Obituary – Dying of Everything (Review)

Some things you just can’t kill. You could make an endless list of negative examples, or enjoy the positive ones. Obituary are definitely among the positive examples. Almost 40 years in the biz and still alive and kicking. There are only a few bands that can claim this. But every now and then legends exceed their personal zenith and release rather bad albums. But what about Obituary?

On February 13th Dying of Everything will be released via Relapse Records. What John Tardy puts down vocally with over 50 years is remarkable. Still as nauseating and crushing as on the debut Slowly We Rot. Speaking of the band’s debut, Dying of Everything is strongly based on it. The slow crushing sound, which Obituary have characterized in Death Metal scene is an important part of their new record. Death groove at its best can be found on songs like “The Wrong Time”. Very catchy, but also more than brutal. Almost an homage to early days of the band. If you are a fan of Inked in Blood and the Self-titled album you will get your money’s worth here.

Already with the opener “Barely Alive” you realize that this album is on the same level as the predecessors, at least as far as the production is concerned. “Without A Conscience” will probably make your whole-body tremble with the skull crushing death groove Obituary are showcasing here. If you listen closely, you might notice certain parallels to older songs like “Don’t Care”. But is Dying of Everything just a bad copy of older works of the band? Rather not. Of course, every band consolidates their sound at some point, especially when they have been active for almost 40 years. Nevertheless, songs like “Torn Apart” sound very refreshing. Perhaps due to the fact that this one in particular acts like a time capsule and combines all the band’s positive qualities in a few minutes. No matter if stomping rhythm or heavy riffs. Everything seems perfectly coordinated. Which is why it is by far the strongest song on the album for me. If you are still alive be prepared. The last track “Be Warned” could not have been written more appropriately. The slow but still brute guitar riffs may feel like a bulldozer. Crushing every bone in your body.

What only a few metal bands manage to do, namely to release one banger album after another, feels like a walk through the park, or rather swamp if you are Obituary. A tribute to glory days. Dying of Everything pays tribute to classics like Slowly We Rot and Cause of Death and still comes across as a refreshing release that sounds like death and decay.