Learrrrrl the ooarghhhhh!!!!! or whatever he says opens the "vocals" on an absolute classic piece of American death metal history.
The recent review of Grave made be revisit this moment of musical madness and a sense of disbelief that any human being can sound like Tardy. The ungodly roar that greets the second tune is just simply sick.
And believe it or not Tardy actually sounds intelligble compared to some of the current death vocalists out there. But the big difference for me is that Tardy had power.
I would argue this is the most supreme of death metal vocalists or at the very least a genre defining performance.
James Murphy on lead guitar gave Obituary that sense of crushing sludge with melodic breaks. Never sadly to be repeated.
Sure Suffocation is the pinnacle that later death metallists would copy but Obituary remain unique in their approach.
A blast beat sort of comes in but never at hyper speed. More of an old school thrash tempo. And I admit after revisting this album after all this time it tends to sound rather basic in the drum department until you get the feel of the songs and the heaviness factor that brother Donald Tardy gives to the mix. In a word this album grooves if that is a term that can be applied. Double kicks are awesome and well mixed.
Dying is a classic of mid tempo death metal. Infectious riff great drums and that signature Peres riffing style. Vocals do not appear for most of the song. Almost an afterthought. "our souls to learn".
The highlight is the title track (along with the much venerated Chopped In Half) Cause of Death.
A classic piece of Obituary metal.
Samples start the piece as was the fashion back then.
Slow grinding tempo then builds over Murphy's lead.
Tardy growls and screams....then the almost funky drum pattern kicks in and we are away for a ride.
The chorus is even catchy with its descending riffing.
The last riff kicks in and we rinse and repeat some of the structure.
Does it match up to Nile or Vehemence or melo-death. Well it never tried to. This is history that sometimes needs a revisit.
Just a reflection on when Obituary were regarded as the heaviest band on the planet.
The recent review of Grave made be revisit this moment of musical madness and a sense of disbelief that any human being can sound like Tardy. The ungodly roar that greets the second tune is just simply sick.
And believe it or not Tardy actually sounds intelligble compared to some of the current death vocalists out there. But the big difference for me is that Tardy had power.
I would argue this is the most supreme of death metal vocalists or at the very least a genre defining performance.
James Murphy on lead guitar gave Obituary that sense of crushing sludge with melodic breaks. Never sadly to be repeated.
Sure Suffocation is the pinnacle that later death metallists would copy but Obituary remain unique in their approach.
A blast beat sort of comes in but never at hyper speed. More of an old school thrash tempo. And I admit after revisting this album after all this time it tends to sound rather basic in the drum department until you get the feel of the songs and the heaviness factor that brother Donald Tardy gives to the mix. In a word this album grooves if that is a term that can be applied. Double kicks are awesome and well mixed.
Dying is a classic of mid tempo death metal. Infectious riff great drums and that signature Peres riffing style. Vocals do not appear for most of the song. Almost an afterthought. "our souls to learn".
The highlight is the title track (along with the much venerated Chopped In Half) Cause of Death.
A classic piece of Obituary metal.
Samples start the piece as was the fashion back then.
Slow grinding tempo then builds over Murphy's lead.
Tardy growls and screams....then the almost funky drum pattern kicks in and we are away for a ride.
The chorus is even catchy with its descending riffing.
The last riff kicks in and we rinse and repeat some of the structure.
Does it match up to Nile or Vehemence or melo-death. Well it never tried to. This is history that sometimes needs a revisit.
Just a reflection on when Obituary were regarded as the heaviest band on the planet.
