Obituary
Inked in Blood
Relapse
Street: 10.28
Obituary = Asphyx + Death + Malevolent Creation

The legendary Tampa, Fla., ’90s-era death metal band Obituary seems like they’ve been treading in a little bit of shallow water since they reunited in the early 2000s. Maybe Inked in Blood will stir up some new, fancy buzz, because it’s the best-sounding album that the band has released since they reunited. It’s also probably the most crisply produced album. For Obituary, one of the trademark qualities of the band is having a nasty guitar tone and some blaaargh vocals. Those trademarks are not lost with the production sound, just made clearer. The ugly guitar tone exists, but it’s complemented by more clarity in the guitar leads and solos. The clarity improves the experience of listening to the record—I heard little bits and sounds from the band that are new. That new sound improves the whole quality of the new album versus the past—where the band mostly sounded like they were rehashing the classics.
–Bryer Wharton