"Darkest Day" is the eighth studio album by American death metal band Obituary. It was released on June 30, 2009 by Candlelight Records. The album is representative of Obituary's signature style, featuring their trademark combination of guttural vocals, down-tuned rhythm guitars, and complex song structures.
"Darkest Day" is recognized for its musical intricacies and an overall heavier sound compared with the band's earlier works, mellowing the more melodic sound that the band had engaged in the past. The album consists of twelve tracks, including "List of Dead," "Blood to Give," "Lost," and "Outside My Head", among others.
The band members during the album's release were John Tardy on vocals, Trevor Peres and Ralph Santolla on guitars, Frank Watkins on bass, and Donald Tardy on drums. The album was produced by Mark Prator, Obituary and Scott Burns, while the art direction and design were handled by Andreas Marschall. Notably, "Darkest Day" is the last Obituary studio album to feature bassist Frank Watkins before his death in 2015.
Since its release, "Darkest Day" has received positive reviews from both critics and fans, often cited as a testament to the band's enduring presence in the death metal genre and their ability to produce compelling, dynamic, and high-quality music, even decades into their career.
