AUTOPSY
Interview With Chris Reifert (Vocals, Drums) and Danny Coralles (Guitar)
By Kimberly Brown
AUTOPSY can’t seem to shed the metal. After a much-mourned break up, followed by statements that the hiatus isn’t temporary, AUTOPSY has finally come to their senses. It’s about time too since the metal industry is finally recognizing the extreme metal they play. Poking fun at themselves and keeping their sense of humor in check has helped AUTOPSY, after all these years, show us that the music is always more important than the image.
How do you feel to be pioneers in the metal scene and have so many musicians look up to you?
Chris: Well, thank you kindly for the very nice words. Flattery will get you everywhere with this lot! Can I wash your windows? Wind your watch? Get you a drink? Could be an empty glass by the time it gets to you, but I’ll gladly bring you a nice frosty glass formerly filled with some sort of libation. Enjoy!
Danny: Pioneers huh, makes one feel kinda old. I thought Paul Bunyan or Davy Crocket were pioneers. I prefer to think of us as fresh and fermenting! But that’s awesome! We were just misfit twisted kids trying to make a difference, yeah right! Anyway, we were! We are! And for now we will continue to bring you the metal macabre that is AUTOPSY.
What has AUTOPSY been doing on their time off?
Chris: Haven’t had any time off since we got back together! Bloody hell, I feel like a rooster with its cock cut off. Now there’s a paradox for you! If you’re referring to the long break up however, several of us were busy spreading filth and distortion as ABSCESS, a charming little combo from Oakland, California.
Danny: AUTOPSY was rotting in peace! There was no intention of ever digging up its corpse, but like any good zombie, without invitations were back for fresh meat!
Your contribution to The Heavy Metal Cookbook, Mummified Jalapeno Bacon Bombs, were these an original creation? Any other awesome recipes you’d like to share?
Chris: My wife turned me onto those and refused to take credit despite my desperate pleading. So why not take credit where it’s not due in this case? I could be kidding about all of that, by the way. Or could I? Anyways, I have a grreeeat recipe for a classic breakfast meal. It only has two ingredients and one of them is cereal. Anyone who can guess the second ingredient wins an all expenses paid trip to Hoboken, New Jersey, courtesy of AMP/Hails and Horns. C’mon and smell the victory!
What are some of the major changes you’ve noticed in the metal scene since reuniting AUTOPSY?
Chris: Mostly the sheer numbers of folks who are more than willing to subject their ears and minds to this god-awful noise. Gotta love ‘em. And the Internet has sped things up to an insane pace, which is fine and dandy and provides an extra challenge for any given band to stand out. Stay on your toes, folks! Otherwise, people get the same wonderful feeling when listening to this stuff. I know I do!
Danny: There’s a lot more acceptance of death or extreme metal as an actual genre, when we started the mainstream industry wouldn’t even acknowledge it’s existence. Hence through letter writing and tape trading the underground metal scene was created. And now the underground has peaked it’s head into the gutters of the mainstream, I guess the Internet has somewhat become the industry and with the hoards of the next generation of disenfranchised youth, the scene seems to be growing.
What is the first time you thought, “I want to be a musician”?
Chris: THE ACE FREHLEY 1978 solo album was my call to arms. I saw the TV commercial for the solo albums (yes, in 1978) and just the brief sound clips and images I saw did something to my young corruptible brain right then and there. I sought out ACE’S album first and the rest is rock, roll and metal history. Turning back was not an option.
Danny: As a kid I was raised on THE BEATLES, my dad introduced me to TED NUGENT’s first album, then as I got older I discovered BLACK SABBATH, ZEPPLIN, THE WHO, IGGY POP, and ALICE COOPER. Then came UFO, JUDUS PRIEST, IRON MAIDEN, THE DEAD BOYS, ZAPPA, VENOM, SLAYER, IMPETIGO THE MENTORS, THE STONES, FEAR, it’s just silly trying to make a list, just hella killer shit from varied genres! I was lucky enough to grow up during the evolution of rock, metal, punk, death, whatever. I remember when songs would grab your brain from your skull, slam it on the sidewalk, smash it with a sledge hammer about sixteen times then run over it a few times with your bike, perhaps skid your tire on it a few times and then put the melted tattered mess back in your head and deal with that! So how could it be that there was ever a time I didn’t want to be in a band?
If you could go back in time, what would you do differently involving the band?
Chris: Matching uniforms may have put us over the top. Something with lots of fringes and tassels and perhaps some scraps of tin foil in just the right places- either that or just plain ol’ chaps and no pants.
Danny: Back up singers and a horn section, and I always wanted the gorillas from the original planet of the ape’s movies to do security for us.
What is the strangest, most outrageous thing a fan has ever done towards the band?
Chris: Well there was that time that some guy cut off his own head and punted it right through my left kick drum head. That would have been enough on its own, but the guy managed to sing the chorus to “Ridden With Disease” using only his severed head which screamed into the bass drum microphone. Amazing! Guess you had to be there. Too bad I wasn’t either.
Danny: Remember when that guy sent you his dick in a box? Yeah it was pierced with a ring so you could put a chain through it and wear it around your neck. What a cool fan! Too bad it turn out to be an Oscar Meyer!
If someone wrote a biography about the band what would you want the title to be?
Chris: “Open this book if you want to read about the most fantastic metal band EVER and wish to donate all of your worldly money to them so they can retire young and hire strategic actors to portray the band so the actual band can sit around and be lazy bastards. I would personally proposition Anthony Hopkins to play me.” Now that’s a humdinger of a title!
Danny: It’s a little late for retiring young, for me anyway, but the book should be called Open this book if you want to read about the most fantastic metal band EVER and wish to donate all of your worldly money to them so they can retire young and hire strategic actors to portray the band so the actual band can sit around and be lazy bastards. Total humdinger!
If Hollywood then made a movie out of the biography who would you want to play each member?
Chris: Gawddamn, I got ahead of myself yet again. I will now change my choice of actors to play me to Carrot Top. I think Pauly Shore could play Danny rather well, while Dabney Coleman would play a magnificent Eric and Rip Taylor would knock it out of the park as Joe. I am truly inspired now. To change my name to Dabney, that is.
Danny: But if they can’t because of there obviously extremely busy schedules, I say mini me can be Chris, Arnold Shwarzenegger can play Eric, Marty Feldman can be Joe, and of course Johnny Depp as myself!
What is in the near and distant future for AUTOPSY?
Chris: Near and distant? Please don’t confuse me in such a cruel manner. I’m living for the moment and right now the moment requires a nice dish of ice cream. With sprinkles.
Danny: Peace of mind.
If you could say anything to the fans, what would it be?
Chris: Well it turns out; I CAN say anything to the fans since they are hopefully reading this drivel. And since I have this platform, I will utilize it to say……….. (use your imagination here, it’s good for you)
Danny: Hello our extremely brutal, fearless, and totally awesome fans, as long as you’re willing to take uncompromising undiluted relentless death metal we’ll be willing to dish it out!
Now I can understand why thrie music is so awesome.