In the mid-nineties, when death metal was as popular as Cradle Of Filth is now, I discovered an album. Not just any album, but a second-hand copy of Autopsy’s ‘Mental Funeral’. On my descent into the obscure world of death metal, this commandment would go on to serve as a benchmark by which other bands and other albums in the genre would be measured – especially in terms of conceptual grimness and musical insanity. Hundreds of albums later and few have lived up to the standards set by it.
Fast forward to today and the email I receive from our editor asking if I am interested in interviewing Autopsy. ‘Does the Pope shit in the woods???’ I almost replied… Couldn’t believe it. The last thing I expected on this dull June morning (or indeed ever, really) was that I would get the chance to fire questions at Chris Reifert. Just goes to show that gore really does work in mysterious ways…
Hi Chris. I would like to start by thanking you for the excellent new record!
CR: And I would like to thank you for thanking me. Glad you dig it. You do know that stuff’s bad for you, right?
AN: ‘The Headless Ritual’ is a massive Autopsy album. Was there a purposeful effort from the band to make it a much thicker, darker and concise experience than ‘Macabre Eternal’? How do the two albums compare for you?
CR: It all sounds like filthy noise to these rotten earholes, so what do I know? Heh heh! We did want it to be big and ugly, just like us though. The goal was to make it sound like it’s ripping into your skull with a rusty chainsaw for a quick and easy round of home-style brain surgery.
AN: ‘She Is a Funeral’ is among the most elaborate Autopsy tracks I can think of. Are epics like this one, as well as the interlude ‘Thorns and Ashes’, a sign of things to come? And where did the inspiration for such nuanced tones come from?
CR: It’s more metal for the pile, ya know? We’re always trying to keep ourselves and hopefully others entertained with our sickness. The inspiration comes from the dark and weird lands that lie in the back of our brains.
AN: Whoever said the devil has the best tunes, would doubtless agree that Autopsy has the best song titles. ‘Slaughter at Beast House’, ‘Mangled Far Below’, ‘When Hammer Meets Bone’… How do you continue to come up with such out-there titles and lyrics, and what serves as inspiration for them?
CR: Well, thanks! I don’t know where that stuff comes from, really. Something must be terribly wrong ’cause that sort of stuff pops into my head all the time. Plus I try to avoid the typical stuff whenever possible. Gotta keep things fresh as a newly opened wound.
AN: On the subject of inspiration, I was wondering: what have the core musical influences been for Autopsy since day one? Are there any particular doom bands, for instance, who have had a bearing on the slow, crushing aspects of the band’s sound?
CR: In the early days we listened to lots of Black Sabbath, Trouble, Witchfinder General, Candlemass, Pentagram, St. Vitus and all that good stuff. We still love all those bands but I’d say we just try to sound like ourselves and don’t really get direct influence from anything.
AN: What inspired the cover art for ‘The Headless Ritual’, and how much input did you have in the end result?
CR: I just passed a few song titles over to Joe Petagno and he was off. It’s his concept and we are so fucking happy with the results. The man’s a legend and a master of his craft. Fuck yeah!
AN: Without wishing to come across as pretentious, I’ve always thought that there is a tangible artistic energy behind Autopsy: from the untouchable musical barbarism, twisted cover art and lyrics. Would you agree with this assessment, and if so, do you consider this as being fundamental in what has maintained fans’ faith in the band?
CR: Hell, we’re just doing what we do best. We pretty much suck at everything else, so I’m glad we can do something right. If that something is playing disgusting death metal, then so be it. Beyond that, I don’t try to overthink anything.
AN: Between Autopsy’s disbandment after ‘Shitfun’ and its resurrection in 2009, a couple of compilations and live albums appeared. Did you have much say in these releases, and did they help keep the name of the band alive?
CR: Yeah, we always have full say on anything released that’s not a bootleg. And yep, those things definitely helped keep the foul name alive even though the beast itself was in a state of death. Turned out it was just in a deep coma and was able to be revived. Comps and reissues can be really cool, especially for anyone who’s new to the band and is looking for a place to start. As long as we feel our music is worthy of being heard, we’re all for that kinda thing.
AN: What are your reflections on projects like The Ravenous and your other full-time band, Abscess? Is there any likelihood of more music from these entities or is Autopsy 100% the priority from now on?
CR: Right now it’s just Autopsy all the way. If I ever take a minute to look back, which can happen on occasion for a moment or two, I’m always pleased as hell about everything I’ve ever done musically. I’d never put something out there that I didn’t believe in 100%, so there’s nothing that makes me think “aw fuck, shouldn’t have let that one slip out there.” Haha!
