Humanity Hallows Issue 5 Out Now
Pick up your copy on campus or read online
By Kim Mclelland
Florida death metal legends Obituary have always been a dependable band. Their classic first two albums, 1989’s Slowly We Rot and 1990’s Cause of Death are essential additions to any metal collection but after a loss of popularity in the mid 90s, the band broke up and when they returned it was with a slew of albums that felt like little more than a dull re-tread of their classic style. Then came 2014’s Inked in Blood and the old magic had well and truly returned in what was their best album for over twenty years.
So what will their latest, self-titled offering reveal? Are they still delivering the death metal goods?
After aggressive opener Bleed, which was business as usual, you’d be forgiven for thinking that this might be the Obituary album where they switch styles. Sentence Day and Lesson in Violence, with their melodic guitar leads and chugging rhythms, seem almost like mainstream heavy metal, with only John Tardy’s guttural vocals lending any extreme metal edge.
But before long we hear Obituary doing what they do best. End It Now and Kneel Before Me are exciting slices of classic death metal, all dense, menacing guitars, guttural vocals and some excellent, pulse quickening drumming from Donald Tardy.
And the death metal vibe continues for the rest of the album. Betrayal has a swagger and a groove all of its own but it’s still rooted in the Florida sound. Straight to Hell is a highlight, giving us the treat of a slow, plodding middle section, that touch of almost doom metal apocalyptic heaviness that always marked Obituary out as different from their peers.
It might not be quite as exciting as Inked in Blood was, but the new Obituary album is certainly no disappointment. Obituary have showed some small signs of trying to progress their sound on certain tracks but they are still basically delivering what they always have done, pummelling, doom drenched, apocalyptic death metal menace that always satisfies their fan base.
Obituary is available from tomorrow. You can pre-order the album here and view the teaser trailer below.
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