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Obituary (band)

From Alfawiki
Obituary
Company typeBand
IndustryMusic
Founded1984 in Seffner, Florida, United States
Headquarters
Tampa
,
United States
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
John Tardy (vocals), Donald Tardy (drums), Trevor Peres (rhythm guitar), Terry Butler (bass), Ken Andrews (lead guitar)
ProductsDeath metal music, studio albums, live performances
Websiteobituary.cc

Obituary is a death metal group originating from Tampa, Florida, established in 1984. Initially known as Executioner, the band played a pivotal role in shaping the death metal scene and remains among the genre's most prominent performers. They have produced eleven studio albums to date and, aside from a hiatus lasting from 1998 to 2003, continue to deliver live performances.

The ensemble currently consists of vocalist John Tardy, drummer Donald Tardy, rhythm guitarist Trevor Peres, bassist Terry Butler, and lead guitarist Ken Andrews. Through numerous changes in membership, the Tardy brothers alongside Peres have remained the band's steady core.

Formation and early years (1984–1990)

Originally formed under the name Executioner in Seffner, Florida in 1984, the group soon altered their name to Xecutioner due to conflicts over naming rights. The founding members included John Tardy on vocals, Donald Tardy on drums, Trevor Peres handling rhythm guitar, Jerome Grable on bass, and Jerry Tidwell as lead guitarist. Drawing inspiration from bands such as Hellhammer, Iron Maiden, and local Florida death metal pioneers like Death and Morbid Angel, they released several demos between 1985 and 1987. Their first vinyl appearance came with two tracks featured on the Raging Death compilation in 1987.

Not long after, Daniel Tucker replaced Grable on bass, and Allen West took over lead guitar duties from Tidwell. Prior to launching their debut album Slowly We Rot in 1989, the band adopted the name Obituary. Following this release, Tucker and West exited, making way for bassist Frank Watkins and former Death guitarist James Murphy. This formation produced Cause of Death, which was released on September 19, 1990, and is widely recognized as a seminal record within death metal. Obituary promoted this album through their inaugural global tour, performing across North America and Europe alongside bands such as Sacred Reich, Sepultura, and Morgoth.

Commercial breakthrough and growth (1991–1997)

Before recording their third album in 1991, Murphy departed to join Cancer and was succeeded by returning guitarist Allen West. The lineup featuring Peres, Watkins, West, and the Tardy brothers produced three consecutive albums beginning with The End Complete in 1992. This release achieved moderate commercial success by selling over 100,000 copies and marked Obituary’s initial appearance on charts both in the United States and Europe. It also yielded their first music video for the title track "The End Complete," which received substantial rotation on MTV's Headbangers Ball. Supporting this album involved an extensive year-long tour where Obituary headlined the Complete Control Tour alongside acts like Cannibal Corpse, Malevolent Creation, and Agnostic Front, transitioning from small venues to theaters and arenas.

Their fourth studio effort, World Demise (1994), experienced lower sales compared to its predecessor but still entered top 100 charts across countries including the US, UK, Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. The band released a video for "Don't Care" during this period. Touring continued with North American dates alongside Napalm Death and then-emerging Machine Head, followed by European shows supporting Pitchshifter and Eyehategod.

After a break lasting approximately two and a half years, Obituary returned with their fifth album Back from the Dead in 1997. While staying true to their death metal origins, this record is noted for its stylistic variety incorporating elements from groove metal, hardcore punk, as well as rap/nu metal influences evident particularly on the closing track "Bullituary." John Tardy described this release as rawer in sound with inspiration drawn from NY Hardcore scenes; it was produced by Jaime Locke and featured guest rapping contributions from Skinner T and #1 Diablo.

Hiatus and Revival (1998–2014)

By 1998, Obituary had disbanded, citing exhaustion from extensive touring, insufficient support from their record label, and members prioritizing their personal lives and careers. John Tardy attributed the breakup to internal disagreements, financial difficulties, and conflicting visions for the band's direction. Guitarist Trevor Peres reflected on the transition from a youthful group to a professional outfit facing demanding tour schedules.

