 | This article needs additional citations for verification .(June 2024) |
| Severed Survival | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 24, 1989 | |||
| Recorded | January 1989 | |||
| Studio | Starlight Sound, Richmond, California, USA | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 41:38 | |||
| Label | Peaceville Records | |||
| Producer | John Marshall/Autopsy | |||
| Autopsy chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Alternate cover | ||||
 | ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   link |
Severed Survival is the debut album by American death metal band Autopsy, released by Peaceville Records in 1989.
Cutler said the album's tracks were composed by "[getting] really stoned and playing guitar." Recording for the album began after Coralles had been in the band for approximately seven days. [1]
Although Peaceville Records alloted the band a USD$5,000 budget to produce the album, they "spent half of it on weed." The remaining funds gave the band four days to complete the album, and it was finished with very few overdubs. At the time, the band did not disclose to their label that they had used their funds to buy marijuana. [2]
Although the album's bass guitar tracks were performed by Steve DiGiorgio of Sadus, Ken Sorvali is credited as having performed bass guitar on the album. According to Cutler, the band was under the impression that Sorvali would be in the band, so he was listed in the album's notes. DiGiorgio, who had already known the band, was recruited as an "emergency bass player" and quickly recorded his bass tracks on the album after only a few times practicing with the band. [3]
Rooted in Bay Area thrash metal and incorporating elements of doom metal, the sound on Severed Survival has been described as "gloomy", "gruesome," and "moody." Music journalist T. Coles delineated the album as "the soundtrack to a hack surgeon operating on you, then slowly offering the mirror so you can gaze on your new adjustments." [4] [5] The album's instrumentation draws influence from "slow stuff" like Trouble, Saint Virus, Candlemass, Witchfinder General, and Pentagram. Autopsy drummer and vocalist Chris Reifert said, "At that time there weren't many bands playing that kind of style, but we liked them all along with the fast stuff like Terrorizer, Slayer and Master. In terms of playing, we just wanted to be heavy." [6] The guitar tones of Eric Cutler and Danny Coralles have been described as "sludgey", and their riffs have been described as "razor-sharp." [7]
The album is notable for its bass sound which was mixed much higher than all the other tracks.[ citation needed ] The album's production values have been described as "rather incompetent." [8] Metal Hammer called the album "subversive, even by death metal standards" and made note of the album's "weird detours into crippling doom and some of the goofiest lyrics of all time". [9]
The guitar solos on "Gasping For Air" have been described as "surprisingly musical," and as "[constituting the album's] only remote elements of melody." Coralles said the album's guitar solos were "part well thought out compositions and part mindless drunken perverted gifts from the gods". [10] [11]
The album's lyrical themes have been called "sickening," and draw heavily on horror, death and gore concepts, continuing in the style of Reifert's former band, Death. Reifert's vocals have been noted for their "croaking delivery." [12] Although the tracks are not inspired directly by horror films, the title track is based on Stephen King's short story "Survivor Type."[ citation needed ]
Reifert claims that neither versions of the cover artwork created for the album relate to the lyrics. [13]
Various re-releases exist with different bonus tracks and bonus CDs. Furthermore, a different cover exists for this album, which depicts the point of view of the person receiving the autopsy. To coincide with the album's 20th anniversary, Peaceville Records released a special two-disc edition of Severed Survival on February 23, 2009. [14] It includes rare rehearsal and live material for a bonus disc as well as demo versions of two songs — "Mauled to Death" and "Human Genocide" — which did not make the final cut on the original album. Also featured in the package is a booklet with notes by the band themselves, detailing the history of Autopsy's early years, with rare photos and images. The reissue also includes two new Autopsy tracks that were recorded in September 2008, and are included on the reissue's second disc.[ citation needed ]
Eduardo Rivadavia of AllMusic called Severed Survival "one of the death metal genre's seminal cornerstones." He also said, "Autopsy dealt in nothing but the roughest, basest brutality, and obviously death metal fans young and old wouldn't have it any other way, which is why Severed Survival maintains its vaunted place amidst the genre's defining early statements." Metal Hammer called the album "one of the genre’s first masterworks". [15] [16] Joe DiVita of Loudwire referred to the album's alternate cover as one of the scariest heavy metal album covers of all time, saying it was "clearly better than the original". [17]
Autopsy has been said to have pioneered gore lyrics on the album.[ citation needed ] The album is highly influential in the death metal genre, going on to influence bands such as Cannibal Corpse, Entombed, and Dismember.[ citation needed ]
All songs written by Chris Reifert, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Charred Remains" | 3:40 | |
| 2. | "Service for a Vacant Coffin" | Eric Cutler, Reifert | 2:51 |
| 3. | "Disembowel" | Cutler, Reifert | 4:05 |
| 4. | "Gasping for Air" | Cutler | 3:20 |
| 5. | "Ridden with Disease" | 4:53 | |
| 6. | "Pagan Saviour" | 4:10 | |
| 7. | "Impending Dread" | Cutler, Reifert | 4:46 |
| 8. | "Severed Survival" | 3:28 | |
| 9. | "Critical Madness" | 4:32 | |
| 10. | "Embalmed" | Cutler, Reifert | 3:02 |
| 11. | "Stillborn" (Hidden Track) | 2:48 | |
| Total length: | 41:38 | ||
Autopsy is an American death metal band formed in Contra Costa County, California, in 1987 by Chris Reifert and Eric Cutler. The group disbanded in 1995 and reunited in 2009. The band's hometown is in Concord, California.
Chris Reifert is an American death metal musician and a pioneer of the death-doom fusion genre. Although his music is more death metal than doom metal, he is one of the first musicians known to have combined the two styles. He played drums on the Death debut album, Scream Bloody Gore. After parting ways with Chuck Schuldiner in 1987, Reifert elected to remain in the San Francisco Bay Area, forming Autopsy in 1987. In his own band, he played not only drums but performed the vocals as well. After several albums, Autopsy split up in 1995 and Reifert and bandmate Danny Coralles began playing in their side-project, Abscess full-time. Autopsy reformed after Abscess' dissolution in 2010.
Scream Bloody Gore is the debut studio album by American death metal band Death, released on May 25, 1987, by Combat Records. It is considered by many to be "the first true death metal record". Chuck Schuldiner, the band’s cofounder and leader, performed guitar, bass and vocals, and composed all tracks on the album.
A Blaze in the Northern Sky is the second studio album by the Norwegian black metal band Darkthrone. It was recorded at Creative Studios in August 1991 and released on 26 February 1992 by Peaceville Records. In addition to earlier rehearsal recordings made between March 1991 and the Norwegian summer holidays, the album features the band's first official black metal recordings and is regarded as a classic within the genre. It is the first album of what fans refer to as the "Unholy Trinity," with the other albums being Under a Funeral Moon and Transilvanian Hunger. This album was the last to feature bassist Dag Nilsen. In 2020, it was included in the National Library of Norway's permanent exhibition due to its significance to Norwegian culture and its role as a foundational work in Norwegian black metal.
Abscess was an American death metal band from Oakland, California. The band was formed in June 1994 by Chris Reifert and Danny Coralles, both former members of Autopsy. Abscess disbanded in 2010.
Symphonies of Sickness is the second album by British extreme metal band Carcass. It was released through Earache Records on 4 December 1989.
Eaten Back to Life is the debut studio album by American death metal band Cannibal Corpse. It was released on August 17, 1990, through Metal Blade Records.
Tomb of the Mutilated is the third studio album by American death metal band Cannibal Corpse, released on September 22, 1992, by Metal Blade Records.
The Bleeding is the fourth studio album by American death metal band Cannibal Corpse, released on April 12, 1994 through Metal Blade Records.
Dance of December Souls is the debut studio album by Swedish heavy metal band Katatonia. It was released on CD in 1993 by No Fashion Records and LP by Helion Records, released in the US in 1999 by Century Black. In 2004, record label Black Lodge reissued the album with all new artwork, but the band has stated on its website that it does not support this release for personal reasons. In 2007, the album was reissued, this time under Peaceville UK with a blue version of the original cover and all five songs from the Jhva Elohim Meth... The Revival EP appended as bonus tracks. In 2010, Svart Records released a double vinyl version, which also included all songs from the EP.
Mental Funeral is the second album by American death metal band Autopsy, released on April 22, 1991 by Peaceville Records.
Acts of the Unspeakable is the third album by the American death metal band Autopsy. The album was self-produced by the band, was the only album to feature Josh Barohn on bass.
Fiend for Blood is an EP by Autopsy released in 1991 on Peaceville Records. The whole of this release is available as bonus tracks on the 2003 version of Acts of the Unspeakable. It is also included on the 2012 compilation album All Tomorrow's Funerals.
Daniel Coralles is one of the current guitarists in the band Autopsy and was co-founder with drummer Chris Reifert of Abscess. Autopsy is back again and have been so since 2009 which is currently producing new material and is actively playing selected venues throughout the world. Danny, prior to forming Abscess along with Reifert have been continuous bandmates then and now in Autopsy as well as collaborations with Frank "Killjoy" Pucci in the now defunct supergroup The Ravenous, and separate side projects, Eat My Fuk and Doomed.
The Tomb Within is an EP by the American death metal band Autopsy, released September 13, 2010, through Peaceville Records on CD and 12" vinyl. The 12" vinyl edition of The Tomb Within, limited to 1000 numbered copies, came with a free poster of cover artwork.
Macabre Eternal is the fifth album by the American death metal band Autopsy, released on May 16, 2011, on the label Peaceville Records. It is the first studio album Autopsy have released after their 1995 disbandment and 2009 reunion. The first album to feature bassist Joe Trevisano. It is also the first album since 1989's Severed Survival not to feature any short tracks.
Grand Morbid Funeral is the fourth studio album by Swedish death metal band Bloodbath. It was released by Peaceville Records on 17 November 2014.
Paul Halmshaw also known as "Hammy" is a British musician who founded Peaceville Records, which signed some of the most infamous death, black, and doom metal and crust punk bands worldwide in the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s.
The Headless Ritual is the sixth studio album by Autopsy, released in 2013 through Peaceville Records. It is the second album since the band's 2009 reunion.
Tourniquets, Hacksaws and Graves is the seventh studio album by American death metal band Autopsy. It was released in April 2014. As with all Autopsy albums, it was released through Peaceville Records, and as with all albums since the band's 2009 reunion, it is produced by Adam Munoz alongside the band. It is the last album to feature bassist Joe Trevisano.
