Obituary
Back From The Dead

The Tardy brothers' band is one of the most seminal, raw, violent, and ugly ever to exist in the realm of Death metal. Back when bangs, little hearts, tiny tattoos, and reshaped eyebrows were still in their place on the pages of the weekly "Cioè". Back when Death metal was violence, long hair, and questionable outfits. When the length of nose hairs (visible even from a great distance) was an integral and unwelcome part of every respectable extreme band. But beyond the incredibly long nose hairs, John Tardy boasts a voice like no other (at least in the world of the living): neither growl nor scream, indeed legend has it that it's the timbre of his everyday speaking voice. This trademark, along with the sick riffing of the two guitarists Allen West and Trevor Peres, is fundamental in distinguishing Obituary from the hundreds (more or less useful) other bands of the same genre.

A unique sound, drawing significantly from the earliest thrash-death (Celtic Frost-Slayer-Venom), whose roots were still soaked in the Punk Hardcore attitude of the early '80s. In twenty-five years, the five from Tampa (together with other historic bands like Morbid Angel, Death, Deicide) have upheld the name of "made in Florida" Death metal, producing absolute masterpieces like "Cause of Death" and "The End Complete".

Following the path paved with the previous "World Demise", with "Back from the Dead" in 1997 the Obies produce a collection of songs with an even more direct style, often slower and more cadenced, yet equally evil and with an unsettling atmosphere. An evolution that brings the sound to a greater impact, without falling (as often happens) into banality or, worse, improbable contaminations (I shudder thinking of how thousands of bands have mimicked Roots by Sepultura for years). Splendid "Lookdown" and the claustrophobic title track move on these coordinates, as do the groovy "Rewind (not the one from the ex-rocker of Zocca) and the punk-flavored "Threatening Skies" (a devastating opener) and "Download". The rap version of "By the Light (Bullituary)" is negligible, which nevertheless elicits a smile from those who think the raw and crude genre takes itself too seriously.

Let's just say that up to "BFTD", Obituary managed the feat of delivering 5 great albums in a row without substantial dips in quality, renewing without distorting their sound. Perhaps not the band's masterpiece, but certainly a highly appreciable album for its sincerity, especially when compared to the metal albums of the new generation with Hello Kitty polish and tattoos, making us long for the healthy smell of armpits from the four Florida rednecks.