Now available for streaming Obituary’s set at Dynamo Metalfest

A professionally recorded video of Obituary‘s complete performance on August 16, 2025, at the Dynamo Metalfest in Eindhoven, Netherlands, is available for streaming, as per Blabbermouth.

Following their rebranding from Xecutioner to Obituary, the band’s career commenced as one of the most prominent and influential groups within the Death Metal genre. Originating from Florida, the band comprised John Tardy (vocals), Donald Tardy (drums), Trevor Peres (guitar), Allen West (guitar), and Daniel Tucker (bass). They signed with Roadracer Records, a now-defunct division of Roadrunner, to produce their debut album, the heavily weighty “Slowly We Rot” (1989). This album was engineered by Scott Burns at Morrisound Studio, which became a premier facility for Death Metal production during the genre’s ascension in the 1990s. Contrasting earlier death metal works, the album featured a sludgy tone and incorporated slow, crushing sections alongside aggressive, relentless passages. The result was a visceral experience that appealed to fans of doom, death, and thrash metal, combining high-intensity speed with slow, oppressive elements. Obituary’s sound was unprecedented at the time, offering a unique auditory experience that set them apart from contemporaries.

“Slowly We Rot” presented a chaotic, bass-heavy blend of frenetic guitar solos and crashing percussion. Its defining feature was vocalist John Tardy’s disturbingly visceral, gargling vocal technique, which created deep, guttural zones of dread unmatched in the genre.

The band’s capacity to drastically alter tempo became a hallmark, complemented by Tardy’s distinctive vocal style, setting them apart from other emerging Florida Death Metal bands. This distinction is particularly evident in the prophetic title track of their debut album.

Obituary’s decision not to include lyric sheets in their releases led to speculation that they did not compose explicit lyrics. Nonetheless, dedicated fans internalized every grunt, growl, and grimace, treating each vocalization as a divine utterance, despite its lack of documentation.

A live performance served as a testament to their auditory re-creation, emphasizing the visceral impact of their sound. The juxtaposition of intense sensory assault and imaginative engagement distinguished their concerts, blending graphic brutality with a sense of pleasurable ambiguity.

Obituary demonstrated an ability to synthesize seemingly contradictory elements, from their slow yet ferociously fast musical style to their non-malevolent, homegrown approach within the broader Death Metal movement.