Obituary - Frozen In Time

After a 5 year hiatus Florida’s much love and heralded death metal are back from the dead (pun intended). To say Frozen in Time was much anticipated is a huge understatement, as Obituary was untouchable in their prime. While 1997's Back from the Dead and its predecessor, 1994's World Demise (damn, its been awhile!) were a bit under the bar quality wise, Obituary's first 3 records will forever reign as some of metals most powerful releases. So, in the light, how does the Frozen compare? Will a more apt album title there probably isn't, Obituary return with a record that left me a bit indifferent. Blame the less than stellar production handled by the band and long time retired producer Scott Burns who was brought back to assist the Obi's. Obituary was also about that crushing, bottom heavy sound. Imagine the End Complete without it and you'd have a pretty tame record. Although Frozen in Times doesn't suffer from a terrible production, it's missing that crucial heaviness that lessens the songs impact on the listener. All the ingredients are here though. John Tardy's trademark growl, Donald Tardy's precise drumming and the twin Celtic Frost attack of Allen West and Trevor Peres. To bad you really can't hear Frank Watkins though. The other thing that struck me was after all these years, Obituary's trademark sound doesn't have the same effect, and although the band is writing material that would be virtually interchangeable on all the records (check out the single track Insane, probably the best track on the record), its starts to get boring really fast. Trust me you, I was really looking forward to this record like everyone else. But unfortunately it won’t be the record from their catalog I come back to often.