Review by ZeroSymbolic7188 for Obituary - Slowly We Rot (1989)
I've had the privilege of seeing Obituary twice under very different circumstances, and "Suffocation" from this album was my introduction to Death Metal.
The first time was after a 5-year hiatus, checking out wikipedia I think it was a year before they would release "Inked in Blood" so I'm guessing 2013 was the year. The show was in the middle of the week, I think late November in Grand Rapids MI. The Pyramid Scheme was the venue, and the openers were local Death N Rollers From Hell, and a grind duo called Brutal Intention. Now, on this particular night there was an awful blizzard "do not go outside or drive unless you absolutely must" type shit. However, The good hard working folks of Sterling Heights blessed me a with 5.7L Hemi and 4-Wheel drive, so I'm going to this thing. I can't overstate how brutal the cold was that day. The venue was me and maybe 20 other die hard metal heads. I recognized Terry Butler so I bought us a pitcher of beer to split and shoot the shit about Death Metal and so forth. That was very cool and a memory I will forever cherish. Obituary tore the roof off the damn place and I felt privileged to be there.
The second time was at a packed house called the Masonic Temple in Detroit. They were part of "The Great Heathen Tour"; Cattle Decapitation, Obituary, Carcass, and Headlining Amon Amarth. All bands worth your time. Obituary came out after Cattle to "Snortin' Whiskey, Drinkin' Cocaine" by the Pat Travers Band, and I have to be honest they were a bit underwhelming that particular night-that play-on was more memorable than anything else they did that night. Cattle Decap are an incredibly intense live act and tough to follow, and Carcass are just fuckin' legendary, so being sandwiched between the two was a tough position for any band to be in. Additionally they didn't play any of the classics all new material that just didn't hit the same. That being said you should still see them live if you haven't.
SLOWY WE ROT:
I always listen to this album from start to finish, I've done it many many many times, but always in this fashion. It's just such a damn fun environment to immerse oneself in. As the other Reviews for the album have stated, John Tardy is a force of nature, he has a little extra slime to his death metal grunt that is immediately distinguishable, and he has a gigantic stage presence. However, I believe the heartbeat of Obituary is actually his brother Donald on the drum throne. You see there are a few elements that make Obituary different form the typical death metal band; they are a slower and groovier affair that hangs it's hat on smooth transitions and tempo shifts. There is also a lot of blues and southern rock influence under all that guitar distortion. Other death metal bands tend to go for dissonant scales like the minor, harmonic minor, Phrygian, and Scandinavian, but Obituary are just as happy to play the blues. It all combines for a unique and satisfying Death Metal experience that only they can offer.