It’s just pure knuckle-headed groove and it’s so much fun. It’s totally different to, say, Dying Fetus, or deathcore or any of the more modern primitive sounding hardcore-influenced OSDM bands. It’s so bouncy! The hardcore influence is really strong on this one, but it still feels like a fairly unique combination of death metal and hardcore to me. It’s just Obituary being Obituary, but with a lot more focus and vigour than the other post-reunion records. If Xecutioner’s Return felt like a somewhat forced “return to roots” record, then this one feels a lot more comfortable and effortless. The energy is back in full, the riffs are punchier and a bit more imaginative. This one’s great, and makes both Frozen In Time and Xecutioner’s Return feel like a warm-up. John Tardy’s voice is definitely showing signs of wear and tear but it doesn’t matter too much when they’re sounding this enthused again. New lead guitarist Kenny Andrews seems to have had more time to gel with the band than he did on Inked In Blood, and his solos are utterly righteous here – crisp, melodic, shreddy but also always fitting the song and not being overly flashy for the sake of it. It has that same stodgy late-period feel to it and isn’t really all that memorable, but hey, Ralph Santolla’s leads are pretty wild though.Ī really nice surprise after Inked In Blood, there’s a lot less flab on this one and the songs feel tighter and heavier in general. It has that “tentative comeback album” feel to it and feels very rudimentary.Īn even more self-consciously old-school sounding record after Frozen In Time, but it feels livelier and the guitar tone is a lot thicker. The title is fitting in several ways, partly because it really does feel like their sound has just been frozen from where they left off, but also because it feels like it hasn’t fully defrosted yet, it’s still a bit stiff and cumbersome. It’s decent but feels a bit restrained and basic. This ultra-groovy late ’90s Obituary sound feels like it would be really suited to a hip-hop crossover but this isn’t exactly the death metal equivalent of ‘Bring The Noise’ it could have been. The collaboration with Bully Boys is probably the most divisive thing here, but I think it’s actually the most interesting thing about the album, even if they don’t really pull it off too well. The last album before they first split up and you can definitely feel them running out of steam here, both the songwriting and production are nowhere near as powerful as on the albums that came before. The death metal equivalent of beige wallpaper. It feels really bloated and lethargic, the riffs just have no kick to them. Not an awful record but certainly the least interesting to my ears. Check out the list below and let us know if you agree in the comments. After taking on Celtic Frost, Bolt Thrower and Om‘s discographies, today’s list revolves around Florida’s premier death metal outfit (fight us on that if you want) Obituary, whose career has now lasted over three-and-a-half decades and stemmed ten albums of varying quality. Writer Kez Whelan (also known for Filth X Collins, Shrykull and Unbeknownst) has been doing just this, and as a result has found time to rank some of his favourite bands’ albums.
If there’s been one sliver of an upside to the bleak circumstances in which we currently find ourselves, it’s the extra free time we have to listen to music, discover new artists and delve into some of our past favourites.