AUTOPSY

Peaceville does AUTOPSY right once again with "All Tomorrow's Funerals", 73 minutes of the influential band's doomed up, mud 'n guts death metal, most of which compiles previously released, out of print EP material, remastered and repackaged in a terrific hardcover booklet with righteously reeking artwork from Matt Cavotta. And we already know that AUTOPSY has been doing everything way beyond right since the release of sold-out comeback EP "The Tomb Within". Add four new tracks and justice done to a re-recording of the fantastic "Mauled to Death" and you've got yourself another monumental AUTOPSY release.

Oh, I suppose if you already own most of the previously released material, you could make the argument that "All Tomorrow's Funerals" is for that reason alone not all that essential. But you'd be totally dismissing the impact of the remastering, the first-rate packaging, and the new songs. Besides, the original recordings offered much in the way of compositional value to begin with. None of it comes close to unacceptable. This is one case where remastering adds immense value to the oldest recordings; much like the production on "Macabre Eternal" was of a high, modern standard that didn't sap the filthy essence of AUTOPSY.

In any case, "All Tomorrow's Funerals" includes the remastered versions of songs from early '90s EPs "Retribution for the Dead" and "Fiend for Blood; "Horrific Obsession" and "Feast of the Graveworm" from the "Horrific Obsession" single; "Funereality" from the "Peaceville Vol. 4" compilation; the five cuts that first appeared on "The Tomb Within" EP, which includes one of the most nefarious doom licks AUTOPSY has ever recorded on "My Corpse Shall Rise"; four new cuts, including a title track, "Broken People", "Maggot Holes" that pick up right where the phenomenal "Macabre Eternal" left off, and an appropriately creepy/bizarre close to the proceedings called "Sign of the Corpse"; and he aforementioned "Mauled to Death", which is a 1987 demo track resurrected for this release.

The commentary contributed to the booklet by guys like Bob Bagchus (ASPHYX),Ted Skjellum (DARKTHRONE),and Dopi (MACHETAZO) is well worth the read. All are long-time fans that are intimately familiar with the AUTOPSY material and offer insight into the band's influence and impact on the genre of death metal. Collectively written comments from AUTOPSY are also included, the most pertinent two lines being "We had a blast belting out the new songs and giving the old (and not so old) songs the brutal treatment they sorely needed" and "We still stand 100% behind all of this material".

The real story told through all that blood-gargling and sewage riffing is how AUTOPSY managed to get better as players and songwriters with the new material (as already proven by "The Tomb Within" and "Macabre Eternal"),while staying true to the form perfected by the band all those years ago. It is impressive how cohesive "All Tomorrow's Funerals" sounds during front-to-back-listens. The reanimated and the newly formed fit together snugly, the result a compilation that flows damn near as well as a proper studio release. That not every track is quintessential is of secondary importance since the only relevant question is not one pertaining to good or bad; only "how good?" In simple terms, "All Tomorrow's Funerals" is 73 representatively morbid minutes of music from one of the greatest death metal bands of all time.