Written by:	graywolf87
Published:	November 07, 2007
Event:	Obituary: N. American Tour
Location:	B.B. King, New York, NY, USA

I waited for this concert a long long time 'til the day arrived at BB Kings. The whole place at first was infected with Hardcore Metal fans and only a few Death Metal guys killing time waiting for the big event there (including me and my friends). I mentioned Hardcore music because of the first bands that played there, but still can't understand why they had to bring/play Hardcore. For such an old respected Death Metal band I believe they deserved better openers to at least keep the Death Metal spirit alive. Well...we decided to step outside and wait there for an hour and a half until the first show ended. We weren't the only ones out there killing time waiting for Obituary either, there were many like us hanging out outside and all wearing Obituary shirts. Then I realized how big things were going to get once Obituary appeared.

We entered the place once again and got there just when the guy from Alabama Thunderpussy was executing his solo, let me tell you for a Death Metal fan the guys weren't that bad especially the guitarist whose sound was clean as hell showing great musicianship on stage...I give credit to the guy for that. Everything was going on fine till suddenly coming out from nothingness I look to my right side and see Ralph Santolla walking toward us, he seemed like a cool guy but he looked really drunk for some reason. Minutes later I see Frank Watkins walking by close to us...what where they doing? I don't know but Frank looked quite pissed off...like always I would say. By the time Obituary was getting ready to start the show, tons of people from outside gathered by the center of the stage and suddenly the place was totally packed and humid. The bad thing about it was that we had to wait 20 to 30 minutes to finally start the show...that's really not cool for such messed up New York weather during summer time.

The lights went off and on then by the second. Right away John Tardy started the growling terror with song "Find The Arise" the place was chaos...everyone felt energized, long hair and sweat everywhere and people singing along to the song like maniacs. As far as I remember I lost my mind during the second song "Chopped In Half". I was waiting for that one to get wasted...and I sure did, my friend told me I sung so loud my voice was louder than John Tardy's! (now I have almost no voice and paying the price for that but it was worth it!).

Overall the band sounds excellent live, it was my first Obituary show and I wasn't disappointed with their performance. Donald Tardy had a drumming moment in which he destroyed craniums with that sick solo. The band played songs from early albums and some of the new songs from Xecutioner's Return that killed the audience with enjoyment (...we all love that new album). The new album sounds so good live and Ralph Santolla doing the lead for it, for sure it is a once in lifetime experience. I have to say he messed up the solo a little during "Evil Ways" but I give credit to the guy for fitting so well within the Obituary nucleus. They really gave out a taste of TRUE old school Death Metal and we were all satisfied with that. The show was one of a kind and all the songs live sound twice as brutal and energetic...I was impressed how John Tardy could hold and keep the same voice during the whole show until the last song "Slowly We Rot" in which we almost brought the whole place down. The guy has one hell of a voice and stamina to headbang that brutally and keep that voice clean Xecutioner's style that can only be achieved by John Tardy!

I give the show an 8.5. Why not a 10? Because of the bands before Obituary and the long time we had to wait for Obituary to blast and make ears bleed out there... The rest was 100% pure old school Death Metal that only Obituary can make. If you do not own the new album then buy it now! It's been a long time since I heard an album with such great old school feeling and adrenaline put into it... The Xecutioner has returned and he's here to stay and rule your ass!