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Rating: For the history of death metal, go to the letter O and dust off those geniuses who are Obituary. Pioneers and inventors of what we today call classic Death Metal, and champions of a stylistic non-evolution that keeps them powerful, vigorous, and aggressive despite all the water under the bridge, and the last “Frozen in Time” is a clear demonstration of this.
True milestones like “Slowly we Rot” and “Cause of Death” cannot be defined as mere records, but as the initiatory music of an entire genre that will later enjoy much success. Anyone who has experimented with the musical genre proposed by these 5 Floridian individuals cannot help but be inspired by songs from the aforementioned two albums. That being said, which is more of a carefree praise to these raw and aggressive musicians, what I am about to review is their (so far only) live testimony.
Their irony and self-mockery also give rise to the title, quite bizarre for a live album: “Dead” is the title and a well-executed antithesis of the concert's atmosphere. Indeed, in this live, Obituary demonstrates energy and cohesion, not just sonically, but as a group and as metal professionals. It’s hard to fully describe the perfection this live performance exudes with every listen: from the distorted and oppressive power of the guitars by the Peres/West duo to the metronomic perfection of Donald Tardy’s drumming (who during the song “I'm in Pain” launches into a brief and technical solo), from the bass’s percussive gallop by the giant Wetkins to the lycanthropic voice of John Tardy, one of the most original voices in the entire death metal scene. The performance is an hour-long selection of the Floridians' entire discography, thus containing the gems of “Cause of Death,” the raw and dirty pearls of “Slowly We Rot,” and all the unhealthy madness of “World Demise,” “The End Complete,” and “Back from the Dead” (a wobbly piece in their career, in my opinion).
So, as expected, the opening track comes from the then-latest album (Back from the Dead), I'm talking about “Download,” performed with manic precision, before quickly moving to “Chopped in Half” and “Turned Inside Out”, both from "Cause of Death." In my poor ears, the execution is perfect, and the charisma of this band shines live. The set continues with “Threating Sky,” “By the Light” (from Back from the Dead), and “Dying” leading to the first pure delirium: with the song “Cause of Death,” the quality and the trademark that made Obituary great explodes. “I'm in Pain,” “Rewind,” and “'Til Death” continue to create that unhealthy and at times claustrophobic atmosphere felt when listening to Obituary. The sonic power is impeccable and magnificent and the band delivers live; they really do! “Kill for Me” continues the sonic massacre, well-followed by “Don't Care” and “Platonic Disease.” Before the finale full of aggressive and dirty beauty, there are “Back from the Dead” and “Final Thoughts.” The conclusion is entrusted to the dark majesty of “Slowly We Rot,” an anthem of extreme metal branded by Obituary.
The five men of the Necrology certainly do not amaze for stylistic evolution, nor for shocking progressions or changes. Instead, they stubbornly remain anchored to their tradition that keeps them purely enclosed in their compositional shell. And this live underlines both their musical and attitudinal aspects, as this “remaining themselves” implies a great degree of professionalism but also quality. Before their long exile from the music world (lasting 8 years and concluded last year with the release of “Frozen in Time”), Obituary gave us a musical document, soaked in sonic violence, aggressiveness, and madness, and that is “Dead”: a small but captivating manifesto of sonic madness, all live.
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
01 Download (03:00)
Face yourself in
Burns with fortune.
Comes with the falling rain.
Peels down, racist game.
Death falls, blood pours.
Then we see lies pour, lies pour.
Come to the falling, life's near the end.
Life's end is guessing, for understand.
Feel that wetting, need to restrain.
Holding nothing, leather and string.
The killing comes first.
The killing comes first.
Letting the ending melt barren land
With that one thing can't understand.
Relive nothing waste my own time.
Accomplishing zero life passes by.
Face your fear.
Face it with blue skies, blue skies.
Living is misery, misery.
02 Chopped in Half (00:46)
Chopped in half.
Feel the blood spill from your mouth.
With rotting ways comes destiny.
Feel the soul taking over.
Bleed...
Chopped in half.
Feel the blood spill from your mouth.
With rotting ways comes destiny.
Feel the soul taking over.
Bleed...
Chopped in half.
Feel the blood spill from your mouth.
With rotting ways comes destiny.
Feel the soul taking over.
Bleed...
03 Turned Inside Out (05:03)
We're coming
Rotting in the wastes below
We're turned inside out
Beyond the darkness we arise
We're turned inside out
Beyond the fearless cries
We're turned inside out
Beyond the darkness we arise
We're turned inside out
Beyond the piercing cries
We're turned inside out
04 Threatening Skies (02:27)
You've found once, live wise.
The taste to come, we'll go.
Lost right taking the face, the coming show.
Threatening skies.
Threatening skies.
I will fear rising forms more slow.
Live the spell, takes the coming spell forth.
Ravishing you all.
Ravishing you all.
Ravishing you all.
Threatening skies.
Threatening skies.
You've found once, live wise.
The taste to come, we'll go.
Lost right taking the face, the coming show.
Threatening skies.
Threatening skies.
Threatening skies.
05 By the Light (03:01)
Destiny, feel disgrace.
I'm the one that's fallen.
I'm the one in pain.
I'm the one that's going.
Forces decay in pain,
By the light.
The suffer is cold.
There's colors
Searing his face.
Drifting through the sorrow.
The visions yet display.
It strips the soul completely empty.
Sirens rage in vain.
Drifting through the sadness.
Violence fills the sky.
Torturing, the voice rang out.
My servants they are blind,
By the light.
Suffer is cold.
There's colors
Searing his face.
By the light!
By the light!
By the light!
