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There are two types of KISS: Knights In Satan’s Service, and Keep It Simple, Stupid. The latter should be branded on many a metal musician’s hand. How many times have you dismissed some masturbatory tech nonsense, thinking “I get it, you practice a lot, now how about you write a good fucking song?” Iommi wrote a three-note riff and created heavy metal; Judas Priest, Mercyful Fate and Venom sped it up and created just about everything else. While talent is still the primary component for the majority of legendary metal bands, regardless of genre, the best of them have always put songs and riffs ahead of virtuosity. We should all be thankful for that.
Death metal, unfortunately, is a genre littered with technical prodigies who can play circles around other musicians, yet can’t write a memorable song to save their seven-stringed lives. Yet fear not, for Obituary is still here. They are the Misfits of death metal: simple, fun, and best enjoyed with a crowd. Unlike their peers in Death, Morbid Angel, and Carcass, they never strayed far from the Celtic Frost/Possessed roots of first-wave death metal, and this is a good thing. Walls of monolithic riffs, an unstoppable rhythm section, and the original “vokills” delivery add up to a band no one can touch. (Try to name more than two or three other bands that are “Obituary clones”.) While their recent output is less excellent than their early greats, their legend is already cemented. These are their 10 best songs.
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10. “Insane” – Frozen in Time
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The three albums Obituary have done since reforming are all decent, but none have the staying power of the first five. “Insane” is the best example of the band being on point in their second act; all the classic Obituary staples are present, and the self-production sounds great. It’s hard to admit that they might be repeating themselves at this point, but I would never hold it against them: with the incredible songs and subsequent memories they’ve provided me, this band is solid gold.
9. “I’m in Pain” – The End Complete
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“I’m in Pain” captures everything great about Obituary: the sludgy neck-pickup riff/dive-bomb solo introduction, more excellent riffs complemented by Don Tardy’s impeccable drumming, and his brother John growling about, you know, death and graveyards. The last minute changes things up a bit with some off-time beats that are against type for the band, but work perfectly in the context of the song.
8. “Final Thoughts” – World Demise
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A shotgun blast and a badass one-chord riff: could a song start off more metal than this? The double-time chug that plows through the middle section destroys all in its path, and “So long to you” might be the harshest good-bye to a suicide victim ever.
7. “Chopped in Half” – Cause of Death
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Obituary stepped it up with second album Cause of Death, due in no small part to the amazing James Murphy filling in for Allen West on lead guitar. His solos add to the power of the songs rather than take away from it, as evidenced here. The other new addition was Frank Watkins on bass, and his style of following the guitars more than the drums added a new dynamic, most noticeable on “Chopped In Half”.
6. “Don’t Care” – World Demise
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Some point to World Demise as the band’s first weak album, but it’s my personal favorite. “Don’t Care” is Obituary’s first anthem, with almost every word a middle finger to a toxic, melting world: “Your ways, I despise / Go forth and get with your own kind / We’ve got fumes to behold.” And just listen to those fills!
5. “Threatening Skies” – Back from the Dead
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Start the circle pit – “Threatening Skies” is just a balls-out rager from start to finish. Ironically, Back from the Dead is the title they gave an album that came before an eight-year hiatus. The album is patchy overall, but this tune slays. And if anyone can figure out what the lyrics mean (“You’ve found once, live wise / The taste to come, we’ll go.” What the fuck?) please tell me.
4. “’Til Death” – Slowly We Rot
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The fade-in, the tribal drums, the growls… you know something awesome is coming. This song was made for headbanging, with a “zombie stomp” half-time break in the middle so you can catch your breath and shotgun a beer.
3. “Cause of Death” – Cause of Death
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Believe it or not, there are actual lyrics to this song, but you’d be hard pressed to decipher anything without a lyric sheet. Vocalist John Tardy has admitted to just writing stuff that sounds cool without much “deeper” meaning, and that’s fine. Obituary only need to write tunes you can rock the fuck out to. Whether it’s the slow dirges or mid-tempo thrash parts, “Cause of Death” fulfills that need.
2. “The End Complete” – The End Complete
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The title track from The End Complete solidifies the connection between Obituary and the numerous hardcore bands that have cited them as an influence. Putting aside the solos and more technical drum parts, this band is all about the lockstep groove.
1. “Slowly We Rot” – Slowly We Rot
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The first 90 seconds are a cult sacrifice, the blind dead looking out over the bow of their ghost ship. Deliberate, menacing, consuming – and then it’s time for a circle pit. This is the song that put Obituary on the map, and represents everything they would become. I doubt they’ve ever left it off a setlist.
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Speaking of setlists: on their upcoming tour (featuring a reunited Broken Hope!), Obituary will play a set comprised of songs requested by fans via Facebook and Twitter. What song(s) would you pick?
