previous one. There is an almost punkish speed to the songs, although you can find a lot of the classic slow doom spots where the music is torturing your soul. You may misunderstand the term punkish, but with the gory distorted sound the guitars are producing it fits exactly. Just listen to the excellent “Teeth Of The Shadow Horde” or the Autopsy titled last track; there you can listen to the transition from fast-punkish to slow tempos. The opening track “Savagery” and “After The Cutting” are the best examples of the fast songs.
The whole production is so beautifully dirty and repulsive. And this is not a handicap when it comes to Autopsy; on the contrary it is enhancing the horror b-movie atmosphere of the CD. The song structures are brilliant. The guitar riffs are so powerful and the leads are exactly where they should be. The bass of Joe Allen is listenable; not too much in the front and not too much buried in background. And overall the drumming of Chris Reifert is binding all the instruments together as he only knows how to do it. From the doomy parts to the fast death metal speeds and from the start till the finish of the album, this is a joyride. The haunting track called “Deep Crimson Dreaming” is enough for evidence. The screaming at the end of the song is simply genius.
I think that I must make myself clear that “Tourniquets, Hacksaws And Graves” is for all of you out there that enjoy old school horror death metal music. If you are searching for clean production and hyper technical music please stay away. This CD is reeking of old school at its best though we are in the mid of 2014.
| Track List | Line Up | 01. Savagery 02. King Of Flesh Ripped 03. Tourniquets, Hacksaws And Graves 04. The Howling Dead 05. After the Cutting 06. Forever Hungry 07. Teeth Of The Shadow Horde 08. All Shall Bleed 09. Deep Crimson Dreaming 10. Parasitic Eye 11. Burial 12. Autopsy |
Chris Reifert – Vocals, Drums Eric Cutler – Guitars, Vocals Danny Coralles – Guitars Joe Allen – Bass |