In honour of this album's 30th birthday, let's appreciate its genius...I flip back and forth between this and Severed Survival for my favourite Autopsy album constantly.
I feel like Mental Funeral is probably more representative of the 'Autopsy sound' and I hear its influence a lot more with modern DM bands than other Autopsy albums . The weird atonal riffs, slow doom sections, and the dry production. Reifert's vocals are more depraved then ever too. An absolute classic.
The album which epitomises the fact that old school death metal was never meant to be pretty. Bought it on cassette in Waterford for £7 on the strength of the lyrics and the cover alone. Always thought Severed Survival was unrivalled in the Autopsy discography but the sheer visual and aural ugliness of Mental Funeral also merits mention. It doesn't get any less subtle than Robbing the Grave.
Was just listening to this a day ago and had no idea it was the anniversary. Savage album with no frills.
Death metal perfection. Utterly disgusting in every way. I would certainly take it over SS just for knowing first but that is also a classic.
Great album. Remember buying it on tape.
This thread should be on the Main forum, no?
Pre-split Autopsy never did anything for me, but the cover's one of the best in the genre. I didn't know until recently that it was by Kev Walker.
Quote from: Kurt Cocaine on April 23, 2021, 12:49:08 PM
Great album. Remember buying it on tape.
This thread should be on the Main forum, no?
Probably more chance of replies here unfortunately.
Shite, can someone move to main forum please...cheers.
Definitely agree re the cover. Before I was into DM I remember picking it from the shelf in HMV and trying to decipher what the fuck the creature on the cover was. Suits the music perfectly
Autopsy have dipped a lot in recent years in terms of quality, but I can't fault the spirit and adherence to the death metal sound.
Unbelievable how many top notch death metal releases saw the light of day in 1991. Plenty of 30th anniversaries coming up over the next eight months. Continuing with Bolt Thrower's War Master which is one day younger than Mental Funeral.
War Master came out in February '91.
Not saying this link is gospel but this is where I got the information from. The fact they were bang on the money with Autopsy meant I assumed Bolt Thrower was also correct.
https://www.albumoftheyear.org/1991/releases/?genre=89&s=release
Ah right, I got it from Wiki and Metal Archives, neither a font of accuracy. Different UK/US release dates, maybe?
Quote from: Carnage on April 23, 2021, 10:32:19 PM
Ah right, I got it from Wiki and Metal Archives, neither a font of accuracy. Different UK/US release dates, maybe?
Could well have been released stateside at a later date. With Earache being UK based I imagine the locals would've had first dibs for the day and age that was in it.
Probably. Either way, a favourite of mine, the album that got me into them.
I'll tell you one that is 30 years old tomorrow: Cursed by Morgoth. One that slipped under the radar for a lot of people but a firm favourite of mine from day one.
There could easily be a dedicated thread for 30 year old DM classics, fuckloads are turning 30 this year. Blessed Are The Sick in May, for instance.
Excellent album. I always thought that 'Acts of the Unspeakable' was great too, quite overlooked, a lot darker and doomier than MF was. I also enjoyed that last one they released , 'Puncturing the Grotesque', though it seems that no-one else did.
Quote from: Carnage on April 23, 2021, 11:18:04 PM
Probably. Either way, a favourite of mine, the album that got me into them.
I'll tell you one that is 30 years old tomorrow: Cursed by Morgoth. One that slipped under the radar for a lot of people but a firm favourite of mine from day one.
There could easily be a dedicated thread for 30 year old DM classics, fuckloads are turning 30 this year. Blessed Are The Sick in May, for instance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IO7qJuiSzCE
Quote from: leatherface on April 23, 2021, 11:28:19 PM
Excellent album. I always thought that 'Acts of the Unspeakable' was great too, quite overlooked, a lot darker and doomier than MF was. I also enjoyed that last one they released , 'Puncturing the Grotesque', though it seems that no-one else did.
I'm a fan of Puncturing The Grotesque. I only picked up a physical copy of it recently there. As for Mental Funeral, it is one of my favourite DM albums. Absolutely gutted I didn't get to see them play UK Deathfest last year due to the pandemic. Here's hoping next year 🤞
Severed Survival is 32 today, apparently.
Quote from: vinterland on April 24, 2021, 11:14:51 AMhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IO7qJuiSzCE
So many great albums there, it'll be a good year for DM nostalgia.
Macabre Eternal is a decade old in a few weeks, thought that was mostly a banger. The first two are absolutely two of the best death metal albums ever.
Another album that just turned thirty yesterday is none other than Malevolent Creation's debut. Waited for an eternity to get it on CD due to Roadrunner refusing to reissue. Eventually picked it up second hand in Scranton PA. Their best album by quite some distance with every track an absolute belter. The late Brett Hoffmann's finest hour too.
I'd take Retribution over it any day, but it's a belter alright. It was reissued by Hammerheart recently.
Ten Commandments is a stone cold DM classic!.
As for Mental Funeral,one of my earliest DM memories is getting this on cassett off a lad in school,i just couldn't get my head around it.Took me years to fully appreciate it!
91 seems to be the pinnacle for DM for sure,.
Mental Funeral's cover was outstanding as well. Bought this on tape from Comet Records in Cork, maybe when it came out. So long ago can hardly remember now.
A great album, I how low and depraved their sound is. Acts Of The Unspeakable was the first one of theirs I got and then more treats in store finding out about their other releases. Great artwork for this album too. It depicts the title well.