Long considered a band that helped pioneer and shape the death metal genre in the late 80's and early 90's via such early classics as Slowly We Rot, Cause Of Death and The End Complete, the band has struggled somewhat to get back on track since reforming in 2005. While the 2007 release Xecutioner's Return was a definite improvement on their comeback disc Frozen in Time, Darkest Day their eight studio album is unfortunately a step in the wrong direction…backwards. Although we are treated once again to some absolutely meaty and frenetic lead work from guitarist Ralph Santolla, as well as John Tardy's trademark Drano coated vocals, too much of Darkest Day misses the mark and is bogged down by recycled, tired sounding riffs. Some tracks such as "Violent Dreams", "Forces Realign" and "This Life" do manage to harness some of the energy and spirit of the old days, but as a whole a large majority of these songs either sound the same or they just drag on far too long.
One cannot deny Obituary's status as death metal legends but after one listen to Darkest Day it's clear they'll have to regroup and go back to the drawing board if they have any hope of recapturing some of their past glory. If you're a fan of the band, Darkest Day isn't a complete disaster; however I wouldn't consider it to be an essential purchase either.
Track Listing
1) List Of Dead
2) Blood To Give
3) Lost Inside
4) Outside My Head
5) Payback
6) Your Darkest Day
7) This Life
8) See Me Know
9) Fields Of Pain
10) Violent Dreams
11) Truth Be Told
12) Forces Realign
13) Left To Die
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
