Control Denied
The Fragile Art Of Existence

I am not a big admirer of Chuck Schuldiner, but I have to say that he did some good things, especially this last album, which spins hard in the stereo with its compelling rhythms, the gloomy atmosphere, and that extremely depressing punch that only his guitar could give.

He passed away prematurely, but he left behind not only his long career with the Death, but also this project which, in my opinion, seems to be his most extreme work. Everything works perfectly: his magical guitar and Shannon Hamm's, who alternate solos in an incomparable way, the demolition machine bass of Steve Di Giorgio, and one of the greatest drummers I have ever listened to, Richard Christy. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful everything...except for the one dissonant note that for many years divided the fans; among all those who were in favor of saying that "The Fragile Art Of Existence" was devilishly perfect from every point of view and among those who were upset by the participation (interference) of the lead singer Tim Aymar. Tim Aymar. I am still not convinced!.. I cannot yet figure out if he ruined this perfect ProgMetal album for me. Better not to think about it! Nonetheless, complex, sophisticated, visionary, wicked. For me, it has all the cards to withstand the comparison with the best productions of Dream Theater: "Images & Words" and "Scene from a Memory."

"Consumed" is beautiful, a perfect opening track with its sudden changes of direction in seven minutes, the guitar and Chuck's choice of lyrics immediately stand out. It's useless to tell you that the middle ones are astonishing, but it is the last one that truly captures the essence of this talented band. 10 minutes of an epic song, ruthless in its lyrics and extremely difficult to play.

Unfortunately, Chuck died two years later, leaving the stage without him (and not the other way around!). He fought hard against cancer but, in the end, he couldn't make it, and yet he left behind his guitar wonders and the emblem of having been one of the most influential names in Progressive Metal.

Chuck Schuldiner R.I.P. 13.12.01