ALBUM REVIEW: Obituary – Obituary

Three years after the release of Inked in Blood, OBITUARY have returned with their tenth studio album, which is self-titled. The band continue their partnership with Relapse Records for the new record, who worked with the band on their previous album. Right from the off, it’s clear what OBITUARY are all about and what the music contained on the album is like. Hard fast riffs, blast beats, added with immense solos and the vocals of John Tardy and you’ve got yourself a recipe for what a death metal album should sound like.

Normally where we pick out a few songs which really stand out and grab your attention, this record doesn’t have anywhere near the same choice. There are ten tracks on the album, and if you didn’t know any better, all of them could be the same song, which, although shows good continuity for the band, doesn’t really bode well for the album as a whole. Having listened to the record a few times, there is one though – End It Now. This is the fourth track on the record, and starts pretty much in the same way that each of the other tracks on the record do – a lightning quick opening riff from guitarist Kenny Andrews, setting the tempo straight away. What makes this track stand out more than others on the record is the chorus, which is very powerful as the overall sound gives the impression that John Tardy is begging to “end it now”. When it comes to the chorus as well the tempo is taken down a notch, which adds to the feel of the track.

That really is the only big hit on the album in terms of its uniqueness. The rest of them all just sound too similar to each other to really be considered stand out track. It doesn’t mean that the album is poor as a result though. The album itself is solid, and the tracks that feature are all very good death metal anthems. Let’s not forget that OBITUARY have been going since 1984, and this is also the group’s tenth studio album. For any band to reach that milestone in their careers is a huge achievement, especially in the world of death metal.

One thing that can be said for sure with this album is that the band have not changed their style at all, which will really please hardcore fans. Some like to try and experiment with different things in a record after a while, but that’s definitely not the case here. On the technical side of the record, the sound is exceptional, and the band don’t put a foot wrong.

That in a way is also what really brings the album down. When you listen to it, you know for sure that it is an OBITUARY alum that you’re listening to, and there isn’t really anything more to be said about it. If you’re really into death metal and are looking for a band that carry on that old school death metal sound, then OBITUARY is definitely right up there.

Rating: 7/10

Obituary is set for release on March 17th via Relapse Records.

Like OBITUARY on Facebook.