Symbolic

This was my first Death album that I bought and I thought it was pretty good. But upon "The Sound Of Perseverance" being constantly in my CD player, this is no longer my favorite Death album. But that is a very small complaint, as most of the music on here is very good.

The music is very melodic and the production is very good, without the music straying toward the Gothenburg sound. I happen to prefer the Gothenburg sound a little better, though. There are also some head-spinning time changes, especially in songs like "Zero Tolerance" and the opening title track. Chuck Schuldiner still has a good voice at this point in his career, but he's given way to more of a scream. In other words, if you are expecting the growl that he displayed on Scream Bloody Gore and Leprosy, you're going to be disappointed. But his scream is just as effective as his growl.

Not to be outdone by his voice, this album and has some of the best guitar shredding by any death metal axeman. Check out the solos in "Sacred Serenity" and "Without Judgement" for some examples. But my favorite song from this album is "Misanthrope", which in my opinion has one of the best death metal choruses ever. Gene Hoglan handles the double-bass drumming with ease on this track and most others as well. "Crystal Mountain" is a strong track as well, with more awesome shredding.

This is still Death and the genre they helped invent, even with the more melodic elements. But fans of more brutal death metal like Cannibal Corpse and Morbid Angel may be disappointed by this release. Ahh well, it's their loss. I say, though, it's a rather fitting testament to the legacy that is Chuck Schuldiner (R.I.P.)