AN: In the Abscess days, you did splits with great bands including Machetazo and Deranged. What was your general take on the death metal scene after Autopsy’s demise, and were there any acts who particularly caught your attention as ‘carrying the torch’? How about now?
CR: There’s consistently been good bands in the death metal universe since it first became an official form of expression. Some years you have to look harder to find the juicy stuff than others, but there’s pretty much always something cool kicking around.
AN: Obviously Autopsy’s reunion hinged on Eric Cutler – the man you formed the band with in 1987 – being involved. How does it feel playing with him again, and what has the musical/creative dynamic been like over the last four years with Joe Trevisano also in the band?
CR: It’s been great playing music with Eric again. Getting Autopsy back on its rotten feet again was something we all had to agree on. It could never have happened if any one of us wasn’t totally into it. That’s why we said ‘no’ to that sort of thing for 15 years or so…..it just wouldn’t have been right or convincing. We knew the mission was clear this time and we all picked up our stringed and skinned weaponry to inflict maximum audio damage. Joe has been a fixture since ’98 with Abscess, so he was a perfect fit. We just had to let him and Eric get to know each other but that didn’t take long at all, and here we are, still truckin’ four years later.
AN: What are the plus points of being a member of Autopsy in 2013 vs 1995?
CR: People actually show up at the gigs nowadays. That’s a perk. Haha! Beyond that, we’ve learned quite a bit over the years so we’re smarter about a lot of things. Or at least trying to be….Hah!
AN: You have obviously played some massive shows since coming back – Maryland Deathfest, Party.San, Hole In The Sky, to name a few. (I was particularly gutted not to be able to afford the flight to London for Boltfest…) Can you envisage doing more extensive touring in the future or will Autopsy shows continue to be select affairs?
CR: It’s gotta be select appearances as we can’t do any sort of proper touring. Too much going on at home, you know……plus it makes it much more exciting when we do actually get out there and show up someplace. It seems more like a special event rather than a routine.
AN: I am sure there must have been record labels falling over themselves to sign Autopsy on its reemergence, so could you explain why you chose to stick with longtime collaborator Peaceville? How is it working out?
CR: We never even thought about going elsewhere to be honest. Peaceville was excited to do some new Autopsy stuff, and it made sense to stay at home base. They’ve been really cool with us over the years, so here we are still. Hard to believe we’ve been with them for 25 years now!
AN: For a couple of the last questions, I would like to go way back in time if that’s okay. So first, is it really true that a large chunk of the recording budget for ‘Mental Funeral’ was blown *ahem* on certain herbs? If so, was this an inadvertent contributing factor to the album’s crazy atmosphere?
CR: Ok, let the time travelling commence….whooaaaaaaa!!! Ah, here we are…January of 1989. And for the record, it was Severed Survival where we blew exactly half the recording budget on weed. Didn’t want to go without, you know? Haha! I have no valid excuse for that decision so I won’t even try. It seemed like a good idea at the time. So anyways, we cranked the album out in four days amidst a serious cloud of green smoke and some cold beers. Right to the point! For Mental Funeral we actually used all of the budget for recording, but there was the usual smoking going on and I do remember the alcohol intake increasing significantly. Crazy atmosphere is a fair assessment. We had a bunch of friends running around and Hammy from Peaceville was there and it seemed like a big party to us. Probably not the best environment to make a record, but again….it seemed like a good idea at the time. Looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing on either of those albums or any other of our albums for that matter. They all have their own vibe and story to them.
AN: Secondly, I was just hoping to get your thoughts on the work you did with Death, and also to ask for your insight into the Chuck Schuldiner of those days? Did you guys stay in touch after going your separate ways?
CR: What can I say? I was a fan of the band, then I got to join the band! That was quite an amazing experience to say the least. As far as Chuck goes, we had nothing but fun together. You have to remember we were both teenagers at that time and the stress of the business aspect and all that hadn’t really entered the picture much. It was all just beginning as far as being signed and making an album. It was sort of an innocent time, really. We did stay in touch after I left the band, yes. I stayed at Chuck’s house in Florida for a visit and we saw each other at a couple of other gigs as well and it was always friendly. I did talk to him on the phone one last time shortly before he died. It was sad because I could tell he felt terrible, but he still had his sense of humor and I’m glad we got to touch base before he was gone.
AN: Finally, which album best encapsulates Autopsy for you, and why?
CR: The Headless Ritual of course!
AN: Cheers for taking the time to do this interview, Chris! And please feel free to leave any final words for the readers out there…
CR: Just thanks, cheers, chunks, metal and insanity. You know…the usual. Take it sleazy!
Interview by Jamie Wilson
20/09/2013 at 7:21 am
Fantastic interview – Autopsy ARE death metal!