By: Michael Ruhl
CHICAGO– Formed in 1984, Obituary hailing from Florida’s Swamps, have long defined the Gold Standards of Death Metal with their unique style of attack, bludgeoning listeners. Obituary, since their debut album “Slowly We Rot,” have infused death metal with styles of sludge and hardcore so effortlessly that they have defined multiple genres before said genre’s inception.
Obituary is well-known for their style of guitar that uses sustain and spacing as much as speedy riffs. On guitar, Trevor Peres has been defining metal guitar since 1988, constantly innovating his riff-writing style through incredible album releases. Peres’ guitar rig is also quite famous as he is running multiple RAT distortion pedals into a Marshall JCM-800 to get the band’s absolutely signature style of distortion.
In 1990, the band released the album “Cause of Death” which is held as one of the greatest albums in Death Metal for it’s absolute heaviness and dynamic range being unlike anything heard in the genre to that point. “Cause of Death” defined the pinnacle of the genre of Death Metal at an early time of innovation, where their Florida peers like Death were focusing on making their sound more progressive and complex. Obituary was spending time getting to the core of Death Metal, often simplifying the formula to write effective songs instead of 7 or 8 minute epics.
Obituary announced this tour with Nails and Terror, put on at the House of Blues by Empire Shows. House of Blues is an iconic Chicago venue and was a great setting to see an absolutely brutal night of metal. Obituary headlined a nearly hour-long set featuring 6 songs from their incredible 35-year-old album “Cause of Death.”
Obituary always starts their sets with the iconic instrumental “Redneck Stomp” which allows time for vocalist John Tardy to make his entrance and greet the crowd. Tardy is an incredible vocalist, one with an insane amount of range that never falters. The way he fries his vocals at a high register to get the dynamic growl Obituary is known for is insane. He sets himself apart as one of the best vocalists in metal history.
Part of what is so shocking about Obituary is the fact that they have been at the absolute pinnacle of their game for decades now and have not faltered. There are two new members of the band since their 2010 resurrection: bassist Terry Butler and guitarist Ken Andrews. Butler is a metal icon, having played on the aforementioned Death’s album “Spiritual Healing” in 1990 and having writing credits on Death’s Masterpiece “Leprosy.” Butler’s style of bass adds a ton of weight to the already heavy sound Obituary has which makes their live performance even better. Butler joined the band in 2010 and has been on 4 albums with the group, including their most recent 2023 album “Dying of Everything.” Andrews joined the band on lead guitar in 2012 and adds his solo chops to the band’s dynamic sound.
The band started with “Sentence Day” and “A Lesson in Vengeance” off of their 2017 self-titled album “Obituary,” which has grown to be one of their most popular records since its inception. The 2017 album definitely contains their newer more technical sound but also crosses it with the sludge-filled simplicity they are known for. The band only played one song from 2023’s “Dying of Everything” because the focus was on “Cause of Death” but they chose the song “The Wrong Time” off their most recent release, which is an incredible song.
Obituary’s newest music remains fresh and heavy and their most recent release stands up with their best which is remarkable for a metal band of their length and success. The “Cause of Death” album suite began with the album opener “Infected,” which features some of Tardy’s most insane vocal runs. Hearing these songs played in order was an incredible experience as the album is one of the closest to my heart of any metal album. “Cause of Death” is incredibly special because of how heavy and innovative it was at the time and continues to be.
Obituary included their awesome cover of Swedish death Metal originators Celtic Frost’s “Circle of the Tyrants.” The song was featured on “Cause of Death” and is a great homage to a band whose sound innovated Obituary’s and many other metal bands. They played arguably the most iconic song off of “Cause of Death” which is “Chopped in Half.” The song’s opening guitar riff is iconic for it’s rhythm and heaviness, and the song is one of Death Metal’s greatest.
Obituary rocked their headliner at Chicago’s House of Blues, proving themselves yet again as Death Metal’s primary force. Obituary’s legacy is immense at this point and they continue to crush and innovate as one of Metal’s greatest live acts.