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Upcoming Obituary tour dates with Broken Hope, Decrepit Birth, Jungle Rot, and Encrust
September 08
Haven Lounge
Orlando, Florida
September 10
Empire
Springfield, Virginia
September 11
Gramercy Theatre
New York, New York
September 12
Bogie’s
Albany, New York
September 13
Imperial
Quebec City, QC, Canada
September 14
Foufounes Electriques
Montreal, QC, Canada
September 15
The Opera House
Toronto,ON, Canada
September 16
Peabody’s
Cleveland, Ohio
September 17
Reggie’s Rock Club
Chicago, Illinois
September 19
Osborne Village Inn
Winnipeg, MB, Canada
September 20
The Exchange
Regina, SK, Canada
September 21
Pawn Shop
Edmonton, AB, Canada
September 22
The Level Nightclub
Kelowna, BC, Canada
September 23
Studio Seven
Seattle, Washington
September 25
The Alley
Reno, Nevada
September 25
DNA Lounge
San Francisco, California
September 27
Key Club
West Hollywood, California
September 28
El Ray Theatre
Albuquerque, New Mexico
September 29
Trees
Dallas, Texas
I demand a Top 10 Dismember or Deicide song list next.
Not from me!
1. Casket Garden
2. Dreaming In Red
3. Override Of Overture
4. I Saw Them Die
5. Skin Her Alive
6. Let The Napalm Rain
7. In Death’s Sleep
8. Collection By Blood
9. Skinfather
10. Bred For War
Done.
Deicide, quick n easy.
1-9: The Stench of Redemption
10: Lunatic of God’s Creation
blam.
I think you meant:
1-8. Legion
9. “Lunatic of God’s Creation”
10. “Deicide”
Glad to see “Casket Garden” atop your list, Carm. They have so many greats to choose from, but that one is a straight-up anthem.
I saw Dismember once in 2006, and that is the heaviest song they played live!
Saw them on the same tour and had the same reaction. The relative ‘openness’ of that tune really allows that guitar tone room to shine.
i remember the very first time i saw dismember live, it was a nuclear blast show case. i remember matti karki saying : this is a new song ! will be on our next album. and then they played casket garden ! man ! i still get all giddy when i hear that song.
Chopped in Bleeaaaaaaarrrrgggh! That’s my number one; I’d be happy if they played that 15 times straight in lieu of a setlist. Though… Final Thoughts gets the blood pumping in a different way. Fuck, all these songs kill. This tour can’t come quickly enough.
Technically sir, that line is ‘ah-chopped in haaaaarv-ugh’. 2 years ago I legged it to the pharmacy for a pregnancy test (a week before my wedding) and didn’t realise until I was on my way home that I was wearing my cause of death t shirt (with ‘chopped in half’ in blood on the reverse. How white trash is that?
Not long before that I was watching an obituary set in glasgow-not a particularly well chosen set, frustratingly light on c.o.d with ‘chopped’ played as a medley. Mid way through they played their cover of ‘dethroned emperor’. Collective shit was lost and I swear that i cracked a rib. The guy that spear tackled me was pushing 50.
Also:Turned inside out, ffs.
Chopped in Half as #1 for me as well. No love for the title track on World Demise, though? Love those electronic drum breaks, or whatever they are. So much groove, so unexpected.
I’m a big fan of “Dying.” The fact that Murphobituary could pull off what is basically a mid-tempo death metal instrumental so well still boggles my mind.
Turned Inside Out is my favorite underrated Obituary tune, I just love how slow to mid-paced the song is and lets the drums and guitars breathe.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aoD2cXM3Dc
The End Complete!
Been a while since Obituary toured. They usually tour with knockout acts the last few years: Napalm Death, Unleashed, Goatwhore, Krisiun, The Berzerker, etc. plus they played a killer set after Entombed at MDF in 2010. Super stoked for this tour! Broken Hope and Encrust are repping Chicago hard!
I am beyond excited to see Broken Hope. One of my earliest death metal “gateway” bands. Them reuniting out of the blue was a pleasant surprise.
I totally agree about World Demise, Chris. Underrated album and my favorite from their catalog. The title track would’ve topped my version of this list.
I share reviewer’s sentiment about World Demise.
Intoxicated and Bloodsoaked are personal favorite of mine. I’ve never heard them live. Keeping my fingers crossed that it might happen this tour.
how the hell you leave out “Dying?”….that’s the best one
The hardest thing about Deicide would be deciding what order to put the tracks from s/t in.
While “Circle of the Tyrants” probably doesn’t count because it’s a cover, it still deserves honorable mention. I’d rather hear Obituary play it than Celtic Frost.
Gates to Hell always gets the juices flowing for me in the morning.
All of these are great (especially “Chopped in Half”), but “Back to One” is my favorite.
Yes! Back to One just crushes bones!
World Demise is my favorite Obituary album too. I’m really glad Final Thoughts is on this list. Thumbs up !
Great list! But you forgot one: Dying.
What about In the End of Life? I could listen to this dumb riff slow down all day.
Intoxicated! It’s a sublime track, that massive rolling drum intro, the hyper spreed gallop out of the gates, and then thunder shrouded mid paced chug, squalls of guitar, a fucking bad arse change up and some great divebombs and amazing soloing. Great track, I could go on for hours describing the things to love about this epic thrasher.
Intoxicated; Infected (best intro ever); The End Complete (17 fake outs! Has to be some kind of world record); Burned In (after that nearly unbearable crescendo, that neck-breaking slow groove!), Godly Beings (the pitch shifted vocals kill me every time), Dying (when the drummer in my band didn’t show up, me and the guitarist would switch instruments and play this all night, never got tired of it); Dead Silence (“The decay of rotting meat.” And the way John spits out all his consonants…)
They defined death metal for a decade as far as I was concerned.