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Rating: "Symbolic" is absolutely the most complex and melodic album in the entire "death" field.
With this album (1995), one leaves behind the rawness and harshness of previous "technical death metal" albums ("Elements", "Focus", "Individual Thought Patterns") to embrace a changed and also somewhat refined sound that mixes the brightest "death" with the most nostalgic and stagnant melodic "death".
This is, along with a few others, an album where every song has something to offer and none (I mean damn none) is placed there by chance or, worse, to fill a gap to match the minutes.
Worth noting is that throughout the album, the voice of "Chuck Schuldiner" never changes (e nnono).
Moreover, structurally, every song is the same. With 2 or 3 changes for each verse, the chorus, the solo, and then it all goes around back to the chorus... A bit monotonous (e nnono). An exception is "Perennial Quest" which, in addition to the classic structure, features 2 minutes of instrumental at the end.
Furthermore, 5 out of 9 songs end in fade-out (which I personally appreciate a lot in a song). Also noteworthy is the arrangement of these songs with the fade-out (you will see the precise arrangement better later...): they are alternated, like in a Venetian blind. It starts with one in fade-out ("Symbolic"), the following one does not have a fade-out ("Zero Tolerance"), while the third has the fade-out ("Empty Words").. This structure repeats until the end of the album. Small details that, however, make me think...
Having said that...
"Symbolic": the title track that very well represents the entire album, the only regret is the total absence of melancholy that characterizes the whole album. Excellent solo and very catchy rhythms. Very well done the final fade-out, especially for the drums.
"Zero Tolerance": a very valid song which, even if initially not catchy, can be fully appreciated even after months or years since the last listen. Excellent solo, drum changes, and the connection with the post-solo verse. The ending is breathtaking and once done listening, you feel like continuing to sing that hard rhythm at the chorus. It's a shame just for its length. For a song that "Chuck Schuldiner" will choose as the title for two albums, I find it not very representative and deserving.
"Empty Words": is the first grip of the album to which one can cling. The initial note rounds, the very powerful attack riff, the sudden aggression of the voice, the chorus driven to the maximum, a chilling and delicate solo, excellent verses after the solo, the sudden resumption (as well as the entire initial attack) and finally here we are again with the chorus driven to the maximum which is even further extended making it very melodic. Magnificent the chorus in fade-out where it is possible to hear one of those few times the voice persists inexorably. Really a very valid song, for many the best of the album, not for me...
"Sacred Serenity": the first song that highlights the bass (in the initial part), the chorus is very well done and the pause halfway through the song where you can admire one of the many melodic fragments of the album is magnificent. It will never be one of the best (on the contrary... in my opinion, it's the worst, although it's better to say the least beautiful). But comparing quality to duration, I can observe that the two factors are quite balanced. It's very strange to explain, but in this song I find the same feeling I described in "Zero Tolerance", the discussion of the final part, remember...
"1000 Eyes": in my opinion, it's the most mysterious and underrated song of the entire album. It has a particular catchiness that forces you to think "this song is nice but nothing extraordinary". Instead, it's one of those songs that if not listened to fifty times, you will never fully understand. Excellent the drumming in the second change and in the final fade-out which perfectly embodies the scene of the "1000 eyes"... a small detail based on my personal idea. I must say, however, the solo is a bit short, yes difficult but still a bit short. The chorus is stunning, melodic to the right point, and the echo of the "Chuk Schuldiner" voice is heard in very few songs, so enjoy it.
"Without Judgement": it's one of those songs on which you will always have an uncertain idea, you will never be able to decide on its beauty, you will always be undecided from a "stunning" to a "stratospheric". Well-done rhythms, in one in particular has a truly spectral and gothic background melody. The chorus is a bit too fast for my taste. The solo is very atmospheric and the macabre quiet following the solo is quite suggestive. This song essentially has nothing exceptional but gives you that sense of "persuasive" that makes you reconsider every previous criticism.
"Crystal Mountain": I consider this the second hook after "Empty Words". The technical level of this song is absolutely excellent, especially for the drums which don't spare riffs with crazy counter-tempos at the limit of human perception. The rhythms are very engaging and during the song, there are several snippets dedicated to the melodic and nostalgic. The solo is very well done, although a bit too jumbled (but this is mainly due to my disdain for "tapping" and the succession of notes one after the other). Fabulous the final chorus in fade-out where to that relentless round of notes is added a fabulous classical guitar accompanying it to total silence. Very stable and representative. Really great work done by these "Death".
"Misanthrope": after "Sacred Serenity" it is the second less beautiful. It is very evident that the main characteristic of the song is the rhythm and speed. For this reason, the burst of atmosphere that is created immediately after the first chorus is very appreciable, unfortunately, its duration is limited to just over 10 seconds. The solo is nothing special but still valid. In my opinion, it's a bit more monotonous song. In "Misanthrope" I still find that sense of "keep humming" I've already spoken about in "Zero Tolerance" and "Sacred Serenity".
"Perennial Quest": final and in my opinion the most beautiful song. Everything starts with a devastating explosion of rhythms on rhythms. The tempo in this song changes much more than in the other two hooks ("Empty Words" and "Crystal Mountain"). It's very interesting the alternation between calm and charge that this song presents us. The solo has never impressed me much, maybe because it's much slower and macabre than other solos on this album. Notable is "Death's" great craftsmanship in completely changing tempo during the solo. Then, everything is flooded by one last tiny solo that devastates the rhythm to embark on a more delicate and sentimental side of "Death". The last 2 minutes are indeed the heart of all symbols where "Death" breaks the chains. The last and struggling fade-out enveloped by a round of 8 notes that repeat inexorably and an electric guitar trying to support everything it can with small solos and chord pulls. The perfect embodiment of the "Perennial Quest", of the "Continuous Search". A more than enchanting ending.
With this last one, I'm done.
I hope you like my review.
by LUGREZZO
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Symbolic (06:33)
I don't mean to dwell
But I can't help myself
When I feel the vibe
And taste a memory
Of a time in life
When years seemed to stand still
I close my eyes
And sink within myself
Relive the gift of precious memories
In need of a fix called innocence
When did it begin?
The change to come was undetectable
The open wounds expose the importance of
Our innocence
A high that can never be bought or sold
Symbolic acts - So vivid
Yet at the same time
Were invisible
Savor what you feel and what you see
Things that may not seem important now
But may be tomorrow
Do you remember when
Things seemed so eternal?
Heroes were so real...
Their magic frozen in time
The only way to learn
Is be aware and hold on tight
I close my eyes
And sink within myself
Relive the gift of precious memories
In need of a fix called innocence
When did it begin?
The change to come was undetectable
The open wounds expose the importance of
Our innocence
A high that can never be bought or sold
02 Zero Tolerance (04:48)
In the dark of night...
Abusing a portion of light
While others are sleeping
And some are escaping
A serpent spews out fantasy
Unjustified blasphemy
That cannot be condoned
It must be strange to not have lived
So far into existence
This is not a test of power
This is not a game to be lost or won
Let justice be done
There will be zero tolerance
For the creator of hallowed intentions
There will be zero tolerance
Fate is your deciding God
Karma comes crashing down
Leaving a very deep scar
Exposing a door to the
Source of a verbal whore
Machines supply the altar
Where virtuous lives are sacrificed
It must be strange to not have lived
So far into existence
This is not a test of power
This is not a game to be lost or won
Let justice be done
04 Sacred Serenity (04:26)
Wherever we go, whatever we do
Your shadow is not far behind our steps
And our breath
Protecting and watching all...
Observing spirits on the wall
What are they telling you?
Following all instincts that are pure
Oblivious to time that may be the cure
[Chorus:]
Sacred is the gift that they
have without knowing
Serenity is knowing it's safe
from destruction of time
[Solo: Schuldiner]
Maybe we could take a step back
And discover what leads us to attack
Time that is short - distance unknown
For them, each day life has just begun
Observing spirits on the wall
What are they telling you?
