Cause of Death (album)

Cause of Death is the second album by American death metal band Obituary. It was released on September 19, 1990. Cause of Death is considered a classic album in the history of death metal.[2] The artwork was done by artist Michael Whelan. It is their first release with longtime member Frank Watkins on bass, and also their first and only album with guitarist James Murphy, previously of the group Death. Murphy did not contribute to the songwriting as the riffs he showed to the band would end up appearing on Disincarnate's Dreams of the Carrion Kind.[3]

Cause of Death
Studio album by Obituary
Released	September 19, 1990
Recorded	1990 at Morrisound Recording, Tampa, Florida
Genre	Death metal
Length	41:02
Label	Roadrunner
Producer	Scott Burns and Obituary
Obituary chronology
Slowly We Rot (1989) Cause of Death (1990) The End Complete (1992)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]

The cover art of this album was used in an H. P. Lovecraft collection, Lovecraft's Nightmare A. It was supposed to be the cover of Sepultura's album Beneath the Remains, but Roadrunner Records let Obituary use it first. Roadrunner Records forced Sepultura to use another Michael Whelan illustration for Beneath the Remains. The second portion of the painting, Lovecraft's Nightmare B was used by Demolition Hammer for their 1992 album Epidemic of Violence. The incident with Sepultura led to Igor Cavalera become upset with Roadrunner Records' Monte Connor, with Cavalera notably having a tattoo of the cover on his arm.[3]

Obituary played Cause of Death in its entirety at the 2019 Decibel Metal & Beer Fest in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[4]

Cause of Death contains a cover of Celtic Frost's "Circle of the Tyrants". Celtic Frost frontman Tom G. Warrior has since endorsed the cover.[3]