Interview with the legendary vocalist John Tardy of the classic death metal band Obituary

Obituary have remained somewhat enigmatic over the last few years, since the release of their last full length album 'Back From The Dead', and the accompanying live album that followed. But as of last year, the silence from this prolific Death Metal camp was broken when they were announced to headline the Sun And Steel festival in St Petersburg , Florida . I was one of many that looked forward to this, and greatly anticipated their reunion.

I caught up with John Tardy via e-mail, while on the last leg of their European tour in support of the new record 'Frozen In Time'. What you're about to read is the product of our Q&A session. Obituary shed some light on what they've been doing all this time, people's expectations for the new album, their influence and influences, the formative years of the band, etc. I had so many things I wanted to bring up during the course of this correspondence, that I really had to cut the number of questions back considerably. I still feel like there are so many things left unanswered, and a good many of you will still come away from this piece pondering certain points. However, I think it turned out rather well. I hope you have as much fun reading this as I had writing it.

- Conducted by Rob with some help from Adam Conrad

Diabolical Conquest: Over the years, there have always been a handful of standout bands like Obituary who paved the way for so many others, and truly offered something new and original. And as it usually goes, others have always tried to emulate the unique sounds of those bands, whether it be to "pay homage", or for the sake of sheer plagiarism. However, for as many Morbid Angel clones I can think of... I can't think of one Obituary clone. Do you see this as a compliment, or otherwise? Is it because Obituary's sound cannot be recreated? How do you view the band's irrefutable influence on an entire generation of Metal musicians?
John Tardy: Thank you, and that is definitely a compliment! One of the biggest problems anyone faces by trying to start a band is trying to have an original sound. It is not easy to do, you have to work at it hard, or it will probably never work.

DC: When I think of Obituary's music, I don't really just think of it as "Death Metal", but to me, it's Metal that actually sounds like Death in musical form. Your music conjures images of limepits overflowing with rotten corpses, and whatnot. The atmosphere at some points has been downright fucking harrowing, I mean, like the first time you saw Psycho or Night Of The Living Dead. Was it your goal all along to create music so deeply affecting?
JT: You're getting deep on me! My goal is just to following along with the rest of the band. The guitars and the drums are so heavy that for me to do anything but try to be as heavy and sick as I can would contrast with the music. Because of the dying sound of my voice the lyric content has to be somewhat demented to fit!

DC: Do you think that atmosphere that made the first few Obituary records so special is lost on modern Death Metal bands, and they just get too caught up in the superficial act of playing their idea of "Death Metal", rather than... Metal that sounds like Death?
JT: I am not sure. There are lots of little things that can happen to ruin any music. For us doing what we like to do is what comes first. How an album turns out in the end or how it is perceived by “the public” is not something we concern ourselves with. Our first goal is to make ourselves happy with what we have done and what happens after that is out of our control.

DC: Having just returned from your European tour, I would have to assume that Frozen In Time has been released overseas. How was the response? Was it everything you expected?
JT: Should be released on June 12 (I think). So far all the feedback we have gotten has been very positive. One common thought is that it sounds like “Obituary” …that is a good thing!!!

DC: How many shows did you play while you were there? What are your favorite cities to play? Or the cities with what seem to be the most rabid, insane Obituary fans?
JT: We have been doing big festivals through all of Europe . It has been just a handful of shows but they have been with bands like Slayer, Iron Maiden, Motorhead etc..so the crowds have been really huge. It is always fun to play with, and hang out with, bands that you grew up listening too. France , Germany , Italy and Slovenia have all been really good. I don't what to leave anyone out because there have been so many good shows!

DC: Are there any plans as of yet for a US tour to accompany the release of Frozen In Time? How about other less explored regions like Asia , Scandinavia and whatnot?
JT: We have been to Finland already this year and also have a show set up in Norway . The first half of the U.S. is set up for Sept with Napalm Death and Dead to Fall . We are working now to set up shows in the Far East and Australia.

DC: Has Obituary ever had any "official" written lyrics? If so, why weren't they included in the liner notes on any of the albums? Have you ever forgotten them? If so, do you think the fans noticed? I mean, we all know the classic lines like "Chopped in half, Feel the blood spill from your mouth" But what about the more obscure songs?
JT: No. I have never published any of my lyrics. I won't say that I never have forgotten words before (as I am sure any singer who performs a lot probably has) but it is not a problem at all. I know what I am singing even if it maybe always isn't a real word. Sometimes for me certain sounds fit our sounds better than a real word. So I just go with it.

DC: What line of work were you in when the band was first signed to Roadrunner ? Did you quit your job completely to pursue music?
JT: I worked with computers on and off through the years. Sometimes it is more music and sometimes it is more computer work. It just depends on what is going on.

DC: What's it like to look back at all the photographs of the band in the early days? Twenty years for any band is an achievement, especially in this music. It must be humbling to see how far you've come since then.
JT: Memories…It is really something to think back to the days of being in our parents garage and writing songs like Slowly we Rot and Til' Death to now with what we are doing. I have a lot of photos on the website and it is always fun to look them over and think back.

