Inked In Blood

We generally see in the metal world types of bands that like to evolve or are quite versatile from the get go, like Opeth, or the gradual refinement but still brutal attack of Behemoth or Kreator. Then we get the other type: if it ain't broke don't fix it. Motorhead excel at this approach - after all, nobody makes Motorhead music better than they do. AC/DC is the same, although there was a bit of stylistic difference between the deceased Bon Scott, who added a leering humorous approach to the Young brother's guitar assault, whereas Brian Johnson preferred the straight out rocking dude persona, both serving the band well. In death metal, Obituary have been consistent from their first sludgy debut "Slowly We Rot" with thick guitars, a tempo that sometimes seemed like it was running in reverse, it plodded along so slowly, and the unmistakable bark/barf vocals of John Tardy, who sounded like and still sounds like no other. That's probably the most recognizable feature, his bizarre yelping that sometimes sounds like he's losing his lunch, but after many equally bludgeoning likable albums, Obituary took a little time off, and now have released their newest slab of death, "Inked In Blood." There are a few sonic differences here. It starts out pounding away, and in fact the overall tempos are faster and varied, while the guitars retain their signature sound. The production is a bit sharper this time out, which is a good thing, because it would be easy for Obituary to sink under its own weight if it didn't have a crisper sound. There are a few galloping rhythms this time, and the Tardy brothers show they are going nowhere any time soon, showing younger death bands a thing or two about the genre they helped pioneer, along with the legendary Death, Cannibal Corpse and "Arise-era" Sepultura, when that band for one glorious album left thrash behind and produced one of the greatest death metal albums in the history of the style before going more commercial with "Chaos A.D." In fact, Obituary has a sound closer to "Arise" than anything else, but a tad thicker, for those keeping score. Overall, "Inked In Blood", while it doesn't reveal much new, is, like other Obituary albums, dependable, furious death metal with a respect for Sabbath buried in there. And kudos to Don Tardy and his wife, who are animal rights activists who fight against animal cruelty. Death metal with heart.

Obituary are alive and well after 25+ years. If you ever liked Obituary you still will and if you didn't you still won't. This CD has that classic Obituary style and like most bands still making music after 10-15 years offers nothing new or ground breaking or even unheard on a previous release of their own. The guitars are heavy, the vocals are killer and the drums pounding though very few lead guitars at all. The recording seems a bit low compared to many modern releases, but it is thick and heavy. I would say this album sounds the most like The End Complete in sound/structure, but does tend to drag on and get tired. The digipak has 14 songs, so it's a good value.

THIS IS A 5 STAR REVIEW FOR THE MUSIC but... DELUXE VERSION MY @$$! Hence a major reason why only 4 stars. But let me sum up my review of Obituary's release titled 'Inked In Blood' with... This is a must have release!!!Since I have no way to rate the physical product separately, I knock off a star on the over all rating. I would given the physical product itself a 3 star review at best, maybe 2.5 and I almost did click for 3 stars (I seriously considered it). As for the sound production on it, I would give that a 4 star rating. Yes, I know, I'm so awful for considering and almost giving this an overall 3 star rating. But it's because of the problems, not the music itself. I choose 4 stars because the music is just too damn good to butcher it like that.Yes, the music is excellent. I can't stop myself from playing this every day, all day. And that gives me a very mixed feeling about this release. While my favorite Obituary release has always been The End Complete and this ranks right up there with it for my tastes, there is an annoying aspect of the recording that I just can't so easily ignore. Along with this, the physical product does some things very wrong while other things are done well.First the physical product:THERE IS NO BOOKLET INSIDE!!!! No internet address to obtain lyrics or other info inside this either! All you get is a shaped sticker of the torso you see on the cover (which is a cool extra), a disc, and a tri-fold of cardboard flaps that have a minimal amount of text on them. Yes, this is a digi-pak for lack of better way to describe it. At least the disc snaps into it instead of sliding into a sleeve in the flaps like the new Judas Priest 'deluxe version' album release does. So at least you won't get a scratched disc. But not even an insert with lyrics, thanks list, etc? I thought when I first got this I had gotten a bad copy. I searched all over to find out if this was true but no, it's meant to be more bared boned than the skeletons in my closet. Well, maybe not so bare boned as that... you do get a STICKER!!! @_@The art is terrible, it's a killer idea that looks much better when holding it than it does in these photos online but it comes off looking like something from a B horror video game title. It's cheap and cheesy looking, not something fitting for such a great and serious sounding music release. If this is the art they wanted to use, I wish they would have just zoomed in on the chest as that part of it is KILLER! Maybe even have skinned the chest and have that hanging on the cool looking butcher's barn wall in the back (now that would have blew me away to see). The torso art, printed text of the logos, song titles, and band names have a nice shiny gloss that's really cool to see.Next, the production:I don't have a mega stereo system but I do have a pretty damn good sounding one that probably has a sound similar to the average music lover reading this that is not exactly a rich person. With that said, the music has a great quality, a great production with one annoying flaw (that I am getting used to). The music sounds as if there is a pillow over my speakers. Well, maybe not quite that bad, maybe a blanket over them. Now the louder this is cranked, the less noticeable this is. That's fine as music like this should be cranked high but that's not always possible, especially in some situations when I play it. Even when fully cranked to levels it should be appreciated at, I can only imagine how much better it could be sounding if not for this one sound issue. It's not a big thing but it took me a couple days to start getting used to it. I didn't notice this on my PC sound system before I purchased it, which is a cheaper setup.Finally, the music itself:This is where 'Inked In Blood' shines. My all time favorite release from the band is The End Complete and this one ranks up there with that title, to my ears that is. Like that release, it's not all about speed complexity, it's about damn good brutal song writing. It has some speed complexity on it but it also has some more simple (but not too simple) and slow crushing playing on it as well. Each song stands out and on it's own very well unlike many songs on some death metal releases. You will notice this upon first play in your stereo. There's no one song that just sort of bleeds into the next for what sometimes sounds like one big, long track when such is the case. The guitar solo parts are not haphazardly thrown in either, they are an important part of the song structures. This is something else I appreciate much. The music has a deep rich sound to it. The vocals still sound like a corpse screaming from the pain of a rotting process in it's body. The drums are hammering, the bass roaring, and other guitars grinding out riffs that sound as beautifully rotten as the smell of a month old cadaver that's been left lying on steamy swamp grounds. This is how Obituary was meant to sound, again, IMO.The bonus tracks on this 'deluxe version' are decent but nothing great. They are well done live studio re-recordings (Morrisound Studios, Tampa, Florida) of the classic Slowly We Rot songs 'Intoxicated' and 'Bloodsoaked'. It makes sense to label them as bonus tracks, but it's not reason enough to call this a "deluxe version". Those extra tracks aren't something I would miss but I am happy to have them. Some liner notes on these bonus tracks (and all tracks for that matter) would have been a nice touch for this "deluxe version".There is not a single song I dislike. Even my favorite Obituary release of 'The End Complete' had some songs I didn't care for, but not this release. All are good tunes with some being EXCEPTIONAL! My personal favorite tracks, the ones I find to be exceptional and recommend you check out first are: track 4 (Visions In My Head) and track 7 (Inked In Blood). There's a good chance you already heard those before this release so my favorites after those two are track 5 (Back On Top) and Track 8 (Deny You). Interesting to note is the riff at the start of track 10 (Minds Of The World). I almost thought I was hearing a much faster Crazy Train (Ozzy) for the first couple seconds, LOL. This song too is a runner up to my favorite two tracks on this release.Now let me say again.... this is a must have release!!! You just may want to consider the digital version if it's considerably cheaper to buy considering the bare bones crap of a product it's shipped with. I hope they do a re-release of this in a jewel case with a booklet. If they do, even if it is a standard version, I guess I will go for the double dip and buy again...The songs are just that good.

