formed in 1984 in Tampa, Florida, originally under the name Executioner, the band created a style that was characterized with dense groove based detuned riffs and the inhuman howl of frontman John Tardy. On early recordings Tardy dispensed with language entirely for his vocal approach, and instead made guttural, indecipherable noises that fit the music perfectly.

 

Inspired by local heroes like Nasty Savage and Savatage, as well as the primitive approach of Hellhammer/Celtic Frost, Obituary made an instant impact and reached a global audience via their appearance (under the name ‘Xecutioner’) on the Godly Records seminal ‘Raging Death’ compilation in 1987.

 

Their debut album ‘Slowly We Rot’ blew minds everywhere, pushing the death metal envelope further with the brutality of the vocal approach and the intensity of the music. However, the follow up ‘Cause of Death’ (bolstered by the addition of guitar whizzkid James Murphy to the ranks) raised the bar with a superior production, iconic artwork and a dark atmosphere permeating tracks like ‘Chopped In Half’ and ‘Turned Inside Out’.

 

Having toured internationally, the band released their third album ‘The End Complete’ in 1992 and continued their ascent, selling over 100,000 copies of the record in the US alone. By the time of 1994’s ‘World Demise’, the band were experimenting with less horror fixated topics and adding an industrial tinge to their sound.

 

This release is complimented with the addition of liner notes from writer David Gehlke, who has written Turned Inside Out, the official biography of Obituary. Housed in a sturdy slipcase box, the CDs are replicated jewel case versions of the original pressings (with additional bonus tracks) and are complimented by four reproduction postcards featuring classic images of the band.