Composer Reacts to Death - Story to Tell (REACTION & ANALYSIS)

[@hablibubli8648]

Love this album. Originally the last one 'Symbolic' was supposed to be the last 'Death' album. Chuck even started another band 'Control Denied' him being just the guitarist. He didn't want to be the frontman anymore. I think it was the fans wanting more Death that 'The Sound of Perseverance' was made. Lovely melodic death metal with proggy-ness sprinkled all around. Super frantic drumming that took some time for me to get into. This album for me is just a good example of solid, memorable and powerful songwriting and melodies. Kinda having a classic heavy metal vibe throughout. The previous 3 Death albums, Human, Individual Thought Patterns and Symbolic, were really imporant milestones for prog/tech death. This is probably the most approachable Death album it being so melodic and kinda catchy. Really good stuff. Death just has one of the most consistent discographies in metal. Sadly Chuck passed away pretty soon after this album. Thanks for checking it out!

[@tropiq]

i was writing my own comment but then i glanced over and you wrote a lot of what i would've, Sound of Perseverance was actually my intro to Death and i made my way through their discography backwards and what a journey that was, always love me some Death

[@Jeestay]

It´s one of my favourite albums too. I think it was the record company that insisted on releasing another Death album, so some of the songs were written for Control denied, but ended up on this album. I would say that this is more in the Progressive death metal genre, and their earlier albums are more of what we mean by traditional Death metal. Chuck seemed to like experimenting alot.

[@MANGRINDER_band_]

Really? I didn't know Symbolic was supposed to be the last. But it makes sense because that's their best album by a bit. Would have been a good way to leave it at the top. I'm Glad they did this one tho. Definitely their lost catchy and melodic.

[@jproffitt2192]

Death was the band that got me into more extreme metal. Definitley prog death

[@Trikipum]

yes, breaking the boundaries. That is the reason i always liked european death metal more. Every american band but Death were so stuck up in their genre.. due "money" you know...shame.

[@Kraakesolv]

Morbid Angel would be a good pick for death metal, most of their 80/90s stuff is just amazing. Edit: Oh, and Florida death metal was definitely a thing. More accurately in the Tampa Bay area where you had Death, Morbid Angel, Obituary, Deicide and more. Morbid Angel is definitely my fave among them, you could check out Day of Suffering, Immortal Rites, Chapel of Ghouls or Dominate. Good stuff.

[@Ruija27]

It'd have to be either Where the Slime Live or a song off of Altars.

[@Kraakesolv]

​@@Ruija27Slime is amazing, don't get me wrong, I was just trying to suggest some good but straight death since he wanted that baseline and that isn't it I feel. Altars, yes. 💯

[@CriticalReactions]

We got some Morbid Angel tomorrow!

[@thegrimner]

It's always fascinated me how geographical metal was in the times before the internet. You had Florida death metal which took the Slayer blueprint and added brutality and technical profficiency, then you had the english bands crossing over punk and death metal via grindcore, then Stockholm death metal being very thrashy, with a hint of melody (and that fuzzy buzzsaw guitar sound)... you could almost always tell where a band came from by how they sounded.

[@HideousConformity]

@@thegrimner ...Until everyone started going to the Sunlight Studios to record their albums because they wanted to replicate the sound of Entombed - only to be told by Skogsberg that Entombed created the sound themselves.

[@faust8218]

This is definitely not traditional death metal, no.

[@linusfotograf]

I really hope we're in for some Morbid Angel, Obituary, Entombed or Bolt Thrower this week.

[@Kraakesolv]

Bolt Thrower, heck yes. The IVth Crusade was my first BT and it's still amazing.

[@CriticalReactions]

At least two of those are showing up :)

[@linusfotograf]

@@CriticalReactions Awesome

[@TheCyberMantis]

Yeah, gotta do some Morbid. Something from "Covenant".

[@Couperetarded]

@@TheCyberMantis I 2nd this

[@Nickwritespoetry]

This is not traditional death metal at all. This is progressive death metal. Death's first album Scream Bloody Gore is traditional death metal. The song Zombie Ritual is probably my favorite off of the album. Older death metal actually sounds like whatever the titles of their songs/albums suggest. It's more gruesome. The progressive stuff is cool, but has a completely different feeling than the old school death metal sound.

[@petergjata1498]

Hey Bryan, thanks for the analysis as always, excited for death metal week. I'll try to offer my perspective on Death: So they started out as """pure""" death metal, but I wouldn't consider any of their albums as representative of death metal. I find it hard to operate on a concept such as "traditional death metal", but if I had to choose an early death metal (which still has some of that thrash inheritence) album to represent the genre, it would be something like Altars of Madness by Morbid Angel, which even presents some of the elements that can be found in NYDM (New York Death Metal) bands like the brutality of Suffocation, the dissonant melodies of Immolation, the rhytmic and structuring of Incantation, and so on. After their third album Chuck Schuldiner (the "mastermind" of Death), also influenced by bands like Watchtower and Queensrÿche, changed the band's sound (and themes), resulting in more technical music with more complexity in its ideas, and most of all with the stylistic introduction of heavy metal influences. Chuck intended their 1995 album "Symbolic" to be Death's last, and wished to release music under a new band called "Control Denied" (mixing heavy, power, thrash/speed, death, and prog), but was forced by his contract with Nuclear Blast to release another Death album, which contains the track you heard in this video. That said, strictly compositionally speaking (stylistic aesthetics aside), a "pure" death metal album like "The Red in the Sky is Ours" by At The Gates might even be more progressive than the Sound of Perseverance by Death, in my opinion

[@HideousConformity]

At the Gates might be the first Death Metal band that extensively used polyphony. Personally I prefer the stuff they released while Alf Svensson was still in the band. His way of composing was fairly unique. Recording himself just jamming on the guitar and then playing it backwards, taking any parts he thought sounded interesting and creating riffs based on that.