06 Dying (04:36)
We're dying
For our souls to learn
We're dying
For our souls to burn
We're dying
For our souls to learn
We're dying
07 Cause of Death (05:42)
With the dying body dead.
With the dying the coming rotting.
With the dying the coming rot.
Rot in hell religious one
Cold fate the chosen son.
Find the darkness kill the day.
You said you'd never cease saying.
We're the cause of death.
Find the one and kill the need.
You're the one to make us bleed.
Find the darkness little one.
I said you'd never cease now
We're the cause of death.
Rot in hell religious one
Cold fate the chosen son.
Find the darkness, kill the day.
You said you'd never cease saying.
With the darkness we arise.
Your hell is denied.
The powers below.
Reality's here.
With the darkness we arise.
Your hell is denied.
The powers below.
Reality's here.
08 I'm in Pain (04:54)
The killing is a mean rots in the pain
Fight for the fear of rights
The time is set scream for the help
Fly thru the darkest nights
The peeling is the skin rotting the soul
Hailing for the chosen son
Mortality the pain fear for the living
Ravage the chosen one
The darkness falls beyond the grave
Blessed ground in which they save
Even though the time has passed
Your soul is fucked in utter...
Rotting souls in fear of desperately
Serpent souls in bowels on which to feed
...is out for blood and parts
...craves the blood we're feasting on
Help me! I'm in pain!
09 Rewind (04:03)
Resign my brain.
Knows bored, minds cored.
Your fate has come rewound.
I thought the day I'd die you'd rule.
Rewind my sense.
Range choice of live expense.
Days come, nights fall.
Fix all mistakes, rule all.
When is locked in.
Set back within your realm of violence.
If you see anything, soon we'll rise.
Resign, my brain.
Knows bored, minds cored.
Your fate has come, rewound.
I said the day I'd rule you'd die.
Resign my friend.
Knows bored, minds cored.
Your fate has come rewound.
I said the day I'd rule you'd die.
11 Kill for Me (02:34)
You are coming for
You're coming to
You're killing for me
Realise
The point is
The pain comes
The body fresh
You're killing for me
Kill for me
Kill for me
Because
Life isn't fair
Because
The chance
With sight
Souls are searching for
Outside
The pain can't be ignored
All around
Lives on the
Fight is yours
Terrorised cities lost
Your world
With the permanent thoughts of hate
With their lies
Die
[Verse 1]
[Verse 2]
12 Don't Care (03:09)
Come on, don't do well
where I feed the living hearts
I got a torch to light
Feel these smelter fires burn
Chorus:
I don't care what they say !
I don't care ! I'll do what I want !
I am by your side
tell me you think what to do
No way, I don't fear
Slow down, follow in my grave
Repeat Chorus
Your ways, I despise
Go forth and get with your own kind
We've got fumes to behold
Setting, one size of fortune
Farewell to great friends
these will face the burning sun
tattoed shadows lifted
Fear not, like the burning plague !
Repeat chorus
Bright light the sear his face
Pitfalls twisted
Call me far from now
I survived through all this hell
I DON'T CARE !!!
DON'T CARE !!!!!
I really don't care !
13 Platonic Disease (04:04)
Your grips fallen.
I'm fallen, we've fallen beyond.
Expired, we've acquired platonic disease.
No jury, your cause.
Speak laws afford the bigot.
Back load myself.
Lay down the sentence of never ending said.
Platonic disease.
Platonic disease.
No jury. The pain.
The chance wronged release pain.
The stakes torn, lives cross.
Deep waters, willing loss.
Download main site.
Lay down victims right.
The fuels burnt, worlds part.
Seems like a never ending vicious cycle of death, of death.
Platonic disease.
Platonic disease.
Now see, world dies.
Strips down the face of disguise.
No rules, my way.
My way of things to say.
Your pore boils, burnt sore.
Lift off the face of wood.
Platonic disease.
Platonic disease.
Platonic disease.
Platonic disease.
14 Back From the Dead (05:55)
Fall, white light fell.
You fear, the point death sent.
Rise the dead's awake.
You, you like to find me in what's right.
Like to dream me in hell, dying.
We're back, we're back and for once more.
Like to come in to want gore.
Feel. I said rest.
You're bad, forgive him.
Rising, rot the one that's lost.
Living out what's discard.
Debating over what is right.
You're feeding the guts,
Feeling the parts
Grinding the stone
Sentenced one.
Fall, white light fell.
You fear the point death sent.
Raid, raiding out the one that lost.
Living out the ones discard.
Debating over what is right.
Like to find me in what's right.
15 Final Thoughts (04:01)
Final Thoughts
Sigh on to you just lost the blow
Sigh on to you
Sigh on to you My friend
Fell thoughts of soul's descend
Final Thoughts
Sigh on to you My friend
Might be is this the end
The pain hurts the fear inside
Kill be the weak to ride
Countdown to fossil down
Show Me the cancerous meltdown
Shallow graves in the architects of life
???
Final Thoughts
Sigh on to you My friend
Might be is this the end
Sigh on to you
Sigh on to you
Final Thoughts
16 Slowly We Rot (05:06)
Kill all!
Fight death!
Lesions fighting love.
Fight them all in a living hell.
Slowly rot and you die.
You fight death as you slowly realize.
Kill them all.
Fight death and slowly read in the love.
Fight them all, join me, slowly we rot.
Slowly we rot!
Dead to all.
Fighting as you slowly read in your love.
Fighting the sword.
The sword is your plow.
Dead to all.
Fighting as you're slowly rotting in hell.
Fight them all, join me, slowly we dwell.
Slowly we dwell!
Decharge!
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