So here we have album number nine from death metal titans Obituary. First of all, this album was backed by the fans on a Kickstarter campaign and it reached it's full goal - this just hammers the point home that Obituary are still relevant and a force to be reckoned with. The cool thing about this album is what you actually do and don't get with the listening experience - there's no over-compressed drums, pitch perfect vocals, etc. What you do get is a very realistic performance from a band who've been doing this since the latter half of the 1980s and they STILL smash it to bits and are STILL schooling a LOT of modern death metal bands. Standout tracks? Well, for me - Visions In My Head and Violence, but that's just my preference. The entire album is great and definitely one of those where you cannot justify skipping a track because there are no bad songs on this disc...oh and it's definitely they're goriest artwork to date on the cover (so you may want to hide this from your nan if she pops round - just sayin').

The first thing that springs to my mind about Obituary is consistency, even after a 6 year hiatus Frozen in Time and then Xecutioners Return picked up where the band were at previously back in 1997, their trademarked downtuned guitars and slow heavy riffs can pummel even the most hardened metal ears,personally my favourite is Cause of Death but the popular choice has always been Slowly We Rot (I have it on Vinyl, bought back in 1989 when it was released) I just prefer CoDFrozen in Time and Xecutioners Return have been solid if unspectacular releases and to be honest Inked In Blood is more of the same, I think with Obituary your either a fan or it does nothing for you, but if down tuned Death Metal that pummels right to the heart valves floats the boat then this is a perfect way to get your fix of morbid stenched Florida Death Metal, overlook the pedestrian moments as Inked In Blood shines and its heavyweight nature will satisfy all old school Death Metallers...................

This band is not one of my favorites which turns my review impartial. Good songs from one of the first bands of the style, these pioneers have nothing to add for now but who cares? They have been doing this kind of extreme music for thirty years and it is important to do what you like, not what the media entices you to make. It is just pure death metal done by guys who love their functions and play live every year for a lot of metalheads with joy. I am a punk rocker but I admit I have a kind of crush on death metal bands so to me that is all right when somebody puts a good made album on the shelves. If you like death metal you will have to buy this CD just to listen and enjoy yourself for a few dozen minutes...

Having loved the late 80s /early 90s Obituary classics but been underwhelmed by much of their work since I didn't have massive hopes for Inked in Blood, however it's now an album I keep coming back to. The groove is back in spades and it feels like the band have renewed energy. Violent by Nature, Visions in my Head and Violence are personal favourites but this is a record where I don't need the skip tracks (or move the needle in the case of vinyl version)

Good cd