[@hectorescobar9450]

It is maybe, but it does lack the soul of TSOP

[@kalabhairava6670]

This is more progressive death metal. Death were pioneers of death metal and progressive metal. For the more traditional death metal that they helped form looked at their earlier albums.

[@ryansadauskis]

One of the greatest bands of all time--a pioneer for many current artists. Chuck was a damn genius and left this world way too soon.

[@cgo7395]

The drummer on this album is Richard Christy from the Howard Stern show.

[@bike4aday]

5:25 I totally understand that facepalm, but when they come back to the story after, it feels so gooood!

[@GregsWhiskyGuide]

Interesting review, Brian, even if not knowing the context of this album (last album they did, Chuck Schuldiner, the leader, both lead/rythm guitarist & singer, struggling to keep a stable line-up over the years, was being diagnosed with brain cancer in 1999-he died in 2001). For me it is the most paroxystic album of them emotions wise (also the singing is pushed to the limit pitch wise, he started lower that that & stayed there for 3/4 of his career) & one of the most proggish but also thrash metallish too, but I prefer other albums such as "Human" (where you'll love the bass work from legend Steve Di Giorgio, like I said earlier on, check out the song "Flattening of Emotions", 1991) and, as you guessed it, the band (formed in 1983) started way more raw & simple composition wise when doing "Scream Bloody Gore" (influenced by horror movies & themes, like many D.M. bands of that time), but some songs were showcasing already some complexity (hence the song "Leprosy" (title track from same album, 1988) but still super raw compared to albums like "Human", "Individual Thought Patterns" (check out a song like "Mentally Blind", 1993, melodically superb, or "Nothing is Everything ", or "Trapped in a corner"-in fact you might need to listen to it all...). Also, useful to mention, some members of the band Cynic you already reviewed songs of (Paul Masvidal & Sean Reinert) worked within the band Death for 2 years (1990-1992). Lots of other talented musicians did so too (Steve Di Giorgio, James Murphy, Gene Hoglan, to name a few) & the band influenced a lot of contemporary bands....

[@CriticalReactions]

Geez, this band has kinda been all over the place within the D.M. subgenre, huh? Lots of influence on other bands too.

[@GregsWhiskyGuide]

@@CriticalReactions I don't think so, Brian, it is just their evolution, because if you listen to the albums that are after the first one ("Scream Bloody Gore", 1987), their style evolves slowy but surely album after album to a more refined sound, more complex compositions, and considering the multiple line up changes, it still did manage to maintain some consistency imho, especially from 1990 to 1995 included, the last album ("The Sound of Perseverance", 1998, from which you've taken this song) being maybe a bit different (I find it less complex & more challenging compositions & singing wise, but still has some beautiful moments such as the poignant instrumental "Voice of the Soul" or the amazing Judas Priest cover "Painkiller"). But sure they had a rich style & did had musical elements which prefigure contemporary Tech Death & Prog Death (hence the importance of the bass guitar & somehow proggy breaks in "Human" & "Individual..." albums).

[@Ronnie_McDoggle]

Beautiful song. RIP Chuck This album and symbolic would be interesting album reactions! How much to donate to see this?

[@raen19]

I would call this a more progressive death metal. Death is an interesting band actually, because you get a few different flavours of metal throughout Chucks's career, and each time he evolved his style, he did something that revolutionised the genre. The first 3 Death albums (Scream Bloody Gore, Leprosy and Spiritual Healing) are more of the traditional death metal sound, and were the albums that really pioneered the genre (there's an ongoing debate about whether Death or Possessed created death metal, but I think that while Possessed coined the phrase first, Scream Bloody Gore was the album that defined what it actually meant). The next 2 albums (Human and Individual Thought Patterns) are more like technical death metal, and the final 2 albums (Symbolic and The Sound of Perseverance) are more progressive death metal. Though that progressive element was always peeking around the corner since Human really. Then to go a step further, Chuck created another band called Control Denied, which was a more melodic/progressive offering, clean vocals and everything (Tim Aymar, the vocalist of Control Denied, recently passed away - RIP Tim). I'm really glad that you found this song interesting, despite it not quite being your cup of tea. I remember when you found the harsher vocal styles grating, and now here you are checking out Death and seeing the beauty in it. What a brilliant pick to start off death metal week too. Chuck was absolutely one of the greatest contributors to metal to date, and we lost him too soon. RIP Chuck. Edit: the timbre of Chuck's vocals did change throughout his career. The lower growl you expected to hear is actually more typical of the death metal sound, and if you go back to earlier Death you'll definitely hear it. Also it's interesting that you mentioned fretless bass - the two 'tech' albums feature Steve DiGiorgio, and on Individual Thought Patterns he played a fretless bass. I would really LOVE to watch your face melt listening to Overactive Imagination lol. Please put that on your list.

