Metal Storm logo
Autopsy - Severed Survival



8.5 | 256 votes |
Release date: 24 April 1989
Style: Death metal

Owners:

301 have it
24 want it


Disc I
01. Charred Remains
02. Service For A Vacant Coffin
03. Disembowel
04. Gasping For Air
05. Ridden With Disease
06. Pagan Saviour
07. Impending Dread
08. Severed Survival
09. Critical Madness
10. Embalmed
11. Stillborn
12. Funereality [bonus]
13. Destined To Fester [bonus]
14. In The Grip Of Winter [bonus]

Disc II [20th Anniversary Edition]
01. Horrific Obsession
02. Feast Of The Graveworm
03. Mauled To Death [rehearsal 1988]
04. Human Genocide [rehearsal 1988]
05. Christ Denied [rehearsal 1988]
06. Charred Remains [rehearsal 1987]
07. Service For A Vacant Coffin [live 1990]
08. Disembowel [live 1990]
09. Gasping For Air [live 1990]
10. Ridden With Disease [rehearsal 1988]
11. Pagan Saviour [live 1990]
12. Severed Survival [live 1990]
13. Critical Madness [rehearsal 1988]
14. Embalmed [rehearsal 1987]
15. Stillborn [rehearsal 1988]

Top 20 albums of 1989: 19

Additional info
Recorded in January 1989 at Starlight Sound.
Produced by John Marshall and Autopsy.
Original cover by Kent Mathieu.
Alternate cover by Kev Walker.

Staff review by
nikarg
Rating:
10
I can assure you that every contemporary, OSDM-loving band exists with the sole purpose to release one day something as grand as Severed Survival.

Read more ››
published 29.03.2021 | Comments (8)

Found in 34 lists
Top lists



Comments

Comments: 21   Visited by: 706 users
30.01.2010 - 14:21
Rating: 8
pazuzuovbabel
Pazuzu
Masterpiece in DEATH METAL ,, can anyone name me an album where i can find THE BASS SOUNDS LIKE HERE
Loading...
23.10.2011 - 19:48
3rdWorldFuckface
Account deleted
Written by pazuzuovbabel on 30.01.2010 at 14:21

can anyone name me an album where i can find THE BASS SOUNDS LIKE HERE

Loading...
25.10.2011 - 05:40
3rdWorldFuckface
Account deleted
On par with if not better than Death's debut. The 3 bonus tracks are way too awesome and a must listen for anyone. I say even better than the original tracks.
Loading...
21.05.2012 - 18:23
Rating: 9
musicalkaratekid
Every bit as murky and malicious as its successor, 'Mental Funeral', 'Severed Survival' is one of the best ways to begin a death metal career. This contains more talent than some so-called modern death metal band generate in their whole career.
Loading...
20.06.2012 - 15:43
Rating: 9
Oaken
Hipster
Amazing stuff. Mental Funeral is just very, very slightly better. Both albums, Severed and Mental, are very catchy.
----
In that case, man is only air as well.
Loading...
31.05.2017 - 02:20
nikarg
Staff
Written by pazuzuovbabel on 30.01.2010 at 14:21

Masterpiece in DEATH METAL ,, can anyone name me an album where i can find THE BASS SOUNDS LIKE HERE

This reply is 7 years late, but if you're still wondering, any album with Steve Digiorgio will do. He is the bass player here and he is a legend. Try Human and Individual Thought Patterns by Death, Sadus albums and Testament's The Gathering and their last one.

Also this album kicks serious ass. And no review... mmmm...
Loading...
04.06.2019 - 17:47
Rating: 8
nonZero
A great (if somewhat monotonous) album, especially for so early into the Death Metal genre's inception.
----
Top 500 Albums (ordered & rated)
Top 200 Overlooked Albums (with genres)
So I Heard You Like Wintersun... (Time II find new bands)
Loading...
06.06.2019 - 10:58
gavdann
This album sounds like it's been recorded in quick sand and that's part of what makes it so great.
Loading...
27.01.2021 - 23:20
Rating: 9
Redel
Moderator
Every time I get bored by nowadays death metal -- and oh that happens too often -- I go back to something like this and have my ass kicked.
Loading...
06.10.2021 - 11:23
Rating: 9
AndyMetalFreak
A Nice Guy
Contributor
A timeless classic! Sounds alot like early Death material but in parts even better, admittedly it does get rather tedious after some time though, but it does have some of the best use of bass i've ever heard in death metal, but it's Steve Digiorgio so I wouldn't expect anything less
Loading...
18.10.2021 - 20:58
Rating: 9
F3ynman
Nocturnal Bro
Contributor
Really nice death metal here! I love the combination of fast, intense with slow, haunting riffs!
Some people say here it's monotonous, but I actually find it pretty diverse: the crazy solos on "Pagan Saviour", the doom intro on "Service for a Vacant Coffin", the consistently badass riffing on "Ridden with Disease", the foreboding intro of "Critical Madness", the reckless speed on "Charred Remains", etc.
What is a constant though on this album is the incredible bass! I'm glad they turned that all the way up in the mix - Steve DiGiorgio is a beast!
It's also impressive that the drummer (ex-Death) is the vocalist!
Overall very good album - I'll be playing this more often
Loading...
01.05.2022 - 20:01
Rating: 6
Boxcar Willy
yr a kook
Never really liked the sloppy production on this album. The plodding drums, buzzy guitar tone and clunky bass frustrate me, because I’m sure if it was recorded better it would make this album much more appealing. The vocals are great!

