Biography
This intense and disturbing death metal act originates from Brandon, Florida, USA, where they formed in 1985. After recording a single and contributing two tracks to Metal Massacre compilations as Xecutioner, they changed their name to Obituary. This was initiated by the appearance of another, inferior act, who also travelled under the Xecutioner banner. Signed to Roadrunner Records, the band's line-up at this point comprised founder members John Tardy (vocals), Donald Tardy (drums) and Trevor Peres (guitar), with new recruits Allen West (guitar) and David Tucker (bass).
Slowly We Rot, unveiled in 1989, was characterized by their vocalist's gurgling, sewer-like vocals, primarily employed as a musical instrument rather than a means of imparting lyrics, over a maelstrom of crashing power-chords and demonic drumming. Indeed, the indecipherable nature of John Tardy's outbursts helped to insure them against some of the hysterical criticisms levelled at other death metal pioneers. Cause Of Death saw the band refine their unique style, with ex-Death guitarist James Murphy and bassist Frank Watkins in place of West and Tucker, respectively. Obituary, however, continued to specialize in a hideous and brutal musical carnage, taking the death metal concept to its ultimate conclusion. West returned for World Demise, again recorded with long-time producer Scott Burns. This album revealed a more considered approach, with the occasional audible lyric from Tardy (a press statement from Peres noted, "We're serious people, and we wanna be taken seriously"). Allen West also has his own side-project, Six Feet Under, a collaboration with Cannibal Corpse's Chris Barnes. A three-year gap elapsed before Back From The Dead, during which time the band had changed their style to hardcore.
Discography:
Slowly We Rot (Roadracer 1989)***, Cause Of Death (Roadracer 1990)***, The End Complete (Roadracer 1992)***, World Demise (Roadrunner 1994)***, Back From The Dead (Roadrunner 1997)***, Dead (Live) (Roadrunner 1998)****.
Compilations:
Anthology (Roadrunner 2001)****.
Music Albums
Cause Of Death [Remaster]
Roadrunner
10/09/1998
Dead
Roadrunner
04/21/1998
World Demise [Remaster]
Roadrunner
06/23/1998
The End Complete [Remaster]
Roadrunner
06/23/1998
Slowly We Rot [Remaster]
Roadrunner
01/27/1998
Back From The Dead
Roadrunner
04/22/1997
Anthology *
Roadrunner
01/23/2001
Slowly We Rot/Cause Of Death
Roadrunner
09/09/2003
The End Complete/World Demise
Roadrunner
01/27/2004
