Obituary announce remastered reissues of “Xecutioner’s Return” and “Darkest Day” for December

Florida death metal veterans Obituary are bringing two albums from their back catalogue back into circulation. Remastered editions of 2007’s “Xecutioner’s Return” and 2009’s “Darkest Day” are scheduled for release on December 11, 2026, through Relapse Records.

Both releases are being offered on vinyl, CD and cassette, with pre-orders already available through Relapse Records’ official store. Digital editions are available as well, marking the albums’ arrival on streaming services after years of limited availability.

For the band, the reissues are also a tribute to two former members. In the announcement, Obituary said they were excited that fans would finally be able to get hold of the records again, while remembering the late bassist Frank Watkins and guitarist Ralph Santolla. The group highlighted Watkins’ final recordings with Obituary and Santolla’s solos on the albums.

Watkins died in 2015 and Santolla in 2018. Their playing is an important part of this period in the band’s history. The remastered “Darkest Day” also features two bonus tracks previously released on the “Left To Die” EP: a 2008 recording of “Slowly We Rot” and a cover of Celtic Frost‘s “Dethroned Emperor”.

The reissues arrive as fans await news about the band’s next studio record. Obituary‘s most recent full-length, “Dying Of Everything”, came out in 2023 and later received a separate spatial-audio mix. No new album release date has been confirmed.

Initially known as Executioner, Obituary is one of the most successful bands in death metal history and one of the key acts in the genre’s evolution. With the exception of a five-year break from 1998 to 2003, Obituary has put out eleven studio albums and is still performing live. John Tardy, drummer Donald Tardy, rhythm guitarist Trevor Peres, bassist Terry Butler, and lead guitarist Ken Andrews make up Obituary‘s current lineup. The Tardy brothers and Peres are the only members of the band that have remained constant throughout multiple lineup changes.

Established in 1984 as Executioner in Tampa, Florida, they quickly dropped the “E” from their name to become Xecutioner after finding another band with the same name. John Tardy (lead vocals), Donald Tardy (drums), Trevor Peres (rhythm guitar), Jerome Grable (bass), and Jerry Tidwell (lead guitar) made up the band’s first lineup. Hellhammer/Celtic Frost, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Slayer, Savatage, Nasty Savage, and bands from the then-emerging Florida death metal scene—Death and Morbid Angel—all served as inspiration for the band. Between 1985 and 1987, the band issued demos under the names Executioner in 1985 and Xecutioner in 1986 and 1987. Two songs (“Find the Arise” and “Like the Dead“) from the Raging Death anthology marked their vinyl premiere in 1987.