Following the split, Donald Tardy joined Andrew W.K.'s touring ensemble, Allen West engaged with projects like Lowbrow and Six Feet Under, while Trevor Peres founded Catastrophic, which released The Cleansing in 2001. Obituary reunited in 2003, maintaining activity alongside Catastrophic. They issued the reunion album Frozen in Time in 2005 and their inaugural live DVD, Frozen Alive in 2007.

The band secured a deal with Candlelight Records for three releases: Xecutioner's Return (2007), Darkest Day (2009), and the EP Left to Die (2008). A live concert DVD was slated for release in early 2010. Since 2012, Obituary has promoted the social platform Unation, while Donald Tardy established Metal Meowlisha, a feline sanctuary overseeing 25 colonies.

In April 2010, work commenced on their ninth studio album Inked in Blood, which debuted in 2014. This was their first album since 1989's Slowly We Rot without longtime bassist Frank Watkins. On August 2, 2013, Obituary launched a Kickstarter campaign with a $10,000 target to independently finance the album; this goal was achieved within a day. John Tardy emphasized that the initiative aimed at maintaining creative autonomy rather than rejecting record labels. Despite self-funding efforts, Obituary partnered with Relapse Records for distribution of Inked In Blood, marking their initial release through that label.

Passing of Frank Watkins, Obituary, and Dying of Everything (2015–present)

On October 18, 2015, longtime bassist Frank Watkins passed away after battling cancer.

On August 24, 2016, Obituary released "Loathe," a B-side to their forthcoming single "Ten Thousand Ways to Die," which was issued on October 21. The band followed up with their self-titled tenth studio album on March 17, 2017. Ahead of the album's release, they premiered the track "No" as part of Decibel magazine’s flexi disc series.

In late 2018, Obituary toured Europe supporting Slayer's farewell tour along with Lamb of God and Anthrax. Mid-2018 statements from drummer Donald Tardy indicated no rush for new material due to industry conditions and the recent album launch. By August 2020, during the global pandemic, Obituary was crafting an ambitious new record intended for release in 2021 alongside a European tour. Early in 2021, vocalist John Tardy confirmed ongoing songwriting efforts with plans for an album drop in 2022 followed by touring.

On November 10, 2022, "The Wrong Time" was unveiled as the lead single from their eleventh studio album Dying of Everything, which was released on January 13, 2023.

A box set titled Godly Beings, compiling the band’s first four albums with bonus tracks and liner notes by David Gehlke, was issued on July 18, 2025 through Dissonance Productions. The collection also includes four replica postcards featuring classic images of the band.

Obituary is currently developing new material for an upcoming album that bassist Terry Butler anticipates will be released between 2026 and 2027.

Musical style

Obituary's sound is characterized by heavy, groove-laden guitar and drum patterns combined with John Tardy's distinctive growled vocals, creating a unique death metal identity. Their albums The End Complete and World Demise are noted for incorporating "slower, catchier" elements. Jon Wiederhorn from Loudwire observed the band's inclination towards gritty, half-time chugging rhythms rather than rapid tempos, setting them apart from contemporaries such as Morbid Angel and Death. Eduardo Rivadavia emphasized Obituary's fusion of slower doom metal pacing with thick guitar tones, distinguishing them within the Florida death metal community.

Band members

Current

  • John Tardy – vocals (1988–1998, 2003–present)
  • Donald Tardy – drums (1988–1998, 2003–present)
  • Trevor Peres – rhythm guitar (1988–1998, 2003–present)
  • Terry Butler – bass (2010–present)
  • Kenny Andrews – lead guitar (2012–present)

Former

  • Allen West – lead guitar (1988–1989, 1991–1998, 2003–2006)
  • Daniel Tucker – bass (1988–1989)
  • James Murphy – lead guitar (1989–1991)
  • Frank Watkins – bass (1989–1998, 2003–2010; deceased 2015)
  • Ralph Santolla – lead guitar (2007–2011; deceased 2018)

Touring

  • Steve Di Giorgio – bass (2010)
  • Lee Harrison – lead guitar (2012), drums (2018)

Timeline

Discography

External links

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