The opening riff is ominous. A dark force which slowly increases in gargantuan might with each down stroke. A monster climbing out of the shadows. A mass that engulfs each inch of your speakers and pours out into your room, drowning you beat by beat. Fit For An Autopsy are back.
The seventh album, The Nothing That Is, from the New Jersey natives deals with ‘horrors that the human race has unnecessarily inflicted upon the world’ and runs that concept from track one, the monstrous Hostage through to the uncertain future of final track The Silver Sun.
In between, the album is like the impending Orc army in Lord Of The Rings, tearing through everything directly to get to you. It’s confronting, snarly and to be frank, pretty fucking cool.
The meaty riffs continue through into Spoils Of The Horde, an apocalyptic wasteland of a track with Joe Badolato vocals demonic.
I could say Savior Of None Ashes Of All is heavy but every track is the heaviest thing you’ve heard all year, so let’s focus on the switch of the chorus which bursts out of the flame scorched ground soaring to the sky, the solo zipping through the air before the monster drags you back and stomps you into the ground.
Each song can be played on its own – loud of course – or as a run though of the album and story. You want a heavy breakdown, Weaker Wolves is perfect. You want a quieter moment, Red Horizon and Lurch, however they are only temporary as the barrage from the monster comes back.
It seems Will Putney is involved in most music that is heavy, grooves and grabs you by the balls these days, so its no wonder this album sounds so rich. Every inch of space is filled by an ingredient that makes the album such delicious sounding.
It’s the switches in songs, such as the line that screams ‘this is evolution crashing down’ or ‘chaos begins’ in the title track which kick starts the pace changes, the harmonic vocals, the breakdowns and solos with lines you can chant in a crowd. This manic craft work permeates the whole album making each track compulsive listening.
If you are looking for catchy hooks, radio friendly songs then the final few tracks of the album are for you. Lower Purpose and Lust For The Severed Head tick all those boxes for a children’s party. No, I’m joking, they are humongous anthemic concrete smashing sonic blasts of fury. The latter warrants being used for the soundtrack of a revolution.
The Nothing That Is is more than nothing. It’s everything. Every sinew tested, every brain cell rattled, every heartbeat pumped. It’s breathless, imperious, and essential. Others talk heavy, Fit For An Autopsy are heavy.
Album Review By Iain McCallum
