Interview: Chris Reifert (Autopsy, Static Abyss, Death, Abscess)
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Interview: 21st August 2026
Ahead of the release of their third album, The Dying Hunt (review here), Hotel Hobbies spent some time with Chris Reifert of Static Abyss. We discussed the origins of the band, the spontaneous way the first two albums came together, the arrival of Necrot's Chad Gailey on drums, the plans for the next Autopsy album and the enduring influence of death metal.
Hotel Hobbies: The Static Abyss album is a week away from being released. Are you still as excited as you ever were about people hearing your new music?
Chris Reifert: Oh yeah, every time. There’s something amazing about making your weird ideas turn into reality and hearing it played back and getting copies of it in the mail. For me, it never gets old. I get just as excited every time.
Hotel Hobbies: You have had more than forty years involvement with music. I suppose you never would have envisioned that it would have gone on for so long and been such a big part of your life.
Chris Reifert: No (laughing). I have been in band since 1983 when I was fourteen. I don’t know if you would call it music in the seventies. In 1978, I played bass drum in a marching band. I moved to actual drums in 1982. I don’t think that my young self would have thought that 2026 was even a real year! That’s like Star Trek shit right there. That’s the future. I would definitely not have thought I would be doing this for so long. It’s pretty weird but it’s so cool. It’s what I like to do.
Hotel Hobbies: What do you think has been the key to that longevity?
Chris Reifert: I don't know. I couldn't tell you. I think that’s it probably because I am not good at anything else! I don’t care about cars and computers in the way people are supposed to. I don’t even own a computer. I do all my business on my phone, which is more than enough. It’s in the blood I guess. I'm certainly not making a fortune from it. So it's not financially driven. I have told people before who ask about getting into music that if you never make a dime from it would you still want to do it and the answer is yes, then you’re on the right track. I think if I wasn’t in a band, the first thing I would want to do is start a band! I’ve never taken a break or even thought about taking a break. You have to feel it in your guts.
Hotel Hobbies: Coming right up-to-date, this new album is the third Static Abyss release. When you started the project, did you have a particular vision of what you wanted it to be or has it naturally evolved over time?
Chris Reifert: No, we did not have a vision. As a matter of fact, the back story is that it was during lockdown over here, during the COVID stuff. It was right in the thick of it, when you weren't supposed to do anything but go to the hospital or grocery store. We all remember that! But Greg, being an engineer by trade, owns and operates a recording studio. I mean, that's his livelihood. So he could not have had sessions like people in his studio. Something really cool came out of that. He had a connection with a venue called the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco and they of course could not have shows there because of the aforementioned reasons. But they somehow made this arrangement where he could set up his recording gear on the floor of the venue, have a band set up on the stage and record them, so they could be distanced and all that good stuff. He could still earn his living.
It's pretty genius, the way it fell together. One day he called and said, "Hey, do you want to do a recording project at the Great American Music Hall?" My first thought, before I even thought about it, was, "Yeah, that sounds great. I love that place." I've seen tons of shows there. It's a cool place, great sound, all that stuff. I didn't even care what he wanted to do. I just said, "Yeah." Then, getting back to your question, I was like, "What's it going to be? What's this project?" He said he didn’t know yet but I was in from the start.
So we got there, we met up and set everything up on the stage, which was pretty cool. It was weird being in that building with no one in there: no audience, no staff, no nothing. He had some kind of fragments of song ideas and the way we put it together was that he would play some riffs and I would learn them on drums. Then we would just kind of expand upon a song and complete it. He would construct the song on the spot. We just kind of put it together like a jigsaw puzzle right on the spot. It was cool stuff.
So the process was, we would work on a song, complete it between the two of us and get it down good enough to where we could record it successfully and it sounded tight. We would record the song and then go on to another one and repeat the process. Over the course of, I think, two days, we ended up with ten songs that way, just put them together and recorded them. It came out great. Then he filled in the blanks at his studio. He added more guitars and bass and I came in and did the vocals on top of everything else. That was the last ingredient before mixing. That's how that came together.
We didn't have any designs with it, like getting signed or making an album or what to call it or anything. It was just, let’s do this this and make music. It came out good enough that we pitched it to Peaceville and they liked it and ended up releasing it. It went over well and we did it again. Although, by the time we did the second album, it was okay to be around each other. So we met up in the studio and did the same thing, only in his studio. For the second album, he had written the songs ahead of time, so he knew what they were going to be. They weren't made up on the spot. He sent me recordings of those songs ahead of time and I deliberately did not listen to them. I didn't want to know what they were. I wanted to keep it pure like the first album and discover and learn them on the spot. So it had that same spirit to it, if you will. No rehearsal or preparation required. Just show up, learn it and do it. I tacked up paper charts that I made on cymbal stands so I could remember what part came next and stuff like that, if need be. And then the third album was differently done because I was not able to play drums at that point. I imagine we'll probably get to that.
