Earlier this year, Gatecreeper told us about their 10 favorite melodic death metal albums as they got ready to release their own great new album, Dark Superstition, and now Fit For An Autopsy have also made us a list of their 10 favorite melodic death metal albums as they gear up to release their new LP The Nothing That Is, which arrives this Friday (10/25) via Nuclear Blast (pre-order). Their list includes some of the same bands as Gatecreeper’s (In Flames, At The Gates, Dark Tranquillity, Edge of Sanity), along with a handful of others (The Black Dahlia Murder, Carcass, Horrendous), and even some of the overlapping bands are represented by different albums. It’s a list of great albums that FFAA had a lot of interesting things to say about, and you can read on to check it out.
FFAA just recently began a tour with Bodysnatcher, Distant, Sylosis, and Judiciary (they played NYC’s Irving Plaza this past weekend), and you can find all upcoming dates listed at the bottom of this post.
FFAA guitarist/in-house producer Will Putney is also busy this year with Better Lovers (members of Every Time I Die and The Dillinger Escape Plan), whose debut album Highly Irresponsible also comes out this Friday. They’re touring this fall too, including a show on November 17 at Warsaw in Brooklyn with Full of Hell, Spy, and Cloakroom.
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FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY’S 10 FAVORITE MELODIC DEATH METAL ALBUMS
Will Putney (guitar):
Soilwork – Steelbath Suicide
It was a tough call between this and The Chainheart Machine, but I gotta give the edge to Steelbath, if only for its pioneering effect on melodeath so early on. After Slaughter Of The Soul hit you had an endless sea of bands pulling from that style in America, but none of them quite had it dialed in like the Swedes. Soilwork had the juice, that first riff in “Sadistic Lullabye” with the extra beat into the melodic chords finally gave me the riffs and power I wanted so much more of. Listen to “Skin After Skin” or the title track and you can’t deny how immensely influential these songs were. The drumming is exceptional, and the balance between the heavy groove stuff and the shreddier melodic passages is perfect. A fantastic record that helped give a rising sub-genre even more legs.
In Flames – Colony
In Flames was probably the first melodeath band I got into, downloading mp3s on sketchy sites in the ’90s haha. I loved Subterranean, The Jester Race, and Whoreacle, but Colony was a whole new level for me. You could see the turn on this record into more accessible song structures, but all of the tricks feel really fresh. Absolutely iconic harmony riffs everywhere, and really great chorus style parts without having to rely on singing melodies. Anders sounds great on this record with the extra distortion on tracks like “Scorn,” and that breakdown was a big gap bridge from me coming from the hardcore scene into this world. The acoustic passages are great, I used to play “Pallar” all the time and would scream at my hands to play like these guys haha. The title track opening riff is one of my favorite riffs of all time. Love the clean verse usage too, you can see that influence creep into FFAA over the years. The production is massive, listening to songs like “Zombie Inc.” / “Coerced Coexistence” and they still feel super powerful compared to modern recordings. Such a peak moment creatively for these guys, and one of my favorite metal records of all time!
Pat Sheridan (guitar, backing vocals):
Carcass – Heartwork
IMO This record is the start of the melodic death metal movement. While it still falls into the grindcore and death metal categories it steps into a more melodic feel for the band. Groovier movements and lots of harmonies but still angry and aggressive. Without this record what we call melodeath wouldn’t be a thing.
At The Gates – Terminal Spirit Disease
This record is what I like to call the “growth record” for the band. It is headed straight down the line towards Slaughter but it’s still a bit remedial in song writing, which makes it feel more raw and real for me. While I love Slaughter of the Soul this record holds a special place in my top tier record category. The guitar work is pushed forward, drums are exactly where they should be and Tomas’s voice is gnarly and raw. Perfect record.
Tim Howley (guitar):
At The Gates – Slaughter of the Soul
This record paved the way for an entire genre throughout the 2000s. The raw guitar tone is still to this day regarded as one of the best metal tones of all time. The influence of this record on extreme metal is undeniable.
The Black Dahlia Murder – Nocturnal
Out of all of the 2000s American bands that meshed death metal with 3rd harmonies, The Black Dahlia Murder in my opinion did it best. Nocturnal was the perfect follow up to Miasma and cemented that band as a staple in the melodic death metal genre. I seriously doubt that half of the bands out right now in that world would be around without this contribution.
Josean Orta (drums):
Amorphis – Tales from the Thousand Lakes
Catchy melodies with growling vocals. Doomy, heavy and epic songs without losing any aggression. The songs take you for a ride. It was a great album for me while transitioning from Iron Maiden into heavier things. A good example of drums supporting the music so everyone can shine. A perfect bridge.
Dark Tranquillity – Damage Done
The perfect blend! Fast tempos, heavy guitars, blast beats, screaming, keyboards, melodies, deep grooves, what else? Definitely one of Gothenburg’s finest and a personal favorite. What I consider to be a great influence in a few North American bands for years to come. Way ahead of their time.
Blue (bass):
Edge of Sanity – Crimson
A beautifully complete tapestry of majestic peaks and valleys, masterfully woven without ever feeling bloated. No idea overstays its welcome, every movement returns exactly when it should, and you’re guaranteed to always get an ugly burst of death metal to the face to help clear the air every few minutes. A massive, shining gem in the vast catalog of Swedish legend Dan Swano.
Horrendous – Ecdysis
A modern high watermark of the genre from a band still consistently churning out top-notch releases. Methodically composed, masterful melodic prog death with an undeniably classic heavy metal swagger. The unique emotive musical power that this album evokes is a rarity in extreme metal, let alone done with such a ferocity in the same breath. An album that still demands weekly listens from me, a full decade after its release.
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Catch Fit For An Autopsy at one of these upcoming dates: