Death
The Sound Of Perseverance

Have you... have you ever experienced that feeling when you're faced with something, whether beautiful or terrible, that's much larger than you, and its grandeur takes your breath away because you realize that some people can truly be defined as giants… well, do you know that feeling? I experienced it while listening to the latest chapter in the discography of a band that, over the years, has managed to encapsulate everything the concept of music should contain: beauty, refinement, sophistication.

The album I'm talking about is "The Sound Of Perseverance," dated September 15, 1998, the last (master)piece of the never too lamented Death, a group of that giant, genius (or call him what you will) that was the good Chuck Schuldiner.

This "T.S.O.P." is a very complex work that encapsulates the entire musical journey of the mastermind, as well as the permanent band member, and explores the most diverse musical fields, from death, the true backbone of the album, to progressive metal, transitioning with extreme fluidity from tense, almost tragic moments, highlighted especially by Schuldiner's scream which on this album becomes more resolute and cutting than ever before, to much more relaxed moments, as if they were a ray of sunshine in the middle of a storm, thanks to melodic solutions that captivate from the first listen.

The album comes across as extremely technical, with a great quantity of complex solos and riffs, always supported by Mr. Scott Clendenin's bass and the drums, this time more intricate and less "broken" (forgive the term, I don't know how else to describe it) than what had been heard in the previous works of the Floridian band (Tampa is Chuck's hometown): one appreciates compositions such as the opener "Scavenger of Human Sorrow," almost entirely played on sudden rhythmic changes and guitar solos, but also pieces like "To Forgive Is To Suffer" (a true masterpiece of the album according to the writer); at the same time, one also appreciates the more reflective moments of the piece and in this regard, it's impossible not to mention the 3 minutes and 42 seconds of the instrumental track entitled "Voice Of The Soul", where the most melodic side of the band appears, presenting itself as a completely instrumental piece in which the acoustic guitar accompanies the electric one, weaving a truly moving melody.

It is noteworthy, more out of journalistic duty than any particular beauty, the cover of the famous "PainKiller" by Judas Priest (here offered in a Death Metal version), which, although not reaching the quality level of the other tracks on the album, proves to be convincing and not out of place.

I must say that this album was one of those that drew me closer to such a complex genre as death metal, not only because of this way of understanding it, closer to my tastes (as mentioned, there are various progressive incursions), but also because each single track manages to exude emotions from every note and especially from a voice, that of Chuck, which will remain, precisely for his perseverance in continuing to do what he truly loved, in the history of world heavy metal.

I'm sorry, I know this review was already out there, but I really wanted to make it, maybe not all of you feel the need for it, but I did.