It’s been five long years since Obituary last released new music. Their self-titled 2017 release was a masterpiece of thunderous death metal, something that the Floridians have consistently delivered in their near 40-year career. The good news is that album number 11 is here, and boy does it crush.From the opening blast of the semi-thrasher “Barely Alive”, the slower, building leveller “The Wrong Time” through to the final notes of closing song “Be Warned”, this is Obituary firing on all cylinders. With the Tardy brothers (drummer Donald and vocalist John) spending time during the pandemic to upgrade their Redneck Studio where they have recorded all albums since 2009’s Darkest Day, the band now are more organic and fluid than they’ve ever been. No effects, no clicks, just pure Obituary.
The riffs flow like a swollen river, unstoppable, relentless. The band once more intersperse their crushing, slower style with bursts of thrashing intensity. The music is instantly memorable, hooking into the brain and digging in deep. “Barely Alive” is demonic, a frantic rager that will stir the pits into an absolute frenzy in the live setting. It’s got the Buzzsaw guitar sound, John Tardy’s gravel-soaked vocals, some lovely thrash metal breakdowns, and enough energy to power an entire city. It is some opening.
“The Wrong Time” follows. A song all fans of the band will be familiar with as it’s already been released but it is immense. The killer riff that kicks in demands immediate attention, the band locked in tightly whilst John roars “The right mindset, the wrong time” over the supercharged power that drives it with an urgency that is as prominent now as it was back in the day. This is a concrete cracking song, simple yet oh so punishing. If I had hair, I’d be wind milling like a bastard to this one.
It’s obvious from the start that modern day Obituary eschew the current flicks and tricks in the studio. There’s nothing but honest endeavour on Dying of Everything. As John Tardy recalls, “When we were going into Morrisound back in the ’80s and early ’90s, we wanted to try every effect we could come up with. Nowadays, we do it ourselves and there’s not a single effect on Trevor’s guitar. Plus, we’ve got beer cans piled high up off the ground. It’s great”. It’s an album that’s as thunderously heavy as you’d expect from Obituary. The riff that dominates “Without a Conscience” could level buildings, such is the unadulterated power that it displays. “War” opens with some horrific sound effects, the roars of “I’ll take you to war” interspersed with the sound of caterpillar tracks and gunfire. It’s a snarling, visceral track that bristles with an intensity and a fuzzy groove that once again relies on its heaviness without the need for speed. It’s brooding, sinister, and angry.
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Despite the apparent intensity, John describes the album as “easy listening”. “You can just enjoy it without having to think too much about it. But when you go back and listen again, you hear more things each time”, he says. I understand what he means, for it’s an album that grows and offers more on each listen, with the appeal of uncomplicated lyrics that work perfectly alongside the riffs carved out by guitarists Ken Andrews and Trevor Peres and bassist Terry Butler.
The mix of tempo is an Obituary trademark, and its no different here. The pace of the title track contrasts superbly with third single “My Will to Live”, a track that could snap bone, such is the skull-crushing power it throws forth. It’s the simplicity of the riff that has allowed Obituary to stand apart from the pack over their career. It’s nothing fancy, immediately recognisable and does exactly what you want Obituary to do. “When it comes to song writing we’ve always said, ‘Keep it simple, stupid.’ We’ll let other bands get all technical with 6,000 riffs in one song. We like to keep it grooving”. That’s evident on tracks like “By the Dawn” which buzzes with energy, and yet keeps everything straightforward. The riff pulverises, the drumming is ferocious and John Tardy effortlessly snarls his way through it. Ditto for penultimate track “Torn Apart”, which flows with a vibrant electricity and an upbeat tempo that demands attention.
So, what about the title of the album? Well, it’s the question “what the hell happened to our planet?” that set Donald thinking. “Dying Of Everything seems like a proper name for this point in history”, he says. “I think it just fits with what everybody has been going through these last two years”. I don’t think you can argue with him.
As the doom-laden sludgy finale of “Be Warned” provides one last hurrah, it’s incredible to reflect on the quality of a band who hit 40 years in a mere year’s time. Like many of their peers, Obituary’s ethos is simple. Enjoyment. “I think it comes down to ion,” John offers. “I say this all the time, but if something’s not fun, I’m not gonna do it. And we’re having more fun than ever.”
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Dying of Everything is out on January 13th
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