Fit For An Autopsy – The Nothing That Is (Review)

In recent years, deathcore has become a houshold name for a lot of young fans of heavy music to gnash their teeth into, even making acts like Lorna Shore achieve mainstream potential. Considering the acoustic assault the genre is known for, that is quite remarkable. However, the genre itself did not really move forward over time as a lot of bands nowadays just try emulating Lorna Shore and strife for the most insane breakdown moment that might go viral to achieve success. One band that always tackled a different angle within the genre is Fit For An Autopsy. After starting out fairly unoriginal, the band quickly understood that it takes more than just simple breakdowns and gurgle vocals to keep listeners on their seat. After vocalist Joe Badolato joined the band in 2015, their songwriting took a more serious approach, incorporating atmospheric textures and melodic hooklines into their songs. And with each subsequent release from 2015s Absolute Hope, Absolute Hell, the band fine-tuned their aesthetic, culminating in their 2019s magnum opus The Sea Of Tragic Beasts, which offered tons of atmosphere, cleverly arranged and richly textured songwriting and absolute brutality. 2022s Oh, What The Future Holds dialed back the progressive elements a little bit to emphasize the heavier side a little more but still maintained the emotional edge the band is known for. Now with their seventh record The Nothing That Is, Fit For An Autopsy return to show how deathcore should be done.

Starting with pre-released single “Hostage,” all elements that made their previous releases work are present right away. The insanely heavy stomp of the verses are perfectly transitioned into the cleanly sung groove-centered bridge before picking up the pace again with captivating leads and a melodic sung chorus before taking it back to the headbang inducing verse riff that is followed by a perfectly executed solo that prepares for the following breakdown onslaught. And that is just the the first half of the first track. You can see, there is happening a lot during the individual songs that makes it hard to let everything sink in during the first few listens. But the more time you spend with The Nothing That Is, the more you’ll realize how cleverly structured the album as a whole is. That also applies to the songs themselves. “Savior Of None – Ashes Of All” for instance, perfectly combines the best of Slaughter Of The Soul era At The Gates with L’Enfat Sauvage era Gojira in offering some hammering melodeath leads during its verses that trade off extremely well with the more melodic leanings of the songs chorus and the crushing breakdowns. Another high point of the record is its mid-section with the more atmospheric anti-genocide hymn “Red Horizon,” which features catchy leadwork and one of the gnarliest breakdowns on the record, and the melancholic title track that serves as a perfect representation of the album. Although a general increase of melodic vocals can be found througout the record, there are still the more hardcore leaning tracks such as “Weaker Wolves” and “Lower Purpose” that are destined for the pits around the world. Considering the individual performances, there should be no questions that everyone involved is at the top of their game. May it be the latin-based drumming of Josean Orta (see “Red Horizon”s chorus), who always manages to keep sneaking in unconventional rhythms alongside bassist Peter Spinazola, the triple guitar attack of Tim Howley, Patrick Sheridan and producer god Will Putney, or the vocals of frontman Joe Badolato who once again demonstrates why he is one of the best vocalists in the game. May it be gnarly gutturals, melodic and emotive cleans or commanding high or mid screams, he delivers them with such a conviction that the lyrics, which once again portray a bleak view on current social and economical issues (“Red Horizon” being the standout here), hit even harder than on past releases. But what makes Fit For An Autopsy truly stand out from most of their contemporaries is their ability to provoke and emotional response from the listener. You not only hear their music but you can literally feel the emotion behind every song. A lot of bands miss that ability and therefore just fall under the radar.

With The Nothing That Is, Fit For An Autopsy prove why they belong at the top of the deathcore genre, offering a dynamic and emotive release that cements their success and should further solidify their reputation as one of the best modern heavy bands around.