Obituary might be the most “don’t fuck with the formula” band in metal. Three founding members — vocalist John Tardy, his drummer brother Donald, and guitarist Trevor Peres — are still with the group nearly 40 years since forming in 1984. On this, their tenth album, newish guitarist Kenny Andrews and bassist Terry Butler deliver exactly what fans are expecting: caveman riffs, often delivered in a midtempo chug, and shredding solos. Donald Tardy’s drumming is loose but just right, injecting a swamp-rock groove into their death metal, making it almost bluesy at times (“A Lesson In Vengeance”), and John Tardy is still one of the most unhinged-sounding vocalists in music.

– Phil Freeman