Hotel Hobbies: With the new album, it becomes increasingly rewarding with repeated listens. Do you think that people who do not really listen to the genre underestimate how much thought goes into the arrangement?
Chris Reifert: I don’t know but it is a misconception with this music – I get it with Autopsy all the time – that its primitive caveman music. I then think well, I defy you to really listen and fucking play it. It’s not easy even if its sounds easy. There are brain exercises that are necessary to pull it together. It can be frustrating sometimes. If someone writes in a way that I find challenging, its super rewarding to get your head round it. But you’re right. There are layers to the onion that not everyone realises are there. However, I do think there should be a reaction to music. Love it, hate it, not understand it. That's all fine. Just don't be bored. I'd rather have someone not stand it and think it's terrible than be like, man, this is so boring. But at that point, it's out of my control, out of my hands. We make music for ourselves first and foremost. If other people enjoy it, that just makes it even better. I do have a fascination with seeing it being dissected and analysed and criticized and scrutinized and all those fun things. I actually find that enjoyable.
I don't know. what other people think. You know, I'm just too busy doing my job, you know, if you want to call it that. And then after that, it's for other people to like it or hate it or not care at all. You know, as long as they're not bored with it, you know, then I'm happy. You know, it's not for everybody.
Hotel Hobbies: The Dying Hunt has tracks that all belong to the same musical world but each track has its own aura. It feels like atmosphere is something very important to you in the writing.
Chris Reifert: Greg did all the writing on this album. It's all his concoctions and his writing is pretty out there. There are elements that are kind of I guess, traditional death metal or whatever. Then there's other stuff that's just like from another planet, you know, which I love. So you'd have to ask him what goes through his mind when he comes up with this stuff. I know he intentionally tried to come up with some different shadings and colourings, if you will, for this album to kind of slightly expand upon what we've already done but not change it so much that it was recognisable from the sound we had. I think he succeeded in making each song a little a little planet of its own.
Hotel Hobbies: That definitely comes across. With the lyrics, you have the death, decay and horror type things. I have always felt with your writing that there is a sense of story too. Do you approach lyrics more as a narrative or more about creating emotion through the images?
Chris Reifert: Both and either – it depends on the song. I guess I've taken this approach with several bands lyrically. Sometimes, you may read some lyrics and actually see a little story in there, like a little movie set to words. And you're like, oh, I see there's events unfolding here and this is what this means. I can tell what's going on. It's like a little story, a little narrative. And then, with Static Abyss, it's always things I just made up. I've never written about a film or a novel or a comic book or anything like that. It's all just shit I come up with. Which sometimes I question my mind. Like, why are these things in there? That's not normal. But then there's other songs that are just kind of stream of consciousness. You know, things that I write down that I think sound interesting or cool but don't have any semblance of a story or something you could follow along. You know, it might be just strings of words or phrases that sound good together in my mind, you know, or just weird or unsettling.
I have a weird fascination with words that sound unsettling when put together. I don't know why that is. So, there's a lot of that too, where you might read the lyrics and be like, what am I reading? What is this? I don't understand. That's the point. Or you can come up with something in your own mind and put some sort of reason or logic to it. And if so, my hat's off to you. That's cool. You know, good for you. And also you should probably talk to a psychiatrist (laughing). So, it could be one or the other. It could be something cohesive or something maybe nonsensical that makes sense at the time. So, I hope that sheds a little bit of light.
Hotel Hobbies: Yes, thank you. On this album, you have Chad Gailey drumming. How did that come about and what do you think he brought to the band?
Chris Reifert: Chad's awesome, man. Okay, I'm going to rewind a little bit, if you have a minute. I know it's late over there. For the last several years, I've had in the back of my mind that if something ever happened where I was rendered ‘undrummable’, for lack of a better way to put it, like let's say I got run over by a bulldozer or something and wasn't able to play drums but I could still perform in a live or studio setting, what would I do about that? Who could fill in? Without even thinking, I was like, "Chad. He's the one." I've been friends with him for a long time and I've always really liked his drumming with Necrot or Mortuous or whatever he's done. He's got quite the catalogue behind him already for a young man, you know but he's always been my go-to guy. But that's always been something I've had in my head, like, in case of emergency, break glass and Chad's in there with a pair of drumsticks in his hand.
