Band:	Obituary
Album:	Inked In Blood
Style:	Death metal
Release date:	October 2014

01. Centuries Of Lies
02. Violent By Nature
03. Pain Inside
04. Visions In My Head
05. Back On Top
06. Violence
07. Inked In Blood
08. Deny You
09. Within A Dying Breed
10. Minds Of The World
11. Out Of Blood
12. Paralyzed With Fear
13. Intoxicated [Deluxe Edition bonus]
14. Bloodsoaked [Deluxe Edition bonus]

One could be forgiven for ignoring Obituary's new album Inked In Blood. After all, how different can one expect it to be, given that the band effectively stalled their sound in 1990 and seldom bothered adding anything new? In some ways they would be right, but Inked In Blood somewhat rejuvenates the Obituary sound.

On the surface this is the Obituary we all know. However, there are some differences that make this a far more interesting release then the last spate of Obituary comeback albums.

Firstly, whilst the sound is typical Obituary in many ways, it actually sounds bouncier and more upbeat than usual. The key here is the production. The drum sound is far less flat than on previous albums. The guitar sound is trademark Obituary, but again sounds more immediate and energetic. And there are some delicious riffs and solos.

Secondly, the music is slightly groovier and, dare I say it, occasionally more melodic. There seems to be slightly more nods to thrash and conventional heavy metal with less pure death metal than on some of their previous efforts. There are still a few typical Obituary plodding dirges, especially in the middle of the album. They are not bad per se and the production helps, but one wishes they had a bit more pizazz.

In some ways Inked In Blood reminds me of Bolt Thrower's Those Once Loyal, in that whilst the music is essentially the same as always, subtle changes in sound and song writing result in a far more enjoyable listening experience than some of their previous newer albums. However, unlike Bolt Thrower's brilliant swansong, Obituary don't quite nail it due to occasionally derivative song writing and due to the fact that the makeover is in many ways more cosmetic than the deeper structural changes that Bolt Thrower underwent.

So five years after the rather average Darkest Days, Obituary find themselves rejuvenated on Inked In Blood. This is an album that won't disappoint long time fans and shows the old beast still has some life in it.