Autopsy - Service for a Vacant Coffin (Bass Cover)

It was between this one or Charred Remains, but I picked this because despite being the shorter, more compact song, it has some more interesting little bass things going on.

It took me a bit to get it as in tune as it can be with the recording, because Severed Survival was recorded not in the usual Autopsy C standard, but rather a quarter step tuning, right in between C and C#. I think I got it to match up though. Speaking of matching up, I also tried to dial in that "playing with giant intestines as the strings" tone that is present on the album, it is absolutely huge and reminds me of something like Black Sabbath's "Master of Reality" bass tone but cranked to 11. It's the real deal! The amount this record and bass playing/sound influenced me is unreal. Not everyone likes the bass in the mix this much, but I demand it! Haha.

I tried to pick up on every little subtlety in the bass track on this song, which isn't as tough as some other stuff thanks to the very high volume of the bass making it clear to hear at all times. Some things I might sound a little different, but that is just because I'm a different player! One of the parts that is interesting is where the 2nd riff is brought back in between the verses, both do a "power chord" type strumming thing, but the first time it comes back Steve does it with more focus on the low notes (open C and the first octave of that, and for the other notes the root and fifth), but the second time it returns it's not just root-fifth, but also another octave. That is the easier one, as the former iteration requires a bit of restraint to not go crazy strumming all three strings at once!

Autopsy is one of those bands that despite never being considered "progressive" or "technical", every record (and EP) is completely different from the last, and their bass playing has especially changed the sound from Ken Sorvari in the beginning/demos, to Steve Di Giorgio doing session work here, to Steve Cutler on the following EP and LP (of which the EP has a tone closer to a continuation of Severed Survival), to Di Giorgio again but with fretless and more shredding, and okay I have to stop reciting Autopsy facts everyone knows 🤣 just cool to put it under a microscope for a bit.

Hope everyone finds some enjoyment with this, and I hope all is awesome for anyone who sees this!

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