Originally published in ‘zine issue #7, 1993
Autopsy is one of my favorite bands, and I’ve been into its music ever since the Critical Madness demo came out, with which I discovered the band. Autopsy is finally on the road in May with Vital Remains and Incantation in the States for its new album, Acts of the Unspeakable on Peaceville Records. Autopsy is on Mechanic Records in the States, and the first thing it’ll do is re-release Severed Survival with the Retribution for the Dead EP as a bonus. Here Chris Reefer talks about his fuckin’ sick band. We started with former bassist Josh Barohn, recently ousted.
D.U.: What happened with Josh?
Chris: Josh? Well, um [pause] he fucked up, I’ll put it that way. I don’t wanna, like, give details, whatever, say bad things about him. He just fucked up, and it cost him his position in the band, so oh well.
How come every single time you guys had a bassist, he lasted about one album and then he’s out?
‘Cause, we just have a silly requirement that all bassists should be able to juggle two bowling balls and a chainsaw at the same time, and he just couldn’t keep it up, y’know? So we had to say, “Well, dude, you’re just not cuttin’ it.” It’s happened many times. But, no, it just depends on, y’know, whatever. Like the person, either sometimes they won’t be able to cut it musically, and other times they’ll be a dork. [laughs] So I dunno. It just depends. Although it may seem like it, it’s not like a yearly ritual, we ditch a bass player. Bad luck, so it’s the way it is.
“It’s gonna be one of those interviews, I’m afraid. There’s no way around it.”
You have some new songs written. What do they sound like?
Oh, they sound kinda like “dun dun dun dun dun dun! Brrrrooaahk-k-k-k!” No, just kinda along the same lines. Y’know, the same kinda stuff, only with a few funk parts thrown in and some samples and a couple opera singers. Other than that, it’s kinda like the same shit.
Oh yeah, sure.
[laughs] You know us. Working on our first three MTV videos to be shot on location in fuckin’ [pause] the 7-Eleven down the street from my house, so it’ll be pretty rockin’, lemme tell ya. Watch out, Morbid Angel, man, we’re fuckin’ taking over and shit. We’re gonna rock the death metal world. [laughs]
I was hoping it wouldn’t be one of those interviews, but it’s not happening that way.
No, it’s gonna be one of those interviews, I’m afraid. There’s no way around it. Especially with what’s going on over here. We’re sitting on whoopie cushions and shit. I’ve got all my sound effects stuff. I’ve got [and he “demoed” each in turn] the slide whistle, the fart whistle, the kazoo, and plus the little mini organ. Okay, anyway, I’m wasting your time with that shit, so go ahead and you may move on.
Okay, speaking of new stuff, when you were writing the songs for the last album, what was going through your head?
Horrible, sickening, awful things that children should never hear about. Uh, I dunno. That’s just the kind of stuff I came up with. I have no explanation for it whatsoever. It’s just what happened to spew out of my brain at the time. Who knows what it’ll be next time, although we got a few ideas, some good stuff about, like, eating shit, the typical kinda cool stuff.
How many times have you toured Europe and with whom?
We’ve been there twice. The first time we toured, it was I guess a co-headline thing with Pestilence. And the first half of the tour, Bolt Thrower opened up, and the second half it was Morgoth. Actually, we all kinda rotated headlinings. I can’t even say who headlined. It was cool, and then the second time, we went with Paradise Lost and a bunch of other different bands opened up. That was only a short tour, a little quick deal.
What do you have to say to all those who have written to the P.O. Box?
It’s kinda rough between practice and work, and I don’t really get a whole lotta time. I wrote out a new form letter that I’m gonna try and get out before we tour. So, just tell people to be patient, basically.
I know I’m asking for it, but do you have a last comment to throw in?
Um, let me think. I gotta think of a good one, but since I can’t think of anything really clever and funny to say, I guess I really don’t have a last comment. Just thanks, and tell everyone sorry if I haven’t wrote back to them, and hope they understand, and I’m not just being a rock star weenie or nothing, even though we are like the rock gods that we are and everything. ■
Artwork: Autopsy (courtesy Chris Reifert)