[@jonathanhenderson9422]

This is from one of my absolute favorite metal albums of all time from one of my favorite bands. Death is one of the rare extreme metal bands I don't get tired of. I think it's mostly because of the sheer density of their musicality. Seems like every time you blink they have a new idea with a killer riff/rhythm that's interesting. Here's what I wrote about them on my 100 Favorite artists list where I ranked them #18: "It's rare enough that a band invents/innovates a single genre, but Death essentially did so with two. Their early work helped to define the death metal genre and are still among the genre's finest; but from Human in '91 they equally helped pioneer the burgeoning prog metal genre along with Atheist, Cynic, and Dream Theater. Though opinions differ, IMO Death is a band that just got better over time with their last album being their ultimate masterpiece and one of the genre's pinnacles. Of course mastermind Chuck Schuldiner deserves all the praise he gets for his songwriting, guitar playing, and vision for the genre, but equally laudable is the cadre of outstanding musicians he played with, most of whom have become fixtures in death metal, but rarely with the same level of influence and import as here." As for your question, yes, Death's early work (Scream Bloody Gore & Leprousy) are mostly classic "traditional" death metal. Their third album, Spiritual Healing, was something of a transition between their traditional DM albums and the progressive death metal of their last four albums (Human, Individual Thought Patterns, Symbolic, and The Sound of Perseverance). They also kinda invented these "whiplash" transitions to different metric feels in metal (though some might argue Watchtower or Atheist did them first). I've never known if they did them intentionally because they liked the effect, or if they just didn't care about/weren't good at smooth transitions, but it became one of the genre's tropes. Personally, I do think there's a lot of tonal variety here at least in the context of the stylistically limited genre of death metal, which tends to be much more monochromatic than this. That difference may require you having more familiarity with the genre to pick out though. As the vocals, Chuck's vocals did get higher pitched over time. I've never known why, but he had a pretty traditional death growl on their early albums.

[@CriticalReactions]

Yeah that's wild. Most bands can only dream of being part of a single movement, much less two of them!

[@Radean1]

Misanthrope from Symbolic must be heard

[@Felipe_dcj]

Definitely this is not pure death metal, but is one of the most important bands in the genre. Began as a pioneer and then evolved constantly. If I could recommend something good between death and the prog they became, I'd say Individual Thought Patterns album: Out of Touch or Jealousy are good examples of that mixture.

[@PraiseJesusOurKing]

This was the first Death metal band on the scene next to Possessed it is and always will be death metal, the music that inspired the current players. "pure" death metal check your history kiddo.

[@im3phirebird81]

ITP is my most favourite album Felipe :) Favourite song has changed a bit over the years, but Trapped in a Corner has such a legendary solo section that I go back to most compared to others. And then there is that absolute banger of an album opener!

[@im3phirebird81]

@@PraiseJesusOurKingImagine talking down to somebody whilst namedropping a guy in your profile name who said everyone is equal before his father lol

[@zachrabbit5463]

i think we should throw him straight into the deep end review early cryptopsy (blasphemy made flesh/none so vile era) those albums are considered somewhat of a benchmark for death metal (especially tech death)

[@hole1623]

You should also do “zero tolerance”, “without judgment”, “crystal mountain” and “empty words”

[@blanccarlos4479]

Highly recommend the title track off of Immolation's "Close to a World Below" as one of the genre's artistic peaks

[@maaaaaap]

lots of death metal also borders progressive or technical death metal(or some other sub genre). Death's later albums had more influence from those genres with the melodies, song structure and technicality, so it's not traditional death metal, but if you call it death metal, i dont think anybody's going to get angry about it

[@robertgarside3827]

I'd love to hear some underground death metal here. There's tons of great bands in the underground at the moment. Maul, Vomit Forth and Majesties have been my favorites lately.

[@trve_ingvar]

I'd really love Vitriol to be analyzed, they have a really unorthodox style with tons of dissonance

[@joshukata942]

Death is my fav metal band cant wait for the other death metal u talk about

[@liliIiliIilil]

Legends. Chuck always wanted to progress with his songwriting and always had the best play and help write with him.

[@MaaZeus]

If we are meant to have a "traditional" death metal week then this wouldn't be my pick honestly. I mean, the band is absolutely correct but by this album Death were more into progressive metal than Death Metal which they played (and popularised) in their first couple of albums.

[@mikef5678]

I wish he would've done something off of Spiritual Healing. That album is my favorite of theirs.

[@MaaZeus]

Looking forward to what other bands got chosen. Hoping to see Swedish Death Metal represented by Entombed or Dismember with their famous Boss HM2 pedal buzzsaw guitar tone.

[@MaaZeus]

@@mikef5678 Yes, that would have been a better choise.

[@penfleur]

you should definitely check out Crimson by Edge of Sanity, one of the best melodeath records that is very proggy

[@phadrus]

I’m not a big Death fan but they were more traditional death metal in the beginning and more progressive toward the end of their career.

[@progperljungman8218]

Yeah, kinda invented both death and the "sub genre" prog death 🙂

[@petergjata1498]

​@@progperljungman8218 Idk, Unquestionable Presence came out 2 months before Human ahah

[@_bats_]

@@petergjata1498 and Piece of Time over a year before. Not to mention records like Atrocity's first album, the first Darkthrone album, the third Pestilence album from around the same time, the first Carbonized album in '91, Nocturnus, etc.

[@progperljungman8218]

@@_bats_ Ok, alright😊 I didn't mean they (Schuldiner) were necessarily the first ones to experiment with the genre but think they might have gone their own path doing so - developing their sound into a progressive direction not too influenced by any others doing their progressive development (that'sthe "kinda"). But I might be wrong

[@Kataxu]

You want straight Death Metal, so, you want to listen to Sinister. Its not progressive, its just meat and potatos death metal with occasional flourishes of technicality, brutality, and speed, but not enough to swing them into tech death, or brutal death metal (which is a legitimate distillation of discernable musical ideas extracted from hardcore, placed into Death Metal, and example would be Deeds of Flesh, and Suffocation).