Oxnard, CA, powerviolence band, Nails, was the direct opener for Obituary, which added a buzz of hype around the show. Nails, led by guitarist and vocalist Todd Jones, is one of the most brutal bands making heavy music. Nails has been widely accepted by multiple different genre fanbases, including Metal and Hardcore as well as receiving widespread critical acclaim.
Nails is coming off their latest release “Every Bridge Burning” in 2024. The album was a great return to form for Jones with new band members backing him. Nails now consists of the founding 2009 member Jones and an all new lineup featuring Shelby Lermo on rhythm guitar, Carlos Cruz on drums, and Andrew Solis on bass.
The band’s setlist consisted of 3 songs off their new album “Every Bridge Burning” including the scathingly angry and powerful “Lacking the Ability to Process Empathy.” Nails riffing style is incredibly fast and aggressive and mixes styles of metal, hardcore, and grindcore to make a dynamic and insane mixture. Nails songs can consist of incredibly speedy blast beat parts into really slow brutal breakdowns. The versatility of the band’s sound is a major reason they are so critically acclaimed and widespread.
Nails played an incredible set at House of Blues which had a larger attendance than their true return Chicago show at Avondale Hall. Nails played 5 songs from their arguably most famous album, 2010’s “Unsilent Death,” which is aggressive and full of dread but also includes incredible riffs that defined the genre of powerviolence.
Terror was before Nails as both bands are incredibly close and share founding member Todd Jones. Although vocalist Scott Vogel took Terror to the next level after Todd left early to create Nails.
Terror is hardcore’s most iconic touring act right now, bar none. Their musical legacy in the world of hardcore is second to none due to their consistent touring, passion, and effort. Vocalist Vogel has been in love with hardcore his entire life and will never slow down. Terror is music born from that passion and so every live show is next level. Terror’s music is one that includes a lot of crowd participation from stage diving, moshing, and grabbing Scott’s mic and shouting along.
At a large Live Nation venue like House of Blues, there is a barricade which hinders the ability for fans to go on stage and sing along and dive off at high speeds. However, Terror will always bring the energy to the highest degree. Terror now consists of Martin Stewart on rhythm guitar, Nick Jett on drums, Jordan Posner, also in the band No Warning, on lead guitar, and Chris Linkovich on bass.
Terror’s setlist features iconic hardcore classics like “Stick Tight” and “Keepers of the Faith” which are songs that define the genre of hardcore for their chorus sections and breakdowns. Terror played 4 songs off their 2004 debut “One with the Underdogs” which was a raw and passionate debut for the band which saw them re-defining hardcore early into their career. The rageful “Keep Your Mouth Shut” was played at the end of the setlist and Vogel delivers some potent advice to worry about yourself and subsequently keep your mouth shut.
Terror’s music is full of rage but also a wonderful sense of positivity and self-commitment to betterment that births the passion for hardcore. Their music is about dedicating yourself to be the best you can be in your own path and to not let the nature of the world stop your commitment to being the best member of your community you can be. This can be seen in songs like “Overcome” where Vogel chants, “I will rise back up” in the face of adversity. Songs like “Overcome” share Terror’s message of hard work and resilience. This is a major reason why Terror shows always bring a strong sense of community and crowd involvement, as the music really can speak to being a better person.
Pest Control opened off the entire show with their brand of raging thrash from Leeds. With Leah on vocals, Pest Control continues to redefine the genre of thrash with innovative riffs and very well-written songs. In 2024, they dropped their EP “Year of the Pest” and their music continues to set a brand-new standard for thrash and hardcore.
Obituary absolutely rocked House of Blues on their 35 Years of Death tour and it was amazing to get to see such a legendary metal act celebrate a cornerstone album. Nails’ return shows have been incredibly well-received and it is not hard to see why. Jones’ blistering riffs and intense lyrics bring Nails to the forefront of heavy music. Terror is always an incredible live act and champions of hardcore.
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