Obituary is listed by Nielsen Soundscan as the fifth best-selling death metal band of all time and their albums have sold 368,184 copies. Their 1992 release "The End Complete" has also more than 103,378 copies in the United States alone.
After 1997's Back from the Dead album, the band had grown tired of touring which led to the band disbanding. During the hiatus, Donald Tardy played in Andrew W.K.'s touring band (during W.K.'s appearance on Saturday Night Live Tardy wore an Obituary shirt). Allen West focused on his two projects, Lowbrow and Six Feet Under while not playing in Obituary. Trevor Peres formed Catastrophic in 2001. The band reformed in 2003 and Catastrophic continued to exist alongside the reformed Obituary. Catastrophic released one album, The Cleansing, in 2001. Obituary's reunion album, Frozen in Time was released in 2005. The band's first live DVD, "Frozen Alive", was released in January of 2007.
Obituary are currently signed to Candlelight Records for their seventh album Xecutioner's Return, which was released on August 28, 2007.
Obituary's guitarist, Allen West, was recently imprisoned for D.U.I. (driving under the influence of alcohol) and released in January 2008. During his incarceration, Ralph Santolla served as West's replacement. It is uncertain at this time whether or not West will be returning to the band.
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Infected
Obituary Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Killing the chance to die, the rising of the dead
The pain denies the soul
Even after
The killing gently
Dissection of the light ? the rotting of the soul
The pain realize the wounds
You light the soul
Killing ones they save ? the rotting of the soul
Dying of the pain
Killing the soul
Killing send you to your grave
Dying soon the one they save
Tearing rid you of your limbs
Infection soon sets in
Peeling rid you of your skin ? infection!
Coming soon the end of life
Die ? cure you of infliction
The lyrics to Obituary's song Infected seem to deal with the theme of death and decay. The opening verse "Rot beneath below" sets the grim tone of the song. The lines "Killing the chance to die, the rising of the dead" suggest a situation where either life has lost its meaning, or death has become an unachievable state, leading to the rise of the undead. The phrase "The pain denies the soul" could be interpreted as a reference to the feeling of being trapped in a state of misery or suffering, with no way out.
The rest of the song appears to describe the effects of this "infection" or decay on the body and mind. The lines "Dissection of the light ? the rotting of the soul/The pain realize the wounds" could be referring to a loss of hope or optimism, leading to a sense of spiritual decay. The lyrics also suggest that this infection spreads to others ("You light the soul/Killing ones they save"), and that death becomes the only escape ("Killing send you to your grave/Dying soon the one they save").
Overall, the song seems to be a reflection on the inevitability of death and the suffering that precedes it. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the decay that sets in, both physically and mentally, as one approaches the end of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Rot beneath below
Decomposition happening underneath the surface of the skin
Killing the chance to die, the rising of the dead
Preventing the opportunity to pass away naturally, leading to the increase of the number of undead beings
The pain denies the soul
The agony experienced by the body affects the spirit negatively
Even after
The torment continues despite time passing
The killing gently
The process of killing starts off softly
Dissection of the light - the rotting of the soul
Tearing apart inner purity results in moral decay
The pain realize the wounds
Suffering realizes deep injuries caused by the situation
? lives
It's unclear who or what is being referred to, but they seem to be dying by the effects of the disease
You light the soul
You ignite the spirit
Killing ones they save - the rotting of the soul
The attempt to cure somebody results in terminating them, and their soul getting corrupted
Dying of the pain
Experiencing agony that causes death
Killing the soul
Ceasing the life force
Killing send you to your grave
Putting an end to somebody results in them ending up buried
Dying soon the one they save
The person meant to be rescued is perishing soon instead
Tearing rid you of your limbs
Tearing away body parts that one may no longer have control over
Infection soon sets in
The disease will take hold soon
Peeling rid you of your skin - infection!
The skin coming off brings infection along
Coming soon the end of life
The conclusion of existence is nearing
Die - cure you of infliction
The only cure for the misery is death
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DONALD WILLIAM TARDY, JOHN RUSSELL TARDY, TREVOR LEON PERES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind