Autopsy - Acts of the Unspeakable (1992)^{Release ID: 605}

Autopsy have always had their own sound. A combination of dirty (and I mean filthy) doom riffs and aggressive death metal that will test all but the most extreme music listeners. Acts of the Unspeakable is by the above definition more of the same. The sound is similar (though not as full) with all the ugliness intact and there's no way you could be listening to anyone but Autopsy at any stage of the album. Yet there's just something missing on this album that doesn't allow it to reach the heights of its predecessors.

The first thing to notice is that there are 18 tracks instead of the normal 10 to 12. As this suggests, that means the tracks are generally a lot shorter, with quite a few coming in under a minute. There's no build up or time spent creating atmosphere. A lot of these tracks are over before they've even begun, which is a shame because there are some good sections that deserved more time. As mentioned earlier, the production is also a little bit empty when compared to an album like Mental Funeral. There was a certain claustrophobia and weight to that release which is most certainly lacking from Acts of the Unspeakable.

But all this negativity doesn't add up to a complete failure. Autopsy are always enjoyable in some primal way and I can still spin this album and find some entertainment value. It's just that there's no way that I can label this an essential death metal album, which I most certainly can for the band's first two releases. All the best tracks are the ones with longer running times such as Your Rotting Face, Pus / Rot and Funereality, with a fair few of the other tracks passing by almost unnoticed. All up, a slightly disappointing release that's still able to raise a smile or two.