In a recent chat with Alejandro Bonilla Carvajal from Colombia's Alejandrosis, John Tardy, the lead vocalist of the iconic death metal band OBITUARY, shared some exciting updates about their musical journey. When asked about the prospect of a new studio album from the legendary Florida group, Tardy explained, "Absolutely! It’s a bit challenging these days. We usually take three to five years to tour extensively and wrap up all our commitments. However, we are constantly gathering ideas, rhythms, and potential song titles. That’s just part of our daily routine. Whenever we do a soundcheck, Trevor Peres, our guitarist, will engage his amp, and in those moments, he often comes up with some great riffs. He records snippets on his phone, and we always accumulate new material. Although we've been incredibly busy, we aim to start piecing together some of these ideas this year, setting the stage for a potential release, possibly in 2027."
But here's where it gets intriguing: John was also prompted to comment on a recent statement made by Jack Owen, a former guitarist for DEICIDE and CANNIBAL CORPSE, who suggested that a tour featuring the 'Big Four' of Florida death metal—comprising MORBID ANGEL, DEICIDE, OBITUARY, and CANNIBAL CORPSE—might never materialize due to a lack of camaraderie among the bands. Tardy laughed and responded, "That's not our perspective at all. We've always been quite the friendly band as far back as I can remember. There are certainly groups that come into the scene thinking they’re superior and might want to play after us or headline. But you can see from our tours that we have no qualms about opening for anyone. I’d gladly open for CANNIBAL CORPSE or DEICIDE any day. Other bands might feel differently about headlining, but for us, it’s all about enjoying the moment. We love to have fun and party, so getting on stage early just means more time to celebrate afterward!"
What’s your take on this? Would you like to see these legendary bands collaborate? Tardy expressed his enthusiasm about sharing stages with these groups, stating, "We’ve done several tours with CANNIBAL CORPSE, and we’ve told Glen Benton from DEICIDE that we want to hit the road together before we all get too old. He always assures us that something will happen, so I wouldn’t be surprised if we teamed up soon."
Tardy added, "We’ve had a long-standing friendship with TESTAMENT, and we finally got to embark on our first European tour together, which was a blast. They may not be from Florida, but they’re longtime friends. Just this past weekend, I went golfing and had dinner with Chuck Billy, the vocalist of TESTAMENT, which was a lot of fun. I hope we can arrange some shows with DEICIDE in the near future."
In more recent news, OBITUARY announced a headlining tour scheduled for March, featuring support from CASTRATOR and INTOXICATED, alongside two shows where they will perform as the opening act for ACID BATH.
Looking back, last summer, Donald Tardy, John's brother and the band's drummer, spoke with Bloodstock TV about the band’s plans for a new studio album, tentatively set for release in 2026 or 2027. He remarked, "In the rock and roll scene, plans often fall through, and timelines can shift unexpectedly. I don’t want to make promises about a new album because the truth is, we simply don’t know yet. We’re having a fantastic time right now. My brother and I are really enjoying making music together.
"Should there be another record? Possibly, especially for our fans. As we reflect on nearly 40 years in the industry, we find ourselves contemplating the direction of our career. How much longer can we continue? Do we really want to keep going? Are we capable of doing so?
"To answer your question, we love creating music and are excited about the idea of a new album, but we’ll take our time to ensure we write the best songs possible, just like we did with 'Dying Of Everything.' The years 2026 and 2027 will primarily focus on the writing process, followed by recording. We’re optimistic that if we’re still around and able to create, we’ll deliver another album because our fans definitely deserve it. We’re still having a wonderful time doing what we do."
Last year, OBITUARY celebrated the 35th anniversary of their seminal album, "Cause Of Death," during a North American tour that featured support acts like NAILS, TERROR, SPIRITWORLD, and PEST CONTROL.
Their most recent studio effort, "Dying Of Everything," was released in January 2023 through Relapse Records. Additionally, in 2022, Decibel Books published "Turned Inside Out: The Official Story Of Obituary," a comprehensive biography of the band, authored by David E. Gehlke, who is also known for his works on the history of Noise Records and Paradise Lost.
