This seven track EP is Autopsy celebrating their thirtieth year as a band. Thirty gore soaked, depraved and sick as fuck years. I make no bones about it, Autopsy are one of my personal favourite bands of any metal genre and their originality and influence is difficult to overstate. Since getting back together in 2009 they have rarely missed a beat. Their quality of output has been super consistent and I’m happy to say that “Puncturing The Grotesque” doesn’t deviate from this standard one little bit.
Even without the band logo on the sleeve, one look at the frankly ‘orrible artwork of Dennis Dread (Darkthrone/Abscess) and you just know this is Autopsy. Kicking off with the creepy and atmospheric “Depths Of Dehumanisation”, a just over a minute long intro, you’re primed and ready for whatever the gore-lords are gonna fling at you and what they fling is the d-beat driven deathpunk of the title track. Reifert sounding sicker than ever and the whole band careering along at full chat. One of the things I love about Autopsy is that, when they put their pedal to the metal, they always sound like they’re a gnats cock away from losing it and turning into a right old mess. They never do though. They may be looser than hooker at Tilbury docks but they have turned it into an art form and their human effort is palpable in their always organic sound.
“The Sick Get Sicker” is up next, similar to the title track but with a vile eerie vibe and some gnarly solos from Cutler & Coralles.
Brooding doom is what’s next with the rather excellently titled “Gas-Mask Lust” (reminds me of a girl I met in Clapham once….. long story but think of the title of Autopsy’s fourth album and you’ll be on point). This is classic Autopsy, full of degenerate groove and could have come straight off “Mental Funeral”, definitely one to keep the purists / elitists / bellends happy. The visceral delights continue to flow with “Corpses At War” and “Gorecrow” before ending things with the 1m51s blast that is “Fuck You”. No, not a cover of the Subhumans (no not the UK mob but the Canadian punkers Ed) track that Overkill made famous but a re-worked version of the Bloodbath (no, not those Swedish hairies, the ancient US thrash band from the eighties you’ve never heard of) track they recetly covered on the recent split they did with er…. Bloodbath (yes, those Swedish hairies). This closes the EP in fine form and is guaranteed to put a twisted grin on your face….. which sums up this whole record.
It’s rare for an EP to be essential, they’re usually filler releases but this is Autopsy and they are fucking great. Utterly essential!!
(9/10 Mark Eve)
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