Now that I’ve gotten more into Death’s first few albums over the years, I’d just rather go listen to Scream Bloody Gore or Leprosy, both of which are far superior to this IMO. It sounds like how I’d expect a Death demo to sound.
----
14:22 - Marcel Hubregtse
I do your mum

DESTROY DRUM TRIGGERS
Loading...
01.05.2022 - 21:11
Rating: 10
Metal Diogenes
This album sounds like it's rotten. That's one of the best things about it.
----
You've got a lot of guts. Let's see what they look like!
Loading...
01.05.2022 - 21:45
Rating: 8
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Staff
Written by Boxcar Willy on 01.05.2022 at 20:01

Never really liked the sloppy production on this album. The plodding drums, buzzy guitar tone and clunky bass frustrate me, because I’m sure if it was recorded better it would make this album much more appealing. The vocals are great!

I can't say I agree with anything that you wrote, but I guess I can recommend you the second one, Mental Funeral. The production should be up your alley.
----
Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass

Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.

Loading...
02.05.2022 - 19:42
Rating: 9
F3ynman
Nocturnal Bro
Contributor


I honestly prefer this cover art rather than the one featured on MS. When I look at those four zombie surgeons, it gives me a similar sensation as when I look at the zombies on the cover of Scream Bloody Gore.



As scary as they may look, I have a feeling they know how to have a good time. I bet all these zombies would make excellent drinking buddies.

Ed Repka and Kev Walker did such magnificent jobs with these two album covers, perfectly creating life-like characters with personalities that you can just sense by looking at their expressions and interactions.

Maybe I have a too vivid imagination and I'm reading too much into these two images, but I can't help wishing I could meet these zombies, sit back and have a pleasant chat with them... although I'm not sure I'd survive the meeting. In which would I end up first: in a zombie ritual or an autopsy?
Loading...
03.05.2022 - 12:44
nikarg
Staff
^ This is now one of my favourite comments on MS.

Written by F3ynman on 02.05.2022 at 19:42

I'm not sure I'd survive the meeting.

You'd be severed, even if you did survive it
Loading...
03.05.2022 - 13:40
Rating: 9
F3ynman
Nocturnal Bro
Contributor
Written by nikarg on 03.05.2022 at 12:44

^ This is now one of my favourite comments on MS.

Wow what an honor

By the way, I was wondering about the origin of the blood splatters in the image above. I first assumed they're coming from the victim, but looking closer it seems to be also coming from the doctors: from the ear of the top doctor (whose skin is peeling away), from some throat tube in the left doctor, from the side of the bottom doctor's head, and the doctor on the right has blood-shot eyes. I guess it makes sense that the doctors are bleeding too, since they're half-dead zombies.

Also, all the doctors have different eye colors (light blue, dark blue, green, and red).

Man, this artwork keeps getting better and better the longer you look at it
Loading...
03.05.2022 - 14:31
nikarg
Staff
Written by F3ynman on 03.05.2022 at 13:40

Man, this artwork keeps getting better and better the longer you look at it

It does indeed. The decision to go with a POV alternate cover worked a charm. Btw, we have the other artwork featured here because it was the original one. I also prefer the second one myself though.
Loading...
03.05.2022 - 15:27
gavdann
Written by F3ynman on 03.05.2022 at 13:40

Man, this artwork keeps getting better and better the longer you look at it

It amuses me that in amongst the blood & gore, the red eyed zombie doctor appears to be holding a swab suggesting that they're actually trying to fix the patient rather than just torture us (as I'm assuming the "patient" is supposed to be the listener).
Loading...
04.05.2022 - 11:20
Cynic Metalhead
Ambrish Saxena
I get a charm in looking Cannibal Corpse's artworks. Anyone up for this commentary?!
Loading...
03.06.2024 - 06:45
Rating: 9
Yxag
I can't help myself, but I love this muddy production, especially the sound of BASS, damn this sounds so rotten and meaty. And god, this album has groovy and evil shit! But I feel that second half not as much fun as first tracks... Still a fuking classic!
Loading...

Hits total: 13885 | This month: 61