The Classic Metal Album Reviews:
Title: Cause of Death
Artist: Obituary
Label: Roadrunner Records
Release Date: 1990

Rating: 5 Skulls
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    • Reviewed by Equinox:
    Obituary's Cause Of Death was one of the most hotly anticipated albums in the history of metal. Following up their successful debut Slowly We Rot, fans were rabid for more of that Floridian Death Metal sound, their appetites having been whetted by the sensational first release. Greater things were expected from the Obies' sophomore effort, and not only did the band deliver, but they went far, far beyond anyone's expectations to produce an album which was nearly perfect; an album that would stand for more than a decade as THE measuring stick to which all subsequent death metal albums would be compared. This release also showed a slight stylistic change for the band as well (musically, that is -- the band still maintained their mandatory tight jeans, metal t's and puffy white high-tops), and just how effective such a change could be. The songwriting formula which Obituary had adhered to on Slowly was still evident, but now sounded more polished and a lot more mature -- the band was coming into their own.

    Cause Of Death featured a new line-up for the band; still here were the Brothers Tardy and rhythm guitarist/co-mastermind Trevor "The Skull" Peres, but MIA bassist Daniel Tucker had been replaced with Frank Watkins, and, following in the footsteps of the recently-departed Allen West came a gentleman by the name of James Murphy. What a boon it was for the band to be able to replace West with such an accomplished, sensational six-stringer. Murphy's liquid soloing served as the perfect equalizer-- the beauty to Obituary's beast, so to speak. They could maintain their crushing brutality yet add a definite balance and class. Alas, this would be his only recording with the band, as Mr. West would soon return to the Obituary fold, and Mr. Murphy would go on to join Cancer, create his own fantastic band Disincarnate, and eventually explore the depths of his wizardry with a solo career.

    For now, however, the band was solid, and focused on creating pure aural devastation. Cause Of Death was the absolute embodiment of Obituary's desire to musically maim everyone in earshot. The minatory, opening knell of "Infected" serves as a stern warning to all listeners to brace their respective selves for the onslaught to come, then the song swoops in with pummelling double bass rumbling, slashed apart by furious speed-picking and the sickening cries of John Tardy, who took death metal singing to gruesome new heights with his trademark, tortured, "interpret how you will" vocal style. Tardy's terrifying screams plow into the next track "Body Bag", a Jeckyl-and-Hyde of a song, initially riding the strength of one of the album's many simple-yet-effective, memorable riffs before the pounding halts abruptly and is followed by a collection of lonely, dirge-like chords. Songs like this are Obituary's bread and butter, and here they are at their best. The primarilly instrumental "Chopped In Half" is next to rear its ugly head, commencing with perhaps the most recognizable three notes in death metal and finishing with a pulverizing blend of stop-start double bass and highly technical, free-flowing solo virtuosity. The mix is perfect, and the sound is absolutely huge and oppressively dense, yet immaculate and ferociously sharp and crisp. Production-wise, this is Scott Burns' finest hour, not only here but on the album as a whole.

    Obituary pay homage to Celtic Frost, undoubtedly the band's single biggest influence, with their crushing rendition of the CF classic "Circle Of The Tyrants", then it's on to another indisputable classic, but this time it's one of their own ghastly creations -- the nightmarish "Dying", with its unrelenting chug-chug intro and slower-than-absolute-zero culmination. As an added treat for the most hardcore of fans, there's a re-recorded version of "Find The Arise", a throwback to the band's days as Xecutioner, previously available only on the demo and the rare Raging Death compilation LP. The title track "Cause Of Death" is yet another true gem, starting sentimentally with a heart-melting solo, then jumping on the racehorse, galloping from riff to riff with seamless transitions. "Memories Remain" and "Turned Inside Out" complete the sonic journey, each song full of grotesque Tardy-isms, solid percussion and unforgettable guitarwork that makes me want to grow my hair long again.

    Simply stated, Cause Of Death is the dictionary definition of death metal. It single-handedly solidified Obituary's position at the pinnacle of the early Nineties death metal mountain, and is a sterling example of the amazing music being created by the band at their zenith, before their slow mid-Nineties slide led them into semi-obscurity. Since that time, there have surely been thousands of death metal releases, some faster, some heavier, some more technical, but to this day, none possess as much of that "certain something", that intangible magic that makes Cause Of Death the very best pure death metal release of all time.
    5 out of 5

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