Symbolic

Although Individual Thought Patterns and Symbolic still hold a lot of the same stylistic similarities, the latter seems to be the most drastic shift in sound from Death thus far. Symbolic is far from traditional death metal; the songs are structurally more progressive and adventurous and the vocals Chuck presents are much higher and raspier than his original death growl.

If not for the harsh vocals, this could almost be considered a progressive thrash metal album for the amount of cleaner sounding riffs present. The changes in tempo are pretty dynamic but at their fastest tempos they feel thrashier than anything since Scream Bloody Gore. There’s a lot more emphasis on melody and hooks here than before and the cleaner sound contrasts a lot with the claustrophobic density of Individual Thought Patterns. Symbolic allows for every crisp note to be heard, every deliberate moment to be savored. It’s a much more listener friendly record and not nearly as challenging as its predecessor but the incredible songwriting and newfound catchiness in the arrangements can’t be denied.

Symbolic opens with the immense title track and its constant gear switching attitude. Chuck goes from mid paced and methodical riffage to frantic outbursts of energy and creativity. It sounds much prettier than ever before and it’s a great introduction to what’s in store. “Empty Words” and “1,000 Eyes” rely on catchy riffs mixed with slower sections that make for long and complex songs. They’re still fit with solid vocal melodies but the creativity of the riff arrangements is unmatched. “Sacred Serenity” on the other hand relies more on the catchy chorus it features, but definitely isn’t without its instrumental moments. Then there’s the legendary “Crystal Mountain” which has the best of both worlds—highly memorable riffs yet easier to sing along to than almost any other Death song. Certainly one of the best tracks from the band’s later years. “Misanthrope” has a nice stop-start groove to it and the lengthy “Perennial Quest” closes out the album; it doesn’t condense its ideas quite as well as “Crystal Mountain” (with a runtime of 8:19) but it’s a similar beast with few flaws.

One of the most impressive parts of Symbolic is Chuck’s acquisition of near nobodies to replace Steve DiGorgio and Andy LaRocque. Kelly Conlon is no DiGorgio but he picks up the bass and keeps pace with the indestructible Chuck, having no prior roles in notable bands but still playing like a vet. Bobby Koelble joins as the second guitarist and helps bring a lot of the melody felt on this highly accessible extreme metal record. Gene Hoglan returns behind the drum kit and adapts to the cleaner sound of Symbolic and goes for a pure finesse approach, cutting a lot of the bludgeoning relentlessness from Individual Thought Patterns. Admittedly this lineup doesn’t work quite as well as a cohesive unit; the songs are still very progressive but the intertwinement of the instruments at play feels looser and more cautious whereas on the previous record it was an absolute labyrinth of overwhelming sonic sound. This updated style is easier on the ears but doesn’t survive repeat listens quite as well, although the comparison to Individual Thought Patterns is a little unfair seeing as that may have been the most dominant lineup in metal history. Still, these things must be taken into account when inspecting the direct evolution from album to album.

While the cleaner sound of Symbolic is less of a downgrade and more of a trade off from the previous style, my one legitimate complaint, minor as it is, is the duration. Symbolic was Death’s longest album at the time of release at 50:38, a full seven minutes longer than the previous record holding Spiritual Healing and ten minutes longer than its predecessor Individual Thought Patterns. While still incredible, Symbolic still seems to hold around as many quality ideas as the latter and stretched them a little bit thinner this time. ITP is great because there’s no room for boredom or filler, everything is compact and it holds endless layers of sound. Symbolic is more triumphant in its execution but teeters on filler material in parts even if no individual song is completely void of interesting material.

Overall, the accessibility of Symbolic wins out over the rest of the pack and elevates it to a level at least even to Death’s past triumphs. It’s near perfect save for a few minor inconsistencies and deserves to be held in high regard as not just one of the best death metal albums of its time, but one of the best releases of the 90s. It’s no wonder this is Death’s highest rated record on the Archives, it’s got something for every serious metalhead and executes it all to an extreme peak.