Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Probably the penultimate Death Metal album, September 12, 2005
When this came out in 1989 Obituary had quite a few demos under their sleeves. They were releasing demos under the name Xecutioner as far back as 1986. There was also something else Obituary had going for them -no one else sounded like them. As far as early Death Metal goes, and I have tons of demo tapes from this period, this album exemplifies everything a good band should have.
Shortly before releasing the great "Slowly we Rot" Xecutioner changed their name to Obituary, I suppose because they didn't want to get confused with the Thrash band (a good one at that) from Boston with the same name.
The guitar duo of Peres and West go from the slugdy slow heavy as all hell riffs to the lighting fast (in comparison to the verses) wild solos. The drumming ala Don Tardy is also very simple and goes from a mid-tempo to a slow thrashing of the high-hats, to hitting the crash cymbals to the breaking point. All of this is connected by the vocalist John Tardy's undeciferable signing and gutteral noises that make the music all that much more threatening sounding. I really hate most of the cliche Death Metal "cookie monster" vocals (as best exampled by Cannibal Corpse) but Tardy I could always admire. He just did it so well. It was the sound of decay coming forth from his throat.
The lesson of Obituary is a very good one. They could play fast if they wanted to but...They proved that to play really heavy music it was better if you played really slowly in order to emphasize the heaviness of it. Just like Black Sabbath had done a generation earlier, Obituary made into a science. They took the wild solos from mid 80s Slayer, the ferocity of S.F.'s Possessed, and the lessons from Black Sabbath, as well as their own stylings to create a totally original sound.
I'd say Death Metal started (and maybe ended) with Obituary, but most people ceed the title of king of Death Metal to Death mainman Chuck Schuldiner. But if he wasn't around in '89, Obituary would've been the undisputed kings. Take it from me, when this came there was nothing like it. The remastering is pretty good too. A must own.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
OBITUARY'S HEAVIEST., October 11, 2000
I just picked up the remastered version of this CD, and I'm rediscovering it for the first time in quite awhile. Even after 10 years, this CD is still a brutal slab of early American death metal that easily holds it's own with more recent bands. One of the defining CDs of the genre, this CD has it all: brutally heavy guitars, vocals somewhere in between a scream and a growl, and good drumming. This album is not nearly as intricate or technical as their later releases, but the simpler song structures enhance the brutal heaviness. Not as blisteringly fast as modern American death metal, this album still kills with the best of 'em.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Ultimate, March 2, 2006
After over 15 years since I last heard their music, I decided to pick up this CD. It is the ultimate in true death metal. I don't even listen to this type of music any more, but I listen to this CD. For anyone new to the genre; don't start here... you will be dissapointed in anything else you listen to in the genre from here on out.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
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5.0 out of 5 stars
OBITUARY!
Awsome CD,just AWSOME,old school Death Metal,the way it was meant to be,not that Death/Grind, KILLER VOCALS, KILLER DRUMS, KILLER RIFFS, also check all other Obituary albums, they...
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Published on March 14, 2003
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Interact With Your Music: Discover, listen to, and buy new music, all from the pages of SPIN's digital edition, free to Amazon customers.
by Obituary 