So that day came. That was in 2024. Autopsy was supposed to play a show in Denver, Colorado. I'll spare all the details but I had severe shoulder issues with the rotator cuff, which required getting surgery and I was not able to drum for that show. But being the heavy metal troopers that we are, we didn't want to cancel. So, I threw the idea to the guys about playing the show with Chad drumming. So we did that and Chad came up and learned the whole set in two days, practicing with us and he killed it, man. He was fucking awesome. He learned my drum rolls off the albums and stuff and it was great. There's footage of it on YouTube if anyone wants to see it. I'm out front with my arm in a sling and Chad's playing drums, killing it. It was great.
So anyways, while all this was going on, Greg and I had intentions of doing a third Static Abyss album. I got my surgery, which required many months of recovery, which means no drumming. We eventually got to a point where we didn't feel like waiting anymore. So Greg suggested that he drummed and I still did the vocals. I said yes without hesitating. Chad was into it and he did just like I did. He learned the songs on the spot and recorded them one by one. Same thing but with him behind the kit. And it sounds great. He did an amazing job. I'm so happy we did that. And now we are a three-piece because of that twist of fate. So as long as he wants to be a part of it, he'll always have a place in it. I'm pretty sure he'll want to be on board for the next album, which we definitely want to do. He likes to do blast beats, which I do not like to do. That's not something I've ever enjoyed. I'll do it every once in a while for a moment and then that moment comes and goes. It's not in my playbook so much, although I can do it. It's just not my favourite thing to do but he loves doing that stuff.
Hotel Hobbies: You have had so many different projects over time. What do you think with Static Abyss makes it distinct from other things you've done?
Chris Reifert: I think Greg's riffs, without thinking about it, you know, I didn't have to think about it at all. Greg's riffs and writing just make it so weird. One of my favourite things to do when we get a new Static Abyss album is listen to it and look at the cover art, because our covers are pretty weird too. It just gets my imagination going. Like, what is happening in this world we've created? Not necessarily another planet, maybe even a different plane or something like that. I don't know, just not something of this world. It's a little universe he's created just with a stringed instrument, which is pretty remarkable. That's what I'd say differentiates it from other things I've participated in: just the riffs, the song writing, those weird layers of guitars and stuff he adds over the top. That shit's fucking great. I don't know anyone else that does anything like that. There's no reference point. I can't think of a single recording by anyone else that sounds like that.
Hotel Hobbies: You obviously enjoy collaboration with others. Which musicians you have worked with do you think have pushed you creatively?
Chris Reifert: Everybody. Everyone adds their own spices into the soup. You know, every situation makes you think differently as a musician, like how to adapt and add to what's going on and make it a cohesive picture, a puzzle. Every album tells a story.
Hotel Hobbies: Looking back over all those albums, all the way back to Death and up to Static Abyss, are there particular albums that give you greatest sense of pride.
Chris Reifert: I've never made an album I don't believe in, so I'm going to say everything. Every album is just as important in its own way. I think probably the biggest thrill I can remember, without thinking too deeply, is when the first Autopsy album – Severed Survival came out and getting copies in the mail. That was insane because that was the first time something came out where it was like my band. Not just mine but Eric and I formed a band. Not a band that I joined and an album came out. Not to diminish Scream Bloody Gore because you can't diminish that, you know. But getting Severed Survival in the mail was something else. Just knowing it was something that Eric and I created, not a band that we joined. It was like, "Whoa, we came up with this idea and actually were insane enough to see it through and make it happen. And here's the physical results. This is fucking wild." I still remember that very well. I was so excited just to call him. So that was a big one. But yeah, it's all just one for me personally. They're all links in just a big continuous chain, you know, so I want to keep the chain going as long as I can. I'm definitely not slowing down anytime soon. So that's the good or bad news, depending on who you talk to.
Hotel Hobbies: Talking of Autopsy, I believe you are working on an album right now.
Chris Reifert: Yes, we are. We were supposed to record it in the springtime of last year. We had intentions of recording it last spring but then the shoulder issue came along and I had to get surgery on my rotator cuff. That put me down for about ten months of recovery and a whole year to feel normal again and kind of forget it happened, which didn't end up happening. So, hooray for surgery. It helps. But then Eric had a similar thing happen. He had to have a similar surgery but even more involved, like a worse version of my surgery. He had that last November, so he's still on the mend from that and starting to get better. But back-to-back surgeries, that'll slow things down. So we had ideas of recording it this fall or winter but he's still recovering, so that kind of put that out of the picture. Even though we were telling everyone we're going to record it this fall or winter, that turned out to be unreasonable and unrealistic. So now we are aiming at springtime next year, knock on wood, you know, if nothing else horrible happens or anything like that.
