|
By JEFF MAKI
Without a doubt, Obituary is one of the pioneering bands of death metal. Their slower, chugging, low-end sound matched with John Tardy's sickening growl has never been duplicated, and they have influenced hundreds of extreme metal bands. To think that they began their career way back in 1985 (then called Xecutioner) is almost unimaginable. After splitting in 1997, the members took part in other projects, then reformed in 2003 and released the comeback album Frozen in Time two years later. In 2007, Candlelight Records made perhaps their biggest signing ever, inking the band for the release of their new album, Xecutioner's Return, which is surely one of the most anticipated death metal releases of the year.
From reading press clippings and seeing news blurbs all over Internet metal sites, Candlelight would have you believe that Xecutioner's Return will be one of the most important and best albums ever released in the death metal genre. Well, the end result is definitely trademark Obituary, but I just don't see how anything new or different has been added to their sound over the years. Maybe the band has upped the tempo here and there (most likely to keep pace with all of the other extreme metal in this day and age), but nothing else immediately grabs you by the throat like you'd think. The main problem seems to be that the guitar sound, though represented in the band's trademark fuzz, doesn't cut and shred through the speakers as it should. For a pioneering band, you'd think this would be one of their main focuses. Everything isn't all bad, though. Every song has power chords with some nifty soloing intertwined and Tardy's vocals haven't changed one bit. Twenty years into the game, he is still everything you would want in an extreme metal vocalist. His growled lyrics don't vary at all, but they never did in the first place.
Though solid, this is no Cause of Death, Slowly We Rot or The End Complete, though I would put it slightly ahead of Frozen in Time. As for these early albums, they now seem untouchable. “Face Your God” starts the disc at a surprisingly fast tempo, and “Evil Ways” is another standout due to Tardy's memorable performance. The one song that grabbed me from the first riff was “Bloodshot.” The rhythm and synchronized double bass in this track is the closest in sound to the band's earlier material and had me headbanging in my car. Everything else makes the cut for quality death metal, but Obituary is capable of more.
Don't get me wrong, it is good to have Obituary back and their sound is instantly recognizable. It just seems that after all these years many bands have surpassed them. Xecutioner's Return is almost like the kid that is picked last for his sports team—he's over in the corner, shaking and raising his hand saying, “Remember me? Pick me! Pick me!” |
