Obituary — Frozen in Time

intothewellsabyss
Jul 18, 2023
3 min read

𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐘𝐏𝐓𝐒 - 𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐁𝐔𝐌 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐊 & 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐘 𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐋…

18 years ago today, Obituary “Blindsided” us and left us “On the Floor” suffering a “Slow Death” following the “Insane” and brutal “Redneck Stomp”!

On July 18, 2005, Obituary released their sixth full-length studio album, “Frozen in Time” in North America via Roadrunner Records (July 12th in Europe).

It was the band's first album in eight years since 1997's “Back from the Dead”, and the last to feature guitarist Allen West.

Longtime contributor Scott Burns (who had not worked with Obituary since 1994's “World Demise”) reunited with the band as the producer for this album, though it would be the last time they would work with him as he retired from producing after its release.

A music video was made for the song "Insane".

Critical Reception:

Upon the release of “Frozen In Time", Keith Bergman from Blabbermouth.net wrote;

“Certainly a contender for Most Appropriate Album Title of 2005… and why the hell not? If you heard anything from OBITUARY but inexorable groove, bone-basic riffs, and John Tardy's wounded-Yeti howl, wouldn't you be pissed off? These guys know what they (and we) like: big urns full of vintage CELTIC FROST half-buried in the Everglades and left to fester in the Florida sun. Eight years may have lapsed since the band's last proper studio album, but their killing instinct hasn't wavered, and their songwriting muse is still happily stuck in 1990.”

Bergman also stated;

“Sometimes saying a band has delivered a "give the people what they want" record is a negative thing. It's usually easy to smell the flop-sweat when a band is trying too hard. But OBITUARY have no such stench about them this time out — if anything, they make this shit look easy! They're clearly in a comfortable zone, happy to be in each other's company, now elder statesmen of a scene they helped put on the map.”

While, in a retrospective review for AllMusic, Jason Birchmeier wrote;

“There's really no need to go on about the details of how the band sounds here, though -- it sounds like Obituary, plain and simple. What's important to know is that the guys really seem into it here, writing killer songs, benefiting from the best production out there, and playing their asses off ("On the Floor," "Back Inside," "Mindset," and "Lockjaw" are all highlights). If it sounds like "more of the same," that's the point. After one album in a decade, it's a blessing to have Obituary back together and sounding this stellar. If you're a fan -- new or old -- you'll absolutely love Frozen in Time. It's as good if not better than any of the band's other albums. It's so good, in fact, the title could well refer to the sound of the band: sounding as if death metal were still as vibrant and exciting as it was back in the early to mid-'90s when Obituary were the shiznit and a thousand and one young Scandinavians were taking notes by candlelight.”

Links to Artists, Albums, and Music Videos:

▶ Listen to “Frozen In Time” via Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/frozen-in-time-bonus-track-version/305683682

▶ Listen to “Frozen In Time” via Spotify: Frozen In Time https://open.spotify.com/album/1fzDounFHdiVT5Zg9MKcFh

▶ Watch the official music video for “Insane”: https://youtu.be/ehQtpXHCdJI

▶ Follow Obituary on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ObituaryBand

Note: The reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. — E.N. Wells

Obituary — Frozen in Time

Critical Reception:

Links to Artists, Albums, and Music Videos:

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