OBITUARY — Inked in Blood (review)

OBITUARY — Inked in Blood album cover Album · 2014 · Death Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
UMUR
"Inked in Blood" is the 9th full-length studio album by US, Florida based death metal act Obituary. The album was released through Gibtown Music/Relapse Records in October 2014. It´s been 5 years since the release of "Darkest Day (2009)", and there have been a couple of lineup changes since as guitarist Ralph Santolla has been replaced by Kenny Andrews and longtime bassist Frank Watkins has been replaced by Terry Butler (Death, Massacre, Six Feet Under). "Inked in Blood" is available in a regular 12 track, 49:04 minutes long version, and in a deluxe edition featuring 2 bonus tracks.

Stylistically there can be 5 or 10 years between Obituary releasing a new album, it´s always going to sound unmistakably like them. That´s certainly the case with "Inked in Blood" too, which features classic Obituary virtues in gory lyrics/cover artwork, ultra heavy yet groove laden downtuned riffs, the occasional screaming whammy bar solo, heavy rhythms (and occasionally faster ones), and John Tardy´s signature brutal growling vocals in front. There´s very little new here (which is probably great news to most fans of the band) besides John Tardy singing a clean vocal line in the opening minute of "Back on Top", but considering the usual musical conservatism of Obituary, that actually is what I´d characterize as a jaw dropping moment.

The material on the album are generally of high quality and to my ears "Inked in Blood" is one of the more varied and memorable Obituary releases. Some of the standout tracks are "Centuries of Lies", "Visions in My Head", "Deny You" and "Minds of the World". The sound production is overall of high quality. It´s powerful, raw, and brutal although the triggered bass drum sound could have prospered from a more organic tone. So upon conclusion "Inked in Blood" is yet another quality release by one of the legends of the genre and a 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.
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