Review by Ben for Obituary - Slowly We Rot (1989)

Although Obituary have turned out to be tiresome over the years, their entrance into the death metal genre was grand indeed. Armed with a vocalist that could tear your face off from 100 metres, these guys unleashed Slowly We Rot onto an unsuspecting scene without any concern for our health or sanity. This was filthy, messed up, death metal with a groove to go. I think along with Autopsy and Carcass, Obituary were hugely influential when it comes to just how grotesque and dirty death metal could get.

The riffs are of the slower end of the spectrum, being dark and malevolent. The leads have never been exceptional for Obituary, apart from when James Murphy was part of the band. But it's without a doubt, John Tardy's vocals that stand out. Many consider him to be the best death metal vocalist out there and he's not far from it. His sound is pure unadulterated anguish and evil, just the way it's supposed to be in this wonderful world of death metal.

It's hard to pick out highlights from the album as generally it's all solid in quality. I do enjoy the first 4 or 5 tracks a touch more than the rest, but the remaining tracks certainly don't drop the ball. Obituary would get better on their next classic Cause of Death, but no death metal fan should go without Slowly We Rot in their collection. It's just one of those important, influential albums that still holds up today.