Bloody hell. You wait a while for band to come off their hiatus and lo and behold - suddenly the creative juices are put into overdrive! (If I had been going for that long, I’d be putting out a string of compilations!!) With the release of “Executioner’s Return” only last year, cynics could argue that maybe Obituary are cashing in on the popularity of the last disc. However, this album is not just a filler to pass the time of day. “Darkest Day" is an album that can stand alone as a solid release. I won’t even bother going down the whole route of......have they evolved? Guys and girls....this is Obituary. You like Obituary? You want Obituary? You get Obituary!! And let’s face it.....who else out there does this style of music this well? And who else has a set of lungs on them like John Tardy. Or the flowing locks for that matter!!
The production on Darkest Day is not a million miles away from that of Executioner’s Return with maybe it sounding a little more old school. But as you would expect, the sound allows the rhythm work to breathe, and Santolla’s soloing to flow. John Tardy’s voice is as always perfect, and the trademark structural work of brother Donald, Frank and Trevor admirably support the lead guitar of Santolla. Jeez.....this guy’s a gem. The extent to which some of the lead guitar work compliments the catchy rhythms, and even allows them to sound and become more effective is not to be underestimated. You would have to wonder if this album would have been as effective without him in the ranks – no disrespect to other guitarists, but Santolla is another level when it comes to killer leads.
“List of Dead” is a solid opener to the album, and “Blood to Give” is one of the expected mid paced affairs with a few surprises thrown in (drums on their own sections giving a different feel to the song compared with previous Obituary work). But for me, the standout tracks on this release are the excellent “Lost” and the infinitely catchy “Payback”. On the latter, there is a particularly nice moment after the first chants of “Payback!!” give way to a lead fill/bridge that is just killer. As you would expect for musicians that have been around the scene for a while, the arrangement of the music is what leads to the success here. It’s almost faultless, and for the listener, boredom does not get a chance to set in at any stage. Sure some of the stuff is comparable to songs previously released, but hell.....who cares? This is Obituary. It’s meant to be enjoyed; savoured and quite frankly this is music to nod your damn heads to in the most chilled out and coolest of metal ways. Are the boys still going strong? Goddamn right they are!
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http://www.peaceville.com