[@petergjata1498]

Ha, to call a band like Sinister meat and potato death metal is a great understatement ahaha

[@FeRReTNS]

I find straight death metal to be kinda boring for me, so always slept on this band. I just assumed Death must be a "basic" Death-metal band. Boy was I wrong, I was surprised by how technical and progressive a lot of their stuff was (and maybe experimental for the time?). Everyone always praises them and mentions how they are required listening. I wish I would have listened to those people sooner.

[@goldenboy140]

It's probably the weakest song of the album. Check out Spirit Crusher, Symbolic, Flesh And The Power It Holds, Pull The Plug, The Philosopher, Lack Of Comprehension, Without Judgement etc. They have so many classics yet this guy always starts with the weak deep cuts

[@MetalGeek464]

Is this traditional death metal.. I don't think so. I'm not a hard core death metal listener but I have most of Deaths catalog. Lots of Jazz in there especially on Human and Individual Thought Patterns plus prog as you noted. Death's Symbolic was one of the first death metal songs I ever heard oh so long ago and I was hooked.

[@raiden3295]

The band is the foundation of Death Metal, but The Sound of Perseverance is not a traditional Death Metal album. It's more of a Prog Tech Death album.

[@linusfotograf]

This is NOT traditional Death Metal Bryan. This is Prog/Tech Death Metal. They just kept the vocals from their old style. They pretty much invented Death Metal in the 80's.

[@chagatainouveau]

Death pionereed death metal, but they also pioneered technical death metal and progressive death metal. Their first three albums feature their classic death metal sound. Leprosy is my favorite one of those.

[@tonydimauro4334]

The rhythm in a story to tell you were having a hard time with was 5/8. DO A VIDEO about slam or the band Sanguisugabogg

[@hectorescobar9450]

I’d love to see you cover Scavenger of Human Sorrow from the same album or A moment of Clarity

[@troyseal9877]

Chuck was the Godfather of death metal and Gene changed metal drumming.

[@goldenboy140]

Probably the weakest song on the album. Why not start with their bangers first?

[@HateMich]

I agree, strange choice from this album

[@davidadaman6]

Give a listen to his Control Denied - The Fragile Art of Existence Its absolutely beautiful Progressive metal but so was Death

[@Freddespelarspel]

Someone just wanted you to react to more Death... Yeah this was little bit wierd, it would have been alot better to react to something in their first album or even their second album, there you have your more classic death metal sound, you wanted this week. Death last two albums was alot more technical/progressive metal, you can say you have some death metal elements here to of course.

[@UltraMegaSeaMonkey]

This is a refreshing Death reaction. Quite the treat for Death fans

[@linusfotograf]

Their last works are also their least proper Death Metal. I feel alone in my love for the early albums. Everyone always mentions the last ones it seems; although great but, you know.... Pull the Plug!

[@009Edson]

I miss Chuck.

[@annodomini1991]

This is not traditional Death Metal, it's Technical Death Metal. Not sure about the statement that the name Death Metal comes from Death because the Thrash Metal band Possessed had a song called Death Metal on their 1985 Album "Seven Churches", there was also a 1984 Compilation called Death Metal.

[@dimitriid]

You really, *really* should consider doing Control Denied now: This was tied with Control Denied as the last bit of evolution we've got from Chuck and the musicians he choosed to associate with before he passed away but Control Denied arguably took these types of ideas even a bit further but in a twist you'll probably like, Chuck himself wasn't doing the vocals and had a more typical heavy metal (As in Clean) vocalist. In fact many songs from this records started their jorney as demo versions of the Control Denied project without lyrics. Now this isn't the most proggie Death Metal gets but Chuck and Death moved just enough to always innovate but on a clear line through the development of Death Metal from the late 80s through the last days of the 90s. Last note: I know it helps your analyisis, but I would refrain from looking for a label as "Traditional Death Metal" (Simply called "Death Metal" at the time) since that was a label that really was only alive for a very small window of time in 1989-1991 or so really. The most traditional death metal bands were just more dissonant thrash metal (Think Slayer) with gutural vocals and only for the very first few albums of their career. For Death, credited as the creators if not one of the founders of Death Metal for example, were probably already "Technical/Progressive Metal" by their fourth album in 1991 (As I quoted funny enough) and around this time (Firmly in the first half of the 90s and many of them very early 90s) almost all of the Death Metal bands shifted into different genres altogether and what most people consider death metal was really the Brutal Death metal and Techno Death moniquers while bands like Death, Entombed, Anathema, Paradise Lost, etc. Were all moving into vastly different direction than the "Growling thrash metal" that was the very short lived classic death metal and only very few that started around that time like Morbid Angel kept their original sound intact.

[@blanccarlos4479]

Respectfully disagree. You might be thinking of the originators of dm, Florida dm as the more dissonant thrash, but the other scenes evolved beyond that thrash influence, and became their own thing. Something that separates "pure" dm from thrash-influenced death is an incredibly dark atmosphere Examples: Immolation's Close to a World Below All the death metal bands that took influence from doom metal - Incantation, Autopsy, Dead Congregation, diSEMBOWELMENT, Asphyx, Dragged into Sunlight, etc Swedish dm - Entombed, Dismember, Carnage, Grave, Necrophobic Death metal that is technical, but really it's nothing close to trad tech death Demilich - Nespithe Every ulcerate album The old-school dm revival - Mitochondrion, Portal, Dead Congregation, etc

[@dimitriid]

