Anyone familiar with metal would know about Death’s influence on death, thrash, and progressive metal. Even after more than 20 years of its cessation, the band continues to lead the way for musicians. Founder Chuck Schuldiner’s overwhelming solos and technical excellence are widely acclaimed. Lyrically, Death’s early albums explore morbid themes like murder while their later albums adopt a more philosophical approach. All in all, this band made furious music and is not meant for casual coffee table listening.
Sound Of Perseverance(1998) was their last album. This album is technical, clean, and progressive. It avoids the death metal cliche of gory lyrics and instead focuses on philosophical topics. While some fans favor Death’s aggressive early albums, others like their relatively melodious releases like this one. The lineup consists of Chuck Schuldiner on vocals and guitar, Shannon Hamm on guitar, Scott Clendenin on bass, and Richard Christy on drums.
The first song- Scavenger of Human Sorrow- is one hell of a way to kick an album off. I especially like how aggressive and devastating the shredding in the refrain is. Bite The Pain has some impressive tempo changes. The album also has a mild jazzy feel to it- like the bass intro in Spirit Crusher. Voice Of The Soul is the band’s only acoustic gem. It also happens to be their most accessible song. Though it is the most stripped-down track from the album, it exudes grandeur.
My personal favorite is Flesh And The Power It Holds. It’s pretty long and has some interesting changes. There is super-fast riffing interspersed with melodic parts. I also find it quite uplifting. According to me, the best part is the interplay between the bass and lead guitar in the second half of the track. Death’s interpretation of Judas Priest’s Painkiller provides a satisfying end to the album. Schuldiner emulates Rob Halford’s shrieks quite well.
While some might find this album uncharacteristic of Death’s work, it is one of their most dynamic and melodic releases. This album could serve as a good induction for someone unfamiliar with the band and death metal.
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