That's our intention right now. We're aiming at springtime and hopefully that will happen. We have been writing stuff and talking about it. I've been cataloguing lyric ideas and song titles and I've got some music written and some scattered riffs written and things like that. So the conversation has been initiated, indicating that that is, in fact, what we want to do: record in the springtime. So wish us luck, folks. Hopefully no one will fall down a sewer and get washed away somewhere!
Hotel Hobbies: Many newer extreme metal bands now cite Death and Autopsy as inspirations. How does it feel that having been a musician for so long you are now influencing others?
Chris Reifert: I think it's awesome. I mean, it just goes back to the links in the chain thing. I think Keith Richards said something like that. We're not the first band to do it. We won't be the last. But being in the mix is pretty cool. It's all part of the cycle. When we started, going back to my time in Death, we had our influences. Chuck definitely had his influences and was not shy about them. Same with Autopsy. We had our influences that helped shape what the band was to become. We didn't try and be like any of them or be anything but ourselves. But you can't help but listen to things and it infiltrates your being. It's just cool that bands appreciate what we do and form their own bands and are going to pass that whole thing on. There are going to be kids down the line that listen to their bands and are influenced by them who may or may not even be aware of what came before. There might be some sixteen-year-old forming a band right now because he likes Autopsy or Death or whatever band and give it twenty years, some other kid is going to be like, "Damn, that band is fucking cool. I want to be like that." It's crazy.
What I think is really fascinating - and this dawned on me in recent years - is the cool thing about metal, and you can say death metal if you want to single that out, is it's been in existence for well over forty years now. Different people have different opinions about the origin of it. That's up for debate. The first death metal band or first death metal album, whatever people like to talk about, that's great. But the cool thing, getting philosophical here, is it's been around so long and it's not considered old people's music. You know what I mean? It's not like, "Oh, your dad likes that music. I can't like that. That's for old people." It's jumped that hurdle, which is pretty crazy because in the early to mid-eighties when this stuff was just coming around and starting to rear its head, music from the 50s or even 60s was definitely considered old people's music. And that was only like 20 or 30 years before. There was a notable difference. If you take Elvis or even Jefferson Airplane or whatever bands that came just a couple of decades before that, the difference is unmistakable. You know what I mean? That is definitely from that era, decade or period. You can't hide it. No such thing with death metal. No such thing at all.
If nothing else, it has become admirable and endearing to, I hate to say this, young people. Millions of times I see young kids wanting to learn how to play this stuff, dress the part. I know that sounds dumb but wear the shirts and the shoes and all the things that go along with it and want to emulate it and do their own take on it. That's just fucking crazy if you think about it. That's insane. I mean, it's like this music has not only passed the test of time but it's become something to aspire to in a lot of cases. Even if I wasn't involved in it, I would just think that is such a cool thing. That's like a mind blower. And to be in that mix and be part of the conversation is just head-explodingly cool. I love it. I feel so fortunate to be a piece in the puzzle box.
Hotel Hobbies: My last question for you is over all that time and through all your experiences, what is the most valuable lesson you've learned as a musician?
Chris Reifert: The fact that I'm still doing this tells me I'm not very good at learning lessons. Okay, this is going to sound not very rock and roll but learning how to not get ripped off has been a pretty good lesson. That one was a long time in the making. In the early days of playing music, there were a lot of hard lessons learned because basically everyone was out to rip you off if you were young and ignorant. We found that out time and time again. We just kind of bent over and took it because we didn't know any better. Time after time, whether it was merch deals, promoters or tour managers, we just got fucked every step of the way because we didn't know any better. We were just young, like, "Oh my God, I can't believe we're doing this thing," playing the show and going into this country or whatever, not even thinking about how to defend ourselves or look after ourselves.
So musically, there's not really much in the way of lessons to learn. It's just continuing the cycle of awesomeness. But learning how to be savvy, that's a big one to learn. So if you're a young person starting a band or being in a band, watch your back, man, because there are definitely people who do not have good intentions out there in the world. So watch out for them and be careful. Or just learn lessons the hard way and get better at it as you go. Whatever works for you. But musically, it's just a matter of continuing and doing things that I think are fun.
Hotel Hobbies: Thank you so much for your time. It has been great to chat – a real pleasure. Hopefully when Autopsy are touring again, we might see you back in the UK at some point.
Chris Reifert: I imagine we'll probably make it back over there at some point. I hope so. I don't, I can't see why it wouldn't happen. So, it's just all a matter of timing and all that fun stuff; I would love to see that happen again. That would be great. It'd be good to see you there. Thanks for a great time.
The Dying Hunt is released on 28th August 2026.
Static Abyss online:
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