Mental Funeral
Mental Funeral shows how much threat a slowly played riff can carry. Autopsy push their death metal further towards doom, using heavy chords and passages that linger uncomfortably. The faster sections remain. They become more effective because the record also allows itself to slow down.
Twisted Mass of Burnt Decay begins fiercely and compactly while preparing the heavier movement that follows. The guitars sound low and rough. Chris Reifert's drums can strike wildly before suddenly leaving enough space for a heavy chord to do its work. These changes form an important part of the album's character.
On In the Grip of Winter, the weight comes forward without requiring a complicated construction. The riffs are clear and persistent. The muddy guitar sound on Torn from the Womb works in a similar way: it makes the atmosphere feel closed in, while solos unexpectedly add movement and melody. Those details prevent the slower passages from becoming merely static.
Robbing the Grave connects the fast and slow sides particularly well. The band change the tension as much as the tempo. Reifert's voice moves from low, hoarse sounds to higher screams. The delivery feels uncontrolled, yet those differences give the songs additional colour.
Not every transition is equally smooth. The loose, sometimes messy structures suit the atmosphere but can also stretch a song out. Hole in the Head would especially benefit from being more compact. The rough production makes the album oppressive rather than immediately easy to understand.
That unpredictability is also what keeps Mental Funeral interesting. Its heavy passages have enough character to be more than preparation for the next fast section. Autopsy give the music a pace and atmosphere of its own. The result is death metal that builds considerable tension from relatively simple elements.
