Over the course of the last decade, New Jersey unit Fit For An Autopsy have operated with a "let the music speak for itself" ideology that has churned out an especially consistent body of work.
Emerging as a undeniable prospect in their earliest iteration as a deathcore outfit, the band has since evolved into creative force that encompasses a myriad of influence - spanning heavy music's full spectrum in a skilled, succinct meld.
2019 underscored that fact with the arrival of the band's fifth album, The Sea of Tragic Beasts. Lauded by not only the band's most fervent supporters, the detailed weave of various styles only increased the band's reach, accomplishing a new awareness among those in the heavy music community. Fit For An Autopsy had long colored outside the lines creatively, yet now they found themselves thriving outside those lines - marrying elements of the atmospheric to counter the all out assault the band had built their foundation on.
If The Sea of Tragic Beasts was the statement record, the band's sixth full length in Oh What the Future Holds serves as it's punctuation. While best, as a descriptor remains subjective, it's difficult to argue that Fit For An Autopsy have assembled their most complete, cohesive collection of songs yet. The 10-tracks that comprise the album bear a definitive quality that seemingly mark the second arrival of a band that have been kicking ass and taking names for well over a decade.
From the contrast of tracks like the slow-burn to eventual inferno of "Two Towers," to the relentless pummel of a pit anthem like "Pandora," - Oh What the Future Holds is powerful assertion of not only a band operating at full creative stride, but a collective that encompasses how dynamic and dexterous heavy music can be.
At the helm of Fit For An Autopsy, Will Putney doubles as the band's principle songwriter and one of heavy music's most in-demand producers. Building a cultural destination in his Graphic Nature Audio headquarters, Putney's individual body of work is nothing short of prolific - adding his name and signature to probably a few of your favorite albums in the last ten years.
Putney's heavy music immersion program in tandem with his own expertise offer a unique vantage point when it comes to writing his own music in Fit For An Autopsy. Aligned with like-minded compatriots in Joseph Badolato (Vocals), Patrick Sheridan (Guitar), Timothy Howley (Guitar), Peter Blue Spinazola (Bass) and Josean Orta Martinez (Drums) - personnel and proficiency provide the optimum creative conditions and Oh What the Future Hold underscores that.
The producer, songwriter and heavy culture ambassador weighed in how the band's latest album speaks honestly to to the identity of Fit For An Autopsy and how Oh What the Future Holds challenges genre divides to create something special that supersedes category.
Given that there were no tours and less deadlines over the last couple of years how did that extra time to work result in Oh What the Future Holds. Was that extra time beneficial in not having to rush or did it give you too much time to overly pick apart the songs?
Putney - The extra time was honestly great. I wrote more songs for this record than I ever had in the past for previous FFAA releases. I was able to try a lot of new vibes, themes, etc. and see what works and what doesn’t for the band. We were able to split the tracking up into multiple sessions for the first time, and it gave me a big window to work on lyrics. Wish we could do every one like this!
The spectrum of this record ranges from post rock to deathcore. Is there a conscious effort to envelope of a myriad of styles into the finished product or has that been a byproduct of being so immersed in the culture of heavy music?
Putney - I think it’s a honest reflection of everything we love as fans of the genres. The collective tastes of FFAA is wildly varied, and I love channeling all those influences into our music. It keeps it fresh and interesting for us as musicians, and having all these different palates to expand on the dynamics of the band ensure we’re not just repeating ourselves.
FFAA are one of those bands that connect with metal purists and the hardcore community in a genuine way. Do you feel like your hardcore IQ, combined with your metal prowess gives you a kind of leg up the it comes to crafting heavy music?
Putney - I do think there’s something to be said about being fully immersed in the culture of the extreme music world. I don’t know what gives us a leg up really, but I think because we write from a pure and honest place, and our lyrical content is is very grounded and in line with our beliefs and frustrations, the music connects with like-minded people the right way.
There is a very bleak irony in releasing an album called Oh What the Future Holds loaded with such dark songs. How did the climate of the last two years creep into this record?
Putney - Obviously the last two years have been a nightmare for everyone, but a lot of the problems and hardships we’re facing in this world are not new developments. We’ve been addressing similar topics for years now, and unfortunately I feel that generally nothing has changed for the better. Looking ahead towards the future, I’m really not very optimistic our course will change. I think it’s important for us to continue to address what’s broken in this world, so that bleak and dark atmosphere to our music is probably going to stick around.
Not many bands have the luxury of having an accomplished producer in their collective. How does your work with so many artists benefit FFAA when it comes to fleshing out ideas and self-editing. Does that flood of influence work in your favor or does it make it tough to narrow down your focus creatively?
Putney - It absolutely focuses the content of the band. Funny enough, I learn a lot about won’t I DON’T want to do from producing other records. The things that become repetitive and the trends that become stale, as well as the insight on what songs don’t seem to connect on certain records is all a big learning experience for me. When it’s time to sit down a make a FFAA record, I feel like I know exactly what to avoid, and that helps me stay in a lane where I’m solely writing the music I enjoy.
The band does well in maintaining their continuity without rehashing the same album. How does Oh What The Future Holds build on what you established with The Sea of Tragic Beasts?
Putney - Not to sound like that cliche artist, but I do think we tried to expand the scope of what we pull off musically on the new record. The exciting part of creating music for me is to see what we’re capable of. Can we incorporate new tricks into our sound, can we experiment with different themes or moods, etc. I love that challenge and I think on the new record it really pushed us to grow as more well rounded musicians in some aspects. It’s our collective favorite FFAA record, and a lot of that comes from this process.
FFAA does get stamped with the deathcore label from time to time.Do you feel like that is an accurate association and more importantly, do you think your versatility, your outside the box thinking is part of what are turning people back onto genre?
Putney - We like the phrase “post-deathcore” (laughs). I don’t know what genre we live in anymore, and I do like that. It’s just dark and emotionally charged aggressive music. I’ve never really cared what people label us as. I’m just happy people give us a listen or support the band in any way.
Given how scary a time it is to release music right now - what kind of added pride do you take in sharing this with the world?
Putney - It’s not scary at all! I think it’s a great time to release music. Aggressive music has always meant to be a release from the world, a method of sharing frustrations and a cathartic healing tool. What better time to do that then now.
What has getting back onstage for the guys been like armed with such a potent new arsenal of songs?
Putney - The guys are currently on tour and every show has sold out so far. They’re having the absolute best time being back on the road. I think the time off really showed everyone in FFAA how much we care about the band and the connection to the fans we share on stage. So returning to such a warm welcome back has meant the world to us. You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.
Oh What the Future Holds from Fit For An Autopsy is now available via Nuclear Blast Records.
