Album Review: Autopsy - Skull Grinder
By Jonathan Fuchs, Copy Editor
[Peaceville; 2015]
Rating: 2.5/5
Key Tracks: “Children of the Filth,” “The Withering Death”
Autopsy is a band infamous for bringing the style of “gore metal” to the masses. Since 1987, the group has gone through several lineup changes and released albums filled with violently exaggerated lyrics and heavy distortion. Records like Severed Survival and Mental Funeral have proven to be some of the harshest and nastiest metal albums of the past few decades.
However, Autopsy is one of countless acts that seems to release more and more generic and unnecessary material as they age. Skull Grinder, the band’s newest EP, is a good example of this; it takes few risks with its sound and sticks with the same small range of content the band has been releasing for over 20 years.
The more refreshing aspects of the EP present themselves in the form of founding member Chris Reifert--his vocals are excellent, his drumming is airtight, and his vocals-drums combination is very original. The production of the EP is also very good, especially on tracks like “Strung Up and Gutted” and “Children of the Filth.”
While sound and the production of this EP are both great, the style of it seems way too similar to Autopsy’s past releases. Skull Grinder tries nothing new and plays it safe with chords and lyrics that all sound the same. When the band actually does try new ideas, the result is the final track “Return to Dead,” which is easily the worst track on the album and depends on terrible guitar effects to keep the song moving.
Skull Grinder is not necessarily a bad EP, but it doesn’t really seem to be a purposeful one either. If anything, it should just inspire the listener to go back and listen to Autopsy’s earlier material, which seems to be more original and creative with its lyrics and instrumentation.
