Review : OBITUARY – “Darkest Day”

Obituary – Darkest Day
released June 30, 2009 on Candlelight

They say there are five types of torture: hot, cold, sharp, blunt, and loud. I could annotate the adjectives ad nauseum, but suffice it to say, the latter two best describe the death metal legends’ assault.

John Tardy sounds (as always) like he is receiving said torture, executing his vocals with terrifying conviction. Their delivery is largely midpaced and blanketed in Floridian haze. They speed things up here (1) and there (9), while on the title track (6) they slow to a lurch. 12 & 13 are originally from the Left To Die EP, released in 2008.

As a whole, it’s the strongest of the three albums since their 2005 reunion, with lead guitarist Ralph Santolla more integral to the balance. Don’t spend too much time wondering how something that feels this retro manages to sound so fresh. Just be glad the old guys can still school those darned kids.

FCC OK
Try 1, 2, 6, 7, 12, 13

01. List of Dead
02. Blood to Give
03. Lost
04. Outside My Head
05. Payback
06. Your Darkest Day
07. This Life
08. See Me Now
09. Fields of Pain
10. Violent Dreams
11. Truth Be Told
12. Forces Realign
13. Left to Die

Rating: