Obituary, S/T (2017)

     Since their reunion, I've never really given Obituary a solid chance.  I play their classics Slowly We Rot, Cause of Death and The End Complete from time to time, but I was underwhelmed by Frozen In Time and Xecutioner's Return.  I kind of let the band fall off my radar for a while.  2014's Inked In Blood grabbed my attention and I actually was anticipating their self titled release.  Out of the gate I must say that this album offers you a heap of old school death metal riffs that are great but the record also has some songs with "death n' roll" elements, which in general are kind of hit or miss.  The vocals are still as great as they ever were and while Obituary isn't in the running for "Album of the Year" by any means, it is an above average release that old fans and new should enjoy.
     John Tardy is one of the most recognizable vocalists in metal.  His growls aren't as guttural as most death metal vocalists.  Tardy uses a wider range of vocal inflections and howls that really make the music move.  The lyrics don't just sit there, Tardy emotes and makes them come alive rather than merely grunting monotonously into the microphone as loud as possible (like Glen Benton does).  Another of Tardy's signatures is the way he ends lines and verses.  His howl expands on the final vowel sound in a way that is sort of reminiscent of a wild cat's roar.  It's a vocal inflection that sets him apart from most death metal vocalists and has always been one of my favorite elements to the Obituary sound.
     I've been kind of on the fence about the "death n' roll" approach.  Sometimes it's okay, but most of the time it comes across as kind of toothless (listen to latter career Entombed albums if you don't know what I mean).  On paper it looks like it could work.  Fusing death metal elements into a more traditional hard rock framework?  What could possibly go wrong?  Well apparently it is harder to pull off than most realize.  Most bands end up with either a boring death metal record, a somewhat decent alternative metal record (if such a thing exists), or something in between.  They are albums that are a jack of all trades and a master of none.  Obituary carefully dances around that line in certain songs.  But there are moments that I feel like I'm listening to a second-rate Pantera circa 1992, which initially sounds like it wouldn't be that bad, but hear me out..  That particular sound has not exactly aged well and slipping in bouncy rock oriented and bluesy riffs that sound like they were lifted from the cutting room floor during the Vulgar Display of Power recording sessions makes some of these songs sound dated.  Nothing against classic Pantera.  But the year is 2017 and Obituary has had their own thing going for them for decades already.  Retreading this particular style, that wasn't even theirs to begin with, was a mistake.
     What Obituary does well and what makes this record stand out in my opinion is it's simplicity.  A lot of death metal created these days tends to be on the technical side.  Obituary just lays out their riffs and beats you over the head with them like a club.  Cave man style.  Obituary is not a masturbatory wankfest thus illustrating that death metal can be brutal no matter how many notes you play or how little.  These are mid paced, chest slapping, chugging guitars that are somewhat of a relief to hear in an era where break-neck fast bestial black metal and technical brutal death metal are ruling the underground scene (at least here in California they are).  There are some glorious old school knuckle-dragging head banging riffs on here.  Kenny Andrews has some fantastic leads on this record and Trevor Peres and Don Tardy are great laying down the groove as always.  Essentially this is Obituary doing what Obituary does best.  Not overly flashy songs.  They are to the point and still brutal.
     This was one of the most difficult reviews I've had to write so far.  This is due to the fact that I wasn't truly that inspired to write it nor did I feel strongly about it one way or the other.  And that kind of sums up how I feel about this record.  This album is not going to knock your socks off.  It's a good record and fulfilled the minimum requirements:  Not sucking and giving fans something that they will enjoy.  But while it is proficient in this regard it lacks that special ingredient that would've made it an attention grabbing release.  This is something to play in the background while you're talking in the yard with a beer and cigarette watching the grill.  It isn't something you sit down, strap in and give your undivided attention to.  This music doesn't command that.  It could be playing or not playing.  But should music always command that kind of space?  Perhaps not.  Not everything recorded has to be a magnum opus of pretentious pomp and Obituary was never really about that anyway.  Obituary isn't a garbage record, but I wouldn't consider it a masterpiece.  It's just old school death metal played by one of the genre's legendary bands.  Nothing more.  But sometimes that is all I require in my life and I thank Obituary for delivering it.  Certainly worth a purchase and a listen.

Favorite tracks:  "End It Now" or "Turned To Stone".  These are songs that could've easily been on Cause of Death or The End Complete.  Chest thumping cave man goodness.  Classic shit.

Least favorite:  "A Lesson In Vengeance" and "Betrayed".  The riffs are repetitive and have that bouncy death n roll feel.  It doesn't sound like Obituary and I would've left them off the record. 

