OBITUARY — Back From the Dead (review)

OBITUARY — Back From the Dead album cover Album · 1997 · Death Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
UMUR
"Back From the Dead" is the 5th full-length studio album by US, Florida based death metal act Obituary. The album was released through Roadrunner Records in March 1997. It´s the successor to "World Demise" from 1994 and it would be the last studio album in the band´s original run as they would go on a longer hiatus in the years 1997-2003. It´s the first Obituary album not to be produced by Scott Burns and not to be recorded at Morrisound Recording, Tampa, Florida, as the band instead tapped Jaime Locke to co-produce the album with the band, and opted to record the material for the album at Criteria Recording, Miami, Florida.

Stylistically the sound and style of "Back From the Dead" are in many ways similar to the sound and style of "The End Complete (1992)" (although the production style is a bit different). "World Demise (1994)" took the band´s music in a slightly different direction and also introduced slightly more "serious" lyrics dealing with among other things environmental issues. The material on "Back From the Dead" is back to the gore/horror/violence themed death metal of the band´s early releases. The music is ultra heavy death metal, featuring crushingly heavy and groove oriented riffs and rhythms, but also the occasionally faster paced part (opening track "Threatening Skies" is an example of a track featuring a relatively high pace in the context of Obituary). There is a focus on simplicity and heaviness, and of course the ultra brutal and distinct sounding growling vocals by John Tardy. Lead guitarist Allen West delivers his usual screaming chromatic solos.

Although the band try their hand at adding rap vocals to the "Bullituary (remix)" track (and aren´t very successful at that), which is definitely a new feature in their music, the material on "Back From the Dead" are otherwise classic Obituary. You could argue that "Back From the Dead" is the album where they stopped developing their sound and instead began rehashing ideas, but I don´t appreciate the negative implications of the word rehash, so let me instead rephrase that to the band using a tried and true formula to produce high quality death metal the way only Obituary can do it. There´s nothing wrong with using songwriting ideas you´ve used before, if you implement those ideas in strong and powerful material, and that´s what Obituary do here.

The sound production was the least bottom heavy production on an Obituary album up until then, but "Back From the Dead" is still a well produced album, featuring a sharp, raw, and detailed sound production, which suits the material perfectly. Other than their failed attempt at producing a rap metal track (which thankfully closes the album and therefore can be skipped), Obituary prove once again why they are one of the most unique and successful artists in death metal. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.
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