Following all instincts that are pure
Oblivious to time that may be the cure
[Repeat chorus]
05 1,000 Eyes (04:28)
Crossing the line into the other side
Emerging as prisoners
To the emptiness of time
To the left and to the right
From behind - They're out of sight
Plunging into a new found
Age of advanced observeillance
A worldwide, Foolproof cage
Privacy and intimacy as we know it
Will be a memory
Among many to be passed down
To those who never knew
Living in the pupil of 1,000 eyes
Was it overlooked in front of all our faces?
Now, All the mistakes and secrets
Cannot be erased
Viewing the blind complexity
By which laws were justified
To erase simplicity
To the left and to the right
From behind - They're out of sight
Plunging into a new found
Age of advanced observeillance
A worldwide, Foolproof cage
Privacy and intimacy as we know it
Will be a memory
Among many to be passed down
To those who never knew
We are enslaved now...
07 Crystal Mountain (05:07)
Built from blind faith
Passed down from self-induced fantasy
Turn a page to justify
Conjuring power - It opens wide
On seventh day
Is that how it's done?
Twisting your eyes to perceive
All that you want
To assume from ignorance
Inflicting wounds with your
Cross-turned dagger
Inside crystal mountain
Evil takes its form
Inside crystal mountain
Commandments are reborn
All the traps are set to confine
All who get in the way of the divine
In sight and in mind of the hypocrite
A slave to the curse forever confined
Shatter the myth
Don't cut yourself
On your words against
Dreams made of steel
Stronger any faith
That inflicts pain and fear
Is that how it's done?
Twisting your eyes to perceive
All that you want
To assume from ignorance
Inflicting wounds with your
Cross-Turned dagger
08 Misanthrope (05:03)
From above and around,
observations are collected
Knowledge is taken in by curious life forms
That may bring hope from beyond
Beneath the giver of life, our sun
An examination of another kind is done
A view from those who stood high
And breathed the sky
An opinion from below and from above
Some were decided, some were not
A few looked away, but none forgot
[Chorus:]
Misanthrope
Hater of all mankind
There is some hope
For those who own their mind
They came, they saw and acknowledged
Some good, some bad
Opinion: Dangerous
[Solo: Schuldiner]
Stay where you are, don't get consumed
By what they created from sheer neglet
In denial of years and years of
shattered souls
That were lost to the power of
Fragile, frightful minds
A view from those who stood high
And breathed the sky
An opinion from below and from above
Some were decided, some were not
A few looked away, but none forgot
[Repeat chorus]
09 Perennial Quest (08:18)
The journey begins with curiosity
And envolves into soul-felt questions
On the stones that we walk
And choose to make our path
Sometimes never knowing
Other times knowing too much
Filtering out the bad that holds us back...
Take hold of what is true to your hunger
A hunger that will not go away
Plans for tomorrow, They will remain
Won't you join me on the perennial quest
Reaching into the dark, Retrieving light
Search for answers on the perennial quest
Where dreams are followed, And time is a test
No time for mental crutches
The maker has moved on
I will take it raw and be on my way
Those that stood beside me
I'm glad you understand
Behind these written words
I share the simple plan
To hang on to the way that we feel
From rivers of sorrow
To oceans deep with hope
I have travelled them
Now, There is no turning back
The limit, The sky
I ask my questions Why? What today?
When tomorrow?
Filtering out the bad that holds us back...
Take hold of what is true to your hunger
A hunger that will not go away
Plans for tomorrow, They will remain
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Other reviews
By The_Bassist
A perfect ending, in short, not dictated by a decline but by an evolution.
The vocals: still in growl, but becoming sharper, more technical, and controlled.
By mayhem
The concept of the album is based on an exasperated symbolism ('about life'), often cryptic, translated into a masterpiece of distorted and extremely violent sounds.
With this work, he expressed an extraordinary concept: playing with the mind, the heart, and a lot of anger, balancing the three.
By symbolic_eye
"Symbolic is a well-thought-out, complex, philosophical, symbolic album."
"With this CD, Chuck Schuldiner has given us a work of immense scope, a progression of the typical Death-sound that will culminate in The Sound Of Perseverance... thank you, Chuck Schuldiner!"
