Audiotopsy: Natural Causes

Former metal stragglers find a new lease of life

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Made up of former members of Mudvayne, Hellyeah and nu metal also-rans Skrape, Audiotopsy don’t sound like the most illustrious of supergroups.

You might expect to dissect their debut and find the remnants of nu metal’s bones and a few gristly riffs, but Natural Causes is actually bulging with blood and guts.

Take All We Know, with its windswept chorus that brings to mind America’s open roads or a locals’ dive bar. Or The Calling, with its Alice In Chains-alike vocal harmonies and massive, throat-back, lungs-open growls. Some lyrics are over-angsty (see LYLAB, which stands for ‘Love You Like A Bitch’), but there’s a primal immediacy to these songs that outstrips anything their former bands have done. And while the album title brings death to mind, the band also invoke actual nature; H2O (Interlude) is the sound of rain, while Swim is about the cleansing power of the ocean. Sometimes Audiotopsy’s take on grunge is a little clumsy, but by channelling it through a modern sea of modern metal, they prove they’re greater than the sum of their parts.

Eleanor Goodman
Editor, Metal Hammer

Eleanor was promoted to the role of Editor at Metal Hammer magazine after over seven years with the company, having previously served as Deputy Editor and Features Editor. Prior to joining Metal Hammer, El spent three years as Production Editor at Kerrang! and four years as Production Editor and Deputy Editor at Bizarre. She has also written for the likes of Classic Rock, Prog, Rock Sound and Visit London amongst others, and was a regular presenter on the Metal Hammer Podcast.