     

Immolation, Atonement (2017)

     Four years after the mixed reception of Kingdom of Conspiracy, the death metal masters from Yonkers, New York have returned with their tenth album Atonement.  Immolation is one of those bands that has established a reputation for consistency.  Sure I like some albums better than others, but for the most part when you pick up an Immolation record you can pretty much expect a certain quality, which has made them one of death metal's truest standard bearers.  I liken Atonement to watching a Friday the 13th movie.  Everyone in the audience knows that the teenagers fucking on the couch are going to get their guts ripped out.  They see it coming, but they still love it regardless.  Atonement does not deviate far from Immolation's signature musical style, but within the context of their discography it does continue to demonstrate the band's maturation and overall craftsmanship.  The lyrics are still nihilistic and pointedly critical of humanity's propensity toward blind faith, tyranny and self-destruction while on the production front, the team made some important improvements.
     The composition on this record is exquisite and the performance is tight.  Robert Vigna is still on the top of his game employing frantic tremolo picking, pinched harmonics, ringing dissonant harmonies and the stop on a dime rhythmic and tempo changes that Immolation is famous for.  The new comer, Alex Bouks, does a fantastic job keeping up with and complimenting Vigna's style.  Ross Dolan still has one of the best guttural growls in the business, which is forceful yet expressive and interesting in a way that a lot of death metal vocalists are not (Glen Benton should take notes).  As always, Steve Shalaty is a motherfucking beast on the drum kit and locks in with the guitars and bass with the precision of a Rolex watch.  This band is air tight, well rehearsed and professional.  Through their career Immolation has allowed their music to breathe more while still being technically complex and proficient.  This is still true on Atonement.  Vigna and Bouks let chords ring out and allow more space in the music.  The meat of the songs are still based around technical riffing, but the moments of space drive home the album's mood and tone.  This has been an evolving trend in the songwriting process over the past decade.  The cacophonous whirlwind of chromatic progressions are still present (this is death metal after all), but Atonement has moments where the quality of the notes mean more than the quantity.  Sometimes the impact of music comes from what is not played rather than what is.  I don't mean to imply that Atonement is somehow death metal's Darkside of the Moon by any stretch of the imagination.  We aren't listlessly drifting through space and time on this record.  It is brutal and merciless.  But it demonstrates the maturity and craftsmanship in the songwriting.  Immolation has more tools in the toolbox, so to speak, and they know how and when to use them to get the desired effect.  
     After back to back concept albums, Atonement is more general is it's lyrical themes, but still hits home Immolation's overarching message.  2010's Majesty and Decay riffs on the archetypal tyrant and the Jungian "shadow".  Inside every human is the inclination to become a dominating and wrathful monster and the album ponders the question: are people worth saving or does humanity deserve to be wiped out? 2013's Kingdom of Conspiracy was about the perceived malevolent and divisive forces that drive our societies and keep people malleable, docile, and easily manipulated.  Atonement revisits both of these themes while also reintroducing Immolation's most reliable and favorite punching bag, organized religion.  Religious fundamentalism presenting a clear and present danger to the world today makes these songs all the more relevant.  Songs such as "Fostering the Divide", "Rise of the Heretics", and "Above All" rail against religion as one of the primary forces that divides and pits people against one another.  But none hit this point home harder than the self titled track "Atonement" which is not only critical, but defiant.  "Atonement" doesn't wallow in nihilism like most of Immolation songs do.  It is assertive in its indignation.  The common threads that tie this album together, and Immolation's entire discography for that matter, are the forces that diminish freedom and individuality.  Dysfunctional societies, politicians, the illuminati, religion, and the dark side of human nature itself are all what drive the collective toward self-enslavement, war, and ultimate self-destruction.  This is what Immolation has been writing about for decades and will most likely continue to do so in the future.       
     Paul Orofino returns to the producers chair with engineer Zack Ohren in tow.  Orofino has worked with Immolation since 1999's Failure of the Gods and by and large has done a decent job with the exception of the previous release.  One of Kingdom of Conspiracy's great downfalls was that the drums were too loud and "clicky" drowning out an otherwise decent performance.  I am happy to declare that those short comings are rectified on Atonement.  The double kick drums and snares lose that annoying "click" noise and sit well in the mix.  Thus the guitars, bass, and vocals have more room and are able to set the tone of the music like they are supposed to do.  The production is still "modern" in the sense that everything is compressed and jacked up as loud as possible giving the music little to almost zero head room.  But I can't necessarily blame Orofino and Ohren for that.  After all, this has been the industry standard in music production for some time now and it is up to the band, not the engineer, to dictate which parts should be softer and which should be louder.  A good engineer will pick up on this and bring it out of the performance.  There are a few moments of dynamic variations on Atonement, which are given the proper care much to Ohren and Orofino's credit.  A lone guitar interlude doesn't need to be blasted through the speakers.  The quiet parts give the louder parts more of an impact.  Orofino and Ohren demonstrated that they understood this while recording.
     In summation this is an awesome album worthy of a purchase from death metal fans.  It admittedly lacks an "X factor" that pushes it into the mind blowing and jaw dropping category, perhaps due to it's predictability.  Nevertheless, Atonement is a solidly put together release that will undoubtedly stand out as 2017 rolls along.  Immolation doesn't make bad albums, which has made them one of heavy music's most enduring and influential bands.