DC: Was there any petty rivalry or in-fighting with other bands in the Tampa scene? How about stories of drunken brawls? I'm basically looking for any sort of unusual anecdote that the average fan might not have heard about.
JT: Not really. We really are pretty laid back and haven't had any real problems with any other bands. We would probably be the first ones to crack open a cool one with another band rather than get into a fight over something. Most of the drunken brawls happen with the fans while we are on stage. I could go on forever with those kinds of stories…like the time a kid got his ear bit off in Miami . He seemed to be happy about the whole thing and was standing there with his ear missing saying “hey, check it out”…

DC: Are there any major issues you had with any of the Obituary records that you wish you could go back and change?
JT: There are always things you wished you could go back and change but if you think too much about that you just get angry and unproductive. I like to learn from our mistakes and move ahead.


DC: Why wasn't James Murphy a permanent member of the band after Cause Of Death ? Whose decision was that? I would imagine he just had too much other stuff going on to devote all his energy to one band, with Disincarnate in the works, Cancer, and so on, and so on.
JT: James was brought in to just play solos on the CD and then do some touring with us until Allen was ready to come back. He did a great job for us and he is a good friend.

DC: When did you first meet Allen West ? Were you friends prior to his involvement with the band?
JT: We were friends and he was in Massacre at the time. That was a long time ago but he really seems to fit good with our band.

DC: Here's one I bet you don't hear very often.. Andrew W.K.: What the hell was Don thinking? Was he contractually obligated to refrain from bathing like the frontman?
JT: He was allowed to do whatever he wanted. Obituary wasn't doing anything at the time so it was a really good opportunity for Don (Tardy). Andrew was a big Obituary fan and his manager knew Don . When he asked Don to drum for him Don was happy to do it and had a good time. Don only played the live shows. Andrew did all his studio work himself.

DC: Is there any band you wish you would have had the chance to play with?
JT: DT and I talked about and wanted to write music with Dimebag (RIP).

DC: What can we expect from Obituary with the new record; Frozen In Time ? Is it going to pick up right where Back From The Dead left off, or will it be more a return to the sounds of albums like Cause Of Death ? Or is it going in a totally new direction altogether?
JT: I think it has little bit of everything. A little new a little old and stuff in between. Some people tell me that song sound like it came off Slowly and other people say that song sound like it came off The End Complete , etc…we are really happy with the new CD and I think it is the best one we have done.

DC: If Obituary wanted to creatively stray a bit, do you think the fans would hold you to the sound of your prior records, or do you think they could respect the fact that, as musicians, you're entitled to play whatever the hell you want to?
JT: You can never make everyone happy so we don't even try. We do what we do and if we are happy that's what is important to us.

DC: How has the reaction to your return been from the fans? Last year's Sun 'n' Steel Festival was the first show you had played together since the Back From The Dead tour, correct? Are you more excited or apprehensive about the next few years? I know that I'm excited as hell to see one of my favorite bands back and releasing full length albums again...
JT: It has been great. We are seeing all our old fan coming back and lot of younger fans that say, “The last time you guys came around I was only 13 and couldn't go to the show”…so it has been great!

DC: Speaking of that festival, I heard some pretty nasty rumors about it. What exactly happened that made so any people so pissed off about the whole deal? From the way the pictures looked, everyone was psyched to see Obituary there.
JT: Not really sure, but I know the promoter Jack Koshic did a bad job of setting this show up and he never paid us for it either. The show itself was really heavy though!

DC: Do you get "warm fuzzy feelings" when playing to a crowd in Tampa , seeing as how this is your hometown, and essentially the birthplace of the music we all adore? I've only been living in Tampa for two years now, give or take a few months. When I first got here, I imagined a city where everyone listened to records like From Beyond on their car stereos, everyone had long hair and Obituary shirts, and every record store had a special section exclusively devoted to the Metal of Death.
JT: We love to play here and I love living here. Tampa fans are great! Can't wait to play at Jannus' Landing in Sept. It is not the biggest metal town around though like most people might think.

DC: The eternal debate... Coke or Pepsi?
JT: Coke


DC: Does Morrisound do Metal recordings anymore? I think the sound you guys got on World Demise was about the heaviest thing I'd ever heard come from that studio. How does the sound on your new album compare to that mix? Where was it recorded?
JT: Morrisound will record any kind of music and do it well. We recorded our new album at RedRoom Records with Mark Prator . We went to Morrisound to mix it and master it. I think our new CD is the best sounding one that we have done. Working with Markie and Scott Burns was a complete pleasure.

DC: What are your favorite Obituary songs? From any era, past or present.
JT: Come on…they're all great! Ha Ha! The new CD is obviously getting most of the play time but other than that I will listen to the live album because it covers all the albums and it's “LIVE”!!!!!

DC: Is there anything you'd like to add in conclusion? It's really been a total pleasure, and I thank you hugely for your time and effort towards this interview. Wish you best of luck with the new record! Hope to see you here in town soon!
JT: Thank you for all your support and hope to see you around. I am really happy with our new CD and promise you that you will like this record! Hope to see you in Sept!

Back From The Dead (Full length, 1997, Roadrunner)

Dead (Live album, 1998, Roadrunner)

Anthology (Compilation, 2001, Roadrunner)

Frozen In Time (Full length, 2005, Roadrunner)

[Record Label] [Official Website]

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© 2005 Diabolical Conquest