After a not so good album, the Florida death metallers return with a brand new EP that contains some really nice surprises that you are going to learn about if you keep reading this review (did I manage to tempt you?). So, was Xecutioner's Return just a small wrong step or have OBITUARY lost their passion and creativity? Let me remind you that when I had the chance to review the aforementioned album I wrote a review that was respectful towards a band that offered many things and still hasn't lost its original sound.

So, this EP is only for the OBITUARY fans and the die hard collectors. Why is that? Because the four tracks contained in here are not something you need to have, but something you either want to have or you just are not that interested in filler releases. What you can find in this EP release is - in my humble opinion - nothing to get too excited about. Two new songs that are going to be in the new album which will be out next year as John Tardy stated, a CELTIC FROST cover and a newly recorded version of the OBITUARY classic Slowly We Rot. No need to comment the re-recording of the classic song, since you can easily understand that the only thing you get is the song with a better quality. The CELTIC FROST cover? Well, nothing amazing. Just OBITUARY playing an old, classic, well known song.

What about the new songs? To tell you the truth, they did not manage to get my full attention. As it seems the rotten maniacs are still driving on the same road. They still follow the Xecutioner's Return path. Left To Die is definitely a more than decent OBITUARY song with nice slower than death riffing and bestial vocals, but regarding Forces Realign, well it is a huge piece of garbage. So, why buy this thing? You can just wait for the album to come out, except if you are so desperate to have one cover and a re-recorded version of an old song. Oh, and a video for the song Evil Ways which comes off of Xecutioner's Return.