I'm not: If you look at the bands I mentioned as classic death metal only Death is from Florida, or even an American band. What often happens is people applying the label "death metal" *retroactively* but it wasn't really used as a war banner and call to musical action outside of the timeframe I mentioned. Some of the point you mention all have exceptions that fit the mold perfectly and just don't get called "Classic Death Metal" because they predate the term and it's narrow window of time for example, Sepultura. That's a band that's definitively blurring lines between Thrash and Death Metal but has all the elements of all the quoted bands like early Death, Possessed, etc. In their sound since 1986, 1987. Even some of the ones you mention like "dark atmosphere" which I feel you either need to clarify and clearly define or abandon since you probably couldn't come up with a darker "Admosphere" than Slayer all through the 80s. Do you just mean zombies and gore? Because that's mostly the Florida crowd. No satanism or violence is "dark" enough then? You don't think there's enough tritones in Slayer or Sepultura? What is it? You then go on to make distinctions like "Swedish" which is a monicker that has been used *RETROACTIVELY* to name these bands that were just plain "Death Metal" during their late 80s and early 90s period of prominence. You also go on to name "Doom metal influenced" but again this was well before Death Metal was thought of in terms of being super fast and rhythmically complex/syncopated/etc. These are labels that most people apply today retroactively but you didn't hear bands or people back in those days making these hyper specific distinctions. Which goes back to my point: These distinctions just wouldn't be all that interesting to new comers and people not well versed in the genre and only serve to confuse someone and serve as a way to share how many bands from 30 years ago you can name drop and correctly classify with almost as many exceptions to whatever conventions you'd like to point to as nominal of classic death metal when painting a broader picure is far more useful to someone trying to approach the era.

[@johnhilton2974]

@@dimitriidReplying from another since comments won't show up on my other acc. So dark atmosphere. This “dark or unnerving atmosphere” can be achieved by varying combinations of: 1. the use of purposely off-kilter drum beats (not fills) that doesn’t follow a steady, predictable pattern. 2. Emphasis on atonal/dissonant riffing, as opposed to power chord riffs or rhythmic, nonmelodic riffs 3. Dark lead guitar lines 4. Slow tempos to give more weight to each note, drumbeat, or vocal line. Swedish death metal features punk influences, a doom influence courtesy of Autopsy, an emphasis on melody, and the signature “buzzsaw” guitar tone of a Boss HM-2 amp with everything set to max. It’s not just me who has noticed these traits are a major trait of Swedish dm either. Check out these reviews: 1. www.metal-archives.com/reviews/Dismember/Like_an_Everflowing_Stream/514/ 2. www.metal-archives.com/albums/Grave/Into_the_Grave/6288 3. www.metal-archives.com/reviews/Gorement/The_Ending_Quest/21353/ 4. www.metal-archives.com/reviews/Unleashed/Where_No_Life_Dwells/1318/ 5. www.metal-archives.com/reviews/Necrophobic/The_Nocturnal_Silence/7627/ On the topic of retroactive genre labeling, just because metalheads didn’t label bands in the past doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t now. Genres exist to: •provide a way for music listeners to categorize and find music that they enjoy I enjoy death metal that makes an effort to create a dark atmosphere. I enjoy just straight, blasting dm a lot less because it’s less dynamic, doesn’t connect with me on as deep, and the “journey” the song takes me on is just less powerful. That’s why I make an effort to differentiate dm with dark atmospheres, and just straight up dm, because I prefer and seek out dm with darker atmospheres much more than straight dm. Also, the doom metal influenced dm bands aren’t lacking in speed or rhythmic complexity. These aspects of dm still remain intact, just contrasted with doom metal sections featuring plodding tempos, repetitive riffs, and thick, distorted, down-tuned guitars. Finally, I think it’s up to the dm newcomers themselves to decide which microgenres seem interesting, not me or you. I want to accurately describe the various sounds which I like. I’m not interested in forcing people to listen to a specific microgenre just because I personally worship that subgenre. People who read my comments can decide for themselves whether they’re interested in listening to the sound I’m describing or not. Worst case is that they waste a couple of mins, best case is that my comment illuminates a microgenre/s that they enjoy and which sates a different craving than the styles of dm theyre already familiar with

[@olubcs44]

It's always great to see someone reacting to my favorite band... Thank you for this I hope you eventually react // analyse their earllier stuff which is very different... Death Metal week is going to be a blast... so many possibilities: Atheist, Autopsy, Bolt Thrower, Brutality, Demigod, Demilich, Gorguts, Cryptopsy, Monstrosity, Obituary, Suffocation among many other would be great choices, I'm looking forward to a very fun week.

[@TheCyberMantis]

LoL, you were tripping-out on those long rests. 😆

[@ericv7720]

Death definitely took a proggy direction in the 90s. "Traditional" DM would be early Death, Morbid Angel, Cannibal Corpse (in the US), Grave, Entombed (in Sweden), Bolt Thrower, Benediction (in England). Generally, it's simpler, either with thrashy riffs/tempos, or doomy/sludgy. In the 90s, the genre would split into tech death, doom death, melodic death metal, and brutal death metal (which emphasizes speed and rhythm above all else).

