The mighty Obituary, back from a 10 year hiatus! Tonight's gig was always going to be special. To witness one of the finest death metal exports Florida has ever produced and one of the pillars of the genre promised to be an experience indeed. And so it was that an army of black-clad, long haired metalheads crammed into the Electric Ballroom for the treats that lay ahead.

Opening proceedings tonight were Sweden's Visceral Bleeding. They posess a sound not unlike some of their Floridan counterparts, particularly early Cannibal Corpse and Malevolent Creation. Tonight they played a slick, heavy and error-free set that was as impressive as it was crushing. No doubt they left the venue with more fans than when they took the stage, this fan included. With some mind-blowing time changes, skillful riffing and a fresh sound, Visceral Bleeding provided just the required medicine to kick things off, and demonstrated that the future of death metal is in good hands.

Next on the bill were Master, a 3 piece death metal act from the United States. Unfortunately I was left a little disappointed by their set, the problem being that everytime the guitar player would break into a solo, the absence of a backing riff meant that all energy and momentum broke down, due to an empty sound that 3 players simply cannot fill when playing this style of music. They did have some awesome riffs, but perhaps should consider adding a 2nd guitarist at least for live shows.

Which brings us to the headliners. A band no one had expected to see live again, or for many of us, at all. The mighty Obituary. From the outset they literally exploded onto the stage, their brand of tuned-down death metal whipping the crowd into a frenzy. Playing a set borrowing largely from their earlier material, the band looked like they'd never been on hiatus. Watching the spectacle it became clear how goddam SPECIAL this band really is. The intensity and conviction they brought to their performance tonight was mind-blowing. Not one person in the crowd was left disappointed, and all who were there are doubtlessly waiting with baited breath for the brand new Obituary album, due out some time in mid 2005, with the promise of resembling "Slowly We Rot" and "Cause of Death". Easily one of the best gigs of the year!

Review by Gaw aka Evil G aka the Metal Master