Band:	Obituary
Album:	The End Complete
Style:	Death metal
Release date:	April 21, 1992
A review by:	omne metallum

01. I'm In Pain
02. Back To One
03. Dead Silence
04. In The End Of Life
05. Sickness
06. Corrosive
07. Killing Time
08. The End Complete
09. Rotting Ways
10. I'm In Pain [Live in Australia] [bonus]
11. Killing Time [Live in Australia] [bonus]

While sounding like a compilation album, The End Complete is the third studio album from Floridian death metal masters Obituary; keeping up the run of classic albums, the band produce yet another vital entry into the death metal genre.

To move forward as a band, you should either try something new or attempt to better your previous output; the band firmly put their chips on the latter and can at the very least say they match their prior work if they don't exceed it. Where the prior albums saw the band benefit from their youth and inexperience to do what they wanted, here the band sound more mature for their experience and so build upon the foundations the band had laid for themselves rather than seeking to push the boundaries again. Is this to the detriment of The End Complete? Not by a long shot.

With the now downtuned approach being matched by a firmer production from Scott Burns, the album sounds like it takes you down to the depths of hell before throwing you in the pits of hellfire and bringing you back to terra firma by album's end. Tracks like "Dead Silence" sound like the undead approaching, serving as the soundtrack to the end times; I can imagine fans of horror movies would hear in The End Complete the audio equivalent of the films they watch.

The maturity rings through on the band's playing on the album; everything is tighter and the experience is clear to hear. West is the lone exception to this, but to the benefit of the album; his absence means his contributions are more rooted in the Slowly We Rot sound, which shines through in places like in the extended outro to "In The End Of Life", which will hook you in and turn what could have been an unnecessary extension of the track into a highlight.

Obituary also shift a slight focus from each section being an all-out metallic assault in some form to containing sections that will have you nodding your head in the same vein you would a stoner metal song. "Killing Time" settles into a middle paced groove from the off that will see you nod your head but not sound out of place or disinteresting, before John Tardy's vocals kick in and the track begins its second phase, becoming an out-and-out metallic attack. It's things like these, where the band now let a riff and section breathe naturally rather than trying to rush between heavy sections, which give The End Complete its charm.

One of the shining parts of the songs is Donald Tardy's drum work; sounding tight and powerful, he knows when a song requires him to push flat out, and when to sit back and create a niche where the band can sit in and play a groove. "The End Complete" sees Tardy switch seamlessly between these transitions, not only by shifting tempo but also by the strength with which he pounds his drums, restraining himself before unleashing all of his energy, and each strike and smash being precise but no less necessary.

While the whole album is crammed with ideas that make each individual track worth listening, there are some that stand out that bit more than others. "I'm In Pain", "In The End Of Life" and the title track are strong contenders for some of the best work Obituary has put out. I find it amazing how songs as strong as these are the ones often omitted on live and compilation records with the band's name on it, turning what is a strong record into an open secret hidden treasure.

The End Complete is the sound of a band building upon their past success while maintaining the balance between bringing their old sound forward and connecting it to their future movements. Obituary carry on the classic streak they had found themselves on; not beholden to what had gotten them here, the band prove adept at expanding their sound without dipping in quality.