[@thegrimner]

I'd definitely say that this isn't a good example of "traditional" death metal, or even a good example of prog or technical death metal. Death has albums that better encapsulate both worlds at the same time ( Human, Individual Thought Patterns), and at this point in his career he was kind of frustrated with genre confinement and tropes. If you listen to the posthumously released Control Denied album, which could justly be described as traditional metal, its sound isn't really dissimilar to how SOund of Perseverance would sound with a clean singer. So, if you want and album that captures both the essence of death metal and foreshadows a lot of its more technical flights of fancy, I'd say "Human" would be the ultimate choice. It's still grounded in crunchy death metal riffing, but with a rhythm section composed of Sean Reinert (who along with Paul Masvidal, who also plays on Human, were part of the very jazzy metal band Cynic) and Steve Di Giorgio, really captures those first moments where death metal began maturing into something more. Possibly not the album you'd like more from Death, but it would give you a better understanding of both the tropes of the genre and how they were being deconstructed. It's also why 9 times out of 10 I'd recommend you do these retrospectives by looking at the early and seminal albums from the influential bands rather thanthe later output. Its very common for bands to outgrow their ealier material (as Death did), become stale and formulaic, releasing workmanlike albums almost as a mere excuse for touring (as Obituary do), or just simply go far off the deep end and release bad music (looking at you, Morbid Angel). Let's put it this way, if you asked for songs that define thrash and people recommend "Enter Sandman" by Metallica and "Symphony of Destruction" by Megadeth, odds are you won't get a clear picture of what defines thrash.

[@tjgamer9713]

id argue Symphony is much more thrashy in feel and sound than sandman

[@SiggySig556]

You should create a new folder named Death and file all of their songs you listen to in that stand alone folder

[@viniciusmurarogoncalves3415]

If you're going to do a death metal week, you really should check out "Asphyx - Last one on earth", it's a death/doom classic. But if you want some pure death metal, "Morbid Angel - Altars of madness" is essential. Going to the aproach of brutal death metal, "Suffocation - Liege of inveracity" or "Cannibal Corpse - Hammer Smashed face" would be some good examples. Some honorable mentions that should apear in this week is: "Sepultura - Dead Embryonic Cells" and "Massacre - Cryptic realms".

[@araarathisyomama787]

Even though it has been my most favorite band for years before I suddenly got into Spiral Architect this video made me think of the actual flaws of DEATHs music despite me being an absolute fan. The thing about the composition, where it's the linear progression, bridge and repeated linear progression with optional intros, outros. It's a thing about Chuck's compositions, it's been there for I think his entire musical life (The only songs that don't match are instrumentals and maybe early work). You could even say that most of their entire discography is just one song template with ideas swapped in and out. It amazes me how he managed to make almost every song special (in my eyes) despite that. It influenced me as a guitarist so much I couldn't stop making songs with the same pattern. The other very strong point about DEATH is lyricism, 90's albums are all valuable LIFE lessons ;). Yeah, band had a lot of flaws and besides Chuck it's literally a Theseus ship almost every album. But there are so many different things to love about it and the one man behind it that I think that is why it has so many religious fans.

[@coolvad3r]

Death is amazing! ... wonderful theme! ... Try Bloodbath's "Ominous Blood Vomit" maybe?

[@coolvad3r]

ps ... Death is definitely progressive death metal.

[@progperljungman8218]

​​@@coolvad3r Great recommendation. The theme and the songs are set by patron polls every week though (@ $1 level)

[@coolvad3r]

@@progperljungman8218 thanks so much! ... my head is in the sand, sorry.

[@xRadioactiveAngelsx]

The vocalist played lead guitar

[@SebastosXV87]

Awesome song but this is proggy Death. You have to pick some BOOOOLT THROOOOOOOWEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRR!!! PD. Personal recommendation.. Anti-Tank

[@rahbeat9785]

this is Proggy heaven, favorite album right after 'Symbolic' do more songs off this album! they're all mind-bending bangers:)

[@chickenbeek]

They transcended "Death Metal" even with their literal name. I came from a background of First and foremost Frank Zappa, then Sabbath, Ozzy, AC/DC, VH all that into the 80's stuff into thrash into "Death Metal" and Black Metal. If i were forced to categorise "Death" as a genre i would consider it Jazz Soul Fusion/Heavy Metal. A soundscape of musicality that is not easily definable. King Crimson mashed with Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder, and and a heavy dash of Judas Priest and Slayer. Could be meat, could be cake...It's...It's...MEAT CAKE!!

[@psilocinesthesia]

Death metal (or, more specifically, American death metal) is heavily associated with the Tampa/Central FL region. Death, Deicide, Morbid Angel, Cannibal Corpse, Obituary, and Atheist are all local. A lot of the stylistic uniqueness in older death metal comes from aspects of Tampa death metal, which is generally bit more technical and proggy than what would become mainstream death metal.

[@asmrmetalman1061]

Human is your best choice with death, it’s progressive death metal but still has some of the chromaticism and dissonance associated with death metal. The sound of perseverance by death (the album this song comes from) is progressive melodic death metal.

[@justindevoe9556]

For straight ahead death metal I would’ve recommended something from Human or earlier, they got more and more melodic and technical as they developed, and much of this material was meant for Chuck’s non-Death project

[@Barbro247]

Progressive/technical death metal is the "correct" term for their last 3 albums. Human is also very progressive but still sounds a bit old school.

[@lucalastorina8786]

Actually I think that the time signature of B is 5, at least I count 5. Maybe you can write as 10/8...

[@asmrmetalman1061]

Death along with atheist and cynic were very influential to progressive death metal

[@Deathrash89]

If you like this Album, you would have a feel day with Atheist - Elements 😁

[@jukka-pekkaheikkinen7647]

This whole album would be a great one for one of those album reviews that you do! ❤

[@antoniomachado8782]

Let me suggest a full review to Death's antepenultimate album 'Individual Thought Patterns', which is, in my opinion, a masterpiece and a perfect blend of musicality and technique, but ingrained in a wide spectrum of emotions. And an important detail: bass and drums in this album were crafted by magicians (most likely wizards). :) 'Human' and 'Symbolic' are also magnificent works of art.

[@jayerkky]

Great album but try early Death for "traditional" death metal

[@MetalZoned]

You're right, it's on the proggier side of things

[@jonathanhenderson9422]

On an unrelated note Bryan, Wayne Shorter passed away a few days ago. If you have an "open slot" for a reaction I'd love it if you could do it as a tribute. He was one of the last remaining genuine jazz legends we had. Footprints is probably his most famous composition, but Infant Eyes might make for a more poignant reaction; one of the most beautiful jazz songs ever written.

[@CriticalReactions]

We have a track with him in it on an upcoming Livestream in honor of him. I'll see if I can get him on the channel proper as well.

[@ambassadortourettes753]

Excited for Death Metal week but should have been a song off of their album Human... 🙄🤔 This song really doesn't represent their mastery in my opinion and definitely has the least amount of Death Metal overtones and lastly for the record Chuck the frontman never agreed or much cared much for being deemed the originators of the Death Metal style.... I actually wouldn't consider over half their career as anything really Death Metal in a purist mindset 🤔 Definitely not traditional Death Metal 🙄 amazing band and this was the last album since the frontman Chuck died from cancer 😭RIP And YES 👌 Florida is one of the first regions that spawned American Death Metal👍☝️ Bands such as Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel, Malevolent Creation, Deicide, Obituary.... All from at least around that southern region 👌

[@CriticalReactions]

It still blows my mind that this whole scene started up in my backyard.

[@parkercrook7828]

Dude you GOTTA do a morbid angel video: Maybe Rapture, Immortal Rites, or Invocation of the continual one?

[@CriticalReactions]

Got one coming up today!

[@colebengston3963]

Its metal pure and simple.

[@kevinmadden3396]

For those referencing Control Denied (essentially Death with a real singer), you might not know that Tim Aymar died recently. It was a real loss. Anyone who enjoyed his singing in Control Denied and who likes "traditional metal" should check out his band Pharaoh, which put out five records and an EP over the past 20 years, the most recent of which was in 2021. RIP.

[@atides33]

I love Tim Aymar and Control Denied, but Chuck was a REAL singer.

[@kevinmadden3396]

@@atides33 fair enough, but I think you know what I mean. No one will ever mistake Chuck for a talented singer. He's effective, but not "good" per se.

[@ostravia]

This is Death Metal BTW.

[@xdrezcorex]

i remember you did a reaction to Death quite awhile ago...i think the song was crystal mountain.

[@muskett00]

OMG, this reaction blew up. This is incredible 'prog' death metal, which I wasn't expecting. I need to hear more :) So funny when I type a comment and then you say exactly what I wrote! Makes me think of Bill and Ted, "They Melvin'd me!" - Jokes, ha ha ha

[@im3phirebird81]

That whole ordeal with metal going bassless and then fretless was funny, but then your entire monologue about second guessing yourself was what actually really cracked me up lol. Man Kudos for going into this track like that after one listen. It's a tough one to keep it all in your head and then talk about it for half an hour. You put into words some things I could only ever feel for the lack of actual knowledge. Some songs on this album do feel a bit long. I found their previous ones to be stronger. My favourite album of theirs is Individual Thought Patterns. They had a legendary line-up that year in 1993 with Andy LaRocque from King Diamond pulling some absolutely amazing solos, Steve DiGiorgio with his quirky but outstanding (technically and creatively) fretless bass skills and the one and only Gene Hoglan on the drums.

[@bjhellstream]

I really liked Death in the nineties, especially Symbolic. Musically is flawless but nowadays Chucks singing is a turn-off. Back in the day most harsh vocalist were kind of crap in contrast to this day when many harsh singers are really amazing singers and can do great cleans too. You're correct and this is more prog than death. Their earlier stuff was more what you would call death metal. RIP Chuck!

[@robertperner7196]

The genre actually takes its name from a song called "Death Metal" by Possessed, from their album "Seven Churches". The reason why Death is considered the first Death Metal band and not Possessed is because the first Possessed album was still using more Thrash than Death elements, while the first Death album, "Scream Bloody Gore", was more Death Metal than Thrash Metal and therefor considered the first "true" Death Metal album by many. Chuck Schuldiner always considered Possessed the inventors of Death Metal though, and according to Jeff Becerra, Chuck asked Jeff if he was okay with Death doing a similar style to Possessed. So there is a good case to be made for both "Seven Churches" and "Scream Bloody Gore" being the first DM album. It all just depends on who you ask. It's Death Metal that started out in Florida. Possessed may have been from California, but Death, Obituary and Morbid Angel all hail from Florida. As for the vocals, Chuck usually didn't sound like that. All the albums before and (from what I've seen/heard) live performances after this album have Chuck doing traditional Death Metal growls. Only "Symbolic", the album just before "TSoP", has his vocals starting to lean into this style. Not sure what's up with that, but apparently Chuck was trying to move away from the DM tag and wanted Death to be regarded as more than just that. "Symbolic" was meant to be their final album, and some if not all the material on "TSoP" was meant for his next band, Control Denied (which would feature somebody else on vocals). He had to do one last Death album in order to get a deal for Control Denied, so he ended up repurposing that material for Death. Maybe this has to do with his vocals being unique on this album? Not entirely sure about this. One more thing and I promise I'll stop rambling: The band name was actually something positive for Chuck. Just as Chuck eventually would, his brother died of cancer when Chuck was younger. He decided to name his band "Death" to turn it into something positive. He was actually a very wholesome person who loved pets and had a very positive outlook on life.

[@erkkapehto9125]

Death started as a traditional death metal band but their sound developed over time into a more progressive metal style. So this song is not traditional death metal but more like progressive metal, technical death or melodic death metal. Check out something from their 1988 album Leprosy for traditonal death metal. And btw, the verse riff is in 5/8, not 3/4 or 6/8, and the rhythm section never goes into triplets at any point of the song

[@im3phirebird81]

On the topic of these lyrics: Chuck started out with Death in a more traditional way, with an album called Scream Bloody Gore and titles like Zombie Ritual. Over time as Chuck grew these themes started disappearing and he noticed how part of the fanbase couldn't let that go and also other people who didn't give him a second chance because of all that evil in it, I would say this was a personal message to them. This also shows in their logo on the last album: Though the scythe remains because it was a lot more integral to the logo, the grim reaper head is gone and the T in DEATH had its horizontal line centered so it does no longer resemble an inverted cross.

[@BrunoAlmeidanyg]

Chuck was a genius in his life, as a composer e writer, he was not worry to be the faster or heaviest, he was just chuck, he had with most of songwiriters did'nt have, feeling!!!

[@ostravia]

Nile - Lashed From The Slave Stick. I am a touring Death Metal drummer and I dread this song.

[@nickcriado1098]

If you want more chuck schduldiner do control denied. His music, but different singer

[@jukka-pekkaheikkinen7647]

I believe I just made a world speed record on pushing like button after seeing this pop up. This album is pretty much the reason I fell in love with death metal and i would say rougher music. A love still going on strong. Thank you sir!

[@creamyanddreamy4017]

Please for the love of god react to Augury - The Lair of Purity.

[@creamyanddreamy4017]

members of UneXpect have collabed with Augury they are so sweet!

[@bertil3887]

Death is progressive death metal if you want old-scool death i think you should have a that as a theme of its own

[@CriticalReactions]

I was expecting the variety this week but I do think Death Metal needs an Origins week like Black and Heavy Metals have had.

[@bertil3887]

@@CriticalReactions a lot of the people in the community are into the more progressive and melodic stuff and that affects the results

[@THE_JACKAL666]

My dear friend, mind you, you are talking about GOD here. Chuck Schuldiner was GOD in his own dam right and he always selected other GODS of the likes of Gene "CRUSHER" Hoglan, Di Giorgio, Andy LaRocque and many others. He was a brilliant musician, always focusing into crafting his guitar and vocal skills. He had great notions about other genres like Jazz and other styles, bringing these elements into his music. Death Metal actually came straight from his sac !

[@paolosmeazzetto2159]

Chuck's death was a huge loss to metal in general, Death's career has been a continuous crescendo, each album pushing the bar higher. inimitable !

[@dafig3858]

chceck spheres of madness by decapitated pls🤘🤘

[@jayerkky]

First time watching, really like ya style. Hope to see Opeth, Blackwater Park or Ghost Reveries in the future

[@jayerkky]

I mean Ghost of Perdition

[@CriticalReactions]

Blackwater Park was my introduction to them. If you want you can see my reaction to them at this link but keep in mind my channel was only 3 months old at the time and this long form format wasn't quite in place yet. Plus I didn't have a strong ear for metal. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bXzLe2p8Z8yXmdE

[@_bats_]

This isn't proper death metal, and is barely really even death metal at all. By this era they were basically just playing prog metal with bad harsh vocals. It was clear that by this point Chuck wanted to be playing prog/power metal. If you want death metal-era Death, check out stuff from the first two albums: Scream Bloody Gore or Leprosy. (Fair warning: there's a really weird cult of personality around Chuck, with lots of rabid fanboys. Personally, I find this band incredibly overrated.)

[@LeeGion_981]

No it’s progressive Death metal

[@Themonist]

Terrible aimless stuff.

[@HateMich]

More variety because this is not death metal but prog metal 😉

[@michaeljensen8211]

What is your instrument ? What is your band or team ?

[@CriticalReactions]

I'm a solo composer, mostly writing for myself these days but I've done commissioned works in the past. I have 15 years experience on the Trumpet, both classical and jazz, but nowadays I primarily play keyboard and bass. You can find my works at www.youtube.com/@criticalcompositions/

[@michaeljensen8211]

@@CriticalReactions okey.....a soft boy try go harder (you like metal but it is also the most complicated and hard to do). Maybe you will comment my little one take om cassette when i was 20 try some eruption my own way from inspiration Eddie Van Halen. I enjoy see you look the Better scene. There was a soul singer from Glasgow yesterday comment on Pantera and she was sold to that perfection 😲😁 . I still sometimes beat up my guitar and is ofcause in death metal area explore technic to kick out (love Nile, Morbid Angel, ATROCITY todessensucht "only cool from Them" and so ofcause danish undergang (animal human). Yehr.... Fuck the president and those lying fuckers 😠

[@michaeljensen8211]

@@CriticalReactions kzbin.info/www/bejne/onnXpmiabrKSi5Y Haha... I forget to link it 👻🤕😩

[@HateMich]

About the voice, death metal usually use growl vocals, while black metal has screams. So yes, this is not a classic death metal voice (to be fair, this is not a death metal song...).

[@tinflesh]

Some of my recommendations: Deicide - Any songs from the album Legion Spawn of Possession - Where Angels Go Demons Follow. (Technical Death Metal with classical influence) (PLEASE PLEASE PRETTY PLEASE). Defeated Sanity - Fatal Self Inflicted Disfigurement (Brutal Death Metal) Looking forward to the Death Metal week!!

[@tinflesh]

And no, this isn't a traditional Death Metal. This is Death's last album and aside from the first 3-4 Death albums the rest are pretty much considered tech/prog Death Metal!(depends on what you consider as traditional or not)