Review AUTOPSY ‘Morbidity Thriumphant’

Autopsy is one of the pioneers of death metal. The Oakland, California based quartet premiered in 1989 with ‘Severe Survival’ and set a milestone in the development of death metal with their sound. However, after the release of ‘Shitfun’, the band called it a day and the members went their separate ways.

In the 2000s, however, life slowly came back to Autopsy and with ‘Macabre Eternal’ a new studio album was released in 2011. This was the start of a new era of Autopsy which continues these days with the release of ‘Morbidity Triumphant’.

Seven years after ‘Skull Ginder’ Autopsy hit the studio again to record eleven new extreme metal anthems. According to Chris Reifert, the time had come to delight the world with a new album and it is a powerful and raw monolith that reaches us from the American west coast.

‘Morbidity Triumphant’ is a vicious and fascinating work of art that impresses with its oppressive mood. In addition to the brutality with which the guys go to work in ‘Stab the Brain’, it is also the filigree moments in songs like ‘The Voracious One’, which give the record a well-made versatility. And not only that. It’s also the grooving elements, like in ‘The Voracious One’, which immediately catch the ear.

Autopsy can also take their foot off the gas pedal and show that they can generate a lot of power with slow riffs. Well, ‘Born in Blood’ is a furious number, however, at the beginning of the song the band shows that they can also fit doom-laden elements well into the overall picture.

‘Tapestry of Scars’ in parts follows the same basic pattern. Again, Autopsy skillfully varies with the tempo, making the track one of the most multi-layered ones on the record. The quartet also demonstrates in other ways that they belong to the masters of the genre. A stirring bass kicks off ‘Skin By Skin’, one of the most morbid songs on the album. While the first half of the track slowly and steadily rolls into the ears of the listeners, it is the second half that thrills with tempo breaks. However, the quartet remains true to the basic principle of the song. In contrast, there are tracks like ‘Maggots in the Mirror’, which relies 100% on speed and acts like a nearly two-minute tornado. There is no compromise here.

With ‘Morbidity Triumphant ‘ Autopsy live up to all expectations. This album shows why the band belongs to the greats of the genre. The band has lost none of its power and perhaps it is the seven-year album break that has brought Autopsy to new heights. Thumbs up.