Exclusive interview with legendary death metal band, OBITUARY

Congrats; your new album ‘Darkest Day’ is out. How has the response to it been till now?
The response has been great! I thought I would get more “stick with Obituary” stuff, but I really think people get it and hear the difference between the two.

This is also Ralph Santolla’s 2nd album with you guys. Has he meshed in well with you guys?
Ralph worked with us on this TB and the last 2 OB releases. I think it is working out pretty good!

How did he come to join the band? was it because of his Tampa connection?
He is close by which makes it really easy but it was also good timing for us. He was just out of Deicide when we were learning that Allen West would be in jail and not able to do solos on our XR release!

Talking of Allen West!.He was around since the beginning of Obituary, why did things not work out with him? i believe he has now also fallen out of Six Feet Under and Lowbrow?
Long story. He has substance abuse problems that had just gotten worse and worse to the point of not being able to work, write or travel with him. Then he was in jail for a year and that is when Ralph came in the picture!

So is Ralph the permanent member now, or is he just filling in for Allen?
Things are going good with Ralph and it would be hard to imagine and this point in time Allen changing his ways very much! We will have to wait and see what happens!

Okay moving on to your new album, could you explain the album title?
There is not really any big meaning to the title. It was just cool sounding and fit with the feel and artwork of the CD!

The new album does sound a bit different!. more in the veins of ‘Frozen In Time’ with subtle tints of classic rock and heavy metal. what do you think?
I think the biggest thing is that it still sounds like Obituary. If we do that and add just a little something to make it different in some way then we are going to be good with it. Classic Rock? that is a first…good though…I think our song writing is getter better the older we get, and we are still having a lot of fun with it!

One clearly notes that the psycho atmosphere of the Florida butchers your earlier albums used to carry, is kind of missing in darkest day. why is that?
I am not really sure what you mean by “Psycho atmosphere”…but the song arrangements are not as scattered as they used to be back then.

This is the second album with Candlelight Records, while Roadrunner Records produced all your earlier albums. why the move? is it because of the shit treatment roadrunners gave out to death metal bands?
After maybe the first 2 records, they just got worse and worse. I wish we could have left a long time ago but we finished out our contract and that was a great time for us. We were so relieved to be off that label! It was just a horrible place for us to be!

Does the new deal with Candlelight Records mean that you retain ownership of the songs and recordings instead of the label?
Yes. That was one thing we would not do again. Our music is ours and it will stay that way!

Why did you guys come up with the name obituary before ‘Slowly We Rot’? Xecutioner was brutal as well.?
Slowly we Rot was actually painted with Xecutioner on it. Before the release we just felt that it was not very original and that there were lots of Bands using the same name. So we changed to Obituary and repainted the cover before the release!

After all these years, obituary is still considered amongst the pioneers of death metal. How does it feel?
It is great. We were very lucky to come along when we did and find that original sound that we did.

You are recognized as one of the first vocalists to use an abnormally low growl (compared to the screechy growls used by predecessors – death and possessed). When did you guys start to use lyrics for the first time?
Slowly! had very little lyrics but through the years I have written more and more lyrics and today I could write out a full set of lyrics if I wanted. It is just not important to what we do. It is not so much the meaning but more how it makes you feel…

How do you guys get along with other tampa bands like Morbid Angel and Deicide?
We get along great with all the guys! I am actually trying to put together a Florida Death Metal tour with us, Cannibal, Deicide and 6 Feet Under!

Over the years we have seen a lot of Morbid Angel clones; but till now no Obituary clones. Does it seem like the sound of Obituary can never be recreated?
Never say never! But, it is a unique sound that we have, and as simple as it is, it is just good to be known for or original sound if anything.

You’ve been part of the death metal scene in since the early days. How would you evaluate the state of metal and death metal today? any favorites from current era?
Things are going good for us right now and the scene is going strong! I spend so much time in our studio recording not only us but other bands that when I get out I have not been listening to a lot of music. When I do, it is usually older metal like Slayer, Frost or Venom…

I know you are asked this all the time, but even then! what is your favorite Obituary album and what is your favorite song from ‘Darkest Day’
I have really been enjoying this new CD! I think it hits hard from the opening track and by the time you get to Outside your Head and Payback you are just about ready to kill someone!!!!!

Tell us something about the best and the worst things about your tours.
So many good things it is hard to say but I guess all the great people we get to meet and all the beautiful places we get to see is the best thing about it! The worst is easy to say: the travel!!!!!!!

Who are some of the favorite bands you shared the stage with?
Slayer, Ted Nugent; playing the big summer festivals in Europe is a blast and we get to meet so many big bands that it is awesome!

Is there any band you guys would like to share the stage with, or work with, in the future
I want to get this Florida Death Metal tour set up! I think it would be the best thing for all of us!

Now that you’re older, with wives and families, is it tougher to go out on tour
It is! We have been doing this a long time and we just have to do what we have to do and the travel is just part of it. It is tough to be gone but we do spend a lot of time at home when we are here!

So what are your plans after ‘Darkest Day’? Do you already have any plans about your next album? or do you plan on a tour
We will be doing some summer festivals in Europe and have a U.S. tour set up in September! Hopefully we will be back in Europe near the end of the year doing more shows there!

Okay so do we ever get to see Obituary for a tour in India
good question! I don’t think we ever got an invitation to play there but it would be an interesting trip…maybe some day!

Yeah someday better than never ..any last words
Thanks for all the support!!!

Interview by Souvik Roy