Welcome to The Saw’s Butcher Shop! It’s Ya Girl, The Saw, and I’m excited that on Friday the 13th (January 2023) the Legends of Death Metal released their 11th full-length studio album. Obituary dropped, Dying of Everything (Relapse), and of course, it’s awesome! The pioneers of heavy, groovy, horrifying, Death Metal are showing no signs of stopping (or even slowing down), and this new record is proof that, even in their 50s, the members of Obituary can still issue a beating!
The Eulogy
With over 30 years of scene haunting sounds, Obituary are still killing it! From the glorious beginnings – Slowly We Rot (1989) and Cause of Death (1990) – Obituary have set the standard for how Death Metal is done. The End Complete (1992), World Demise (1994), and Back from the Dead (1997) were crushing albums back in the heyday of Florida Death Metal, and still today they contain satisfying grooves and agonizing vocals for the new Age of Death Metal. After laying-low for a few years, Obituary returned with Frozen in Time (2005), Xecutioner’s Return (2007), and Darkest Day (2009). These albums were a dark candle lighting the way through the mass of sound in the confusing 2000s era of Metal. In 2014 the band appeared on the scene again to awaken the dead with the Go Fund Me album, Inked in Blood; followed by Ten Thousand Ways to Die (2016) which, with a couple new tracks, was an example of how to do it live while sounding like a studio recording. And the self-titled album (2017) marked a new resurrection for Obituary – with the old sound as a core, and an ever-subtle evolution with new creative blood in the band (Kenny Andrews – lead guitar). Many state that the album Obituary is the bands best since the glorious beginnings of the monstrous band.
Dying of Everything
Well, in 2023 Obituary are back once again with Dying of Everything, a crushing album that reminds me of all records in the Obituary catalogue – from Slowly… through the self-titled album – with a little extra something for the modern era. No matter the record, Obituary’s tone and trademark sound are front and center, while the evolution of that sound is in the way it’s presented. The Tardy Brothers and Trevor Perez have always been the core of the patented Obituary sound, while Terry Butler holds up the bottom-end beautifully in the last decade. There have been several lead guitar changes over the years, but I think Andrews is a perfect fit, and we heard that on Obituary. Now, his creativeness bleeds out onto the “core” and we get, Dying of Everything.
The New Album comes out of the gates on blast with “Barely Alive,” a fast-paced banger that hits you in the face and bloodies your nose. The three singles – “The Wrong Time,” the title track, and “My Will to live,” as awesome as they are, aren’t even the best songs on the album (IMO)! They are, simply, the hook to reel you in for the slaughter. Of course, each song on the new album reminds me of different eras of Obituary’s history – for example, “Weaponize the Hate” reminds me of the middle era (2000s), while “Torn Apart” sounds like the later albums, and “Be warned” sounds like it could be leftover from the glory days. “Without a Conscience,” “War,” and “By the Dawn,” are ridiculously awesome tracks that showcase all the aspects of the legendary Obituary sound from all eras.
Debrief
As Ya Girl has mentioned several times, coming out of the pandemic, many bands are displaying that they’ve taken advantage of the time off by writing some really good music, and Obituary are no exception (pay attention: John’s lyrics speak to this fact!). I have to rate Dying of Everything as one of Obituary’s best! Even the order of the songs on the album are perfect. “Be Warned” is a great album ender! It speaks volumes to exactly what we’ve been saying – If you love the old, original sound of Obituary on the first two records, they can still do that! And they are continuing to create new ways to rip your face off; step-by-step, one slice at a time! In the New Era of Death Metal, the Old School Legends still rule, from atop the throne of broken backs!
Rating: 10/10!! A great album! Every. Single. Song is brilliant!
Favorite Songs: Without a Conscience, War, Dying of Everything, Be Warned
Stay Metal,
THE SAW
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