Mental Funeral

Released on April 22, 1991, by Peaceville Records, Mental Funeral is the second studio album by San Francisco extreme metal pioneers Autopsy. Recorded at Different Fur Studios, the album's creation was famously fueled by a relaxed, party-like atmosphere involving heavy consumption of alcohol and cannabis, which Chris Reifert later credited with giving the record its unique, 'accidental magic.' Musically, the album represents a major milestone in the development of the death-doom subgenre. Rather than following the prevailing trend toward technicality and speed, Autopsy drew heavy inspiration from doom metal bands like Trouble, as well as the dark atmosphere of Bathory. The album is also notable for its bizarre, avant-garde influences; Reifert has acknowledged that a key riff in 'In the Grip of Winter' was directly adapted from the experimental group The Residents. Upon its release, the album's raw, unpolished production and lumbering tempos divided the metal community, but it has since been recognized by publications like Decibel as one of the most important and influential death metal albums of all time.