Death - The Sound of Perseverance (Relapse)

This was a final release from Death. Band's main man, Chuck Schuldiner, moved onto Control Denied, a project he wanted to pursue for years to come. Unfortunately we know what happened next, and it's still a sad and a great loss for the metal community.

"The Sound of Perseverance" is a very technical record, it shows very developed songwriting, one could call it progressive. The music is aggressive, but very technical, and the lineup featured here has the chops to brilliantly pull it off. Schuldiner's vocals are sounding very different here, and that was the instant complaint I had when the album came out originally back in 1998. The vocals still sound unusual, and not as deep and dominating as on the previous Death releases.

This release is really well done. It comes as a double disc. Apart from the album, we get another disc filled with demos. The demos really shows how these tracks took shape to become the album. A great trip behind the scenes with the second disc. The booklet includes some great photos from the time frame of the album and the tour. There are some great liner notes from Shannon Hamm, and Travis Smith, who designed the album cover. He also re-designed the cover for this reissue.

A few years ago, there was another reissue of the same record, made by Nuclear Blast. It included a live DVD from the last tour. That DVD would've been a perfect addition to this set, but of course you can't have it all.

Chuck Schuldiner's influence is still felt strongly. It is nice to see his name still in the spotlight, as many magazines still run features on Schuldiner, trying to explain his work, and his work ethic. Chuck Schuldiner is still missed. He was an inventor, had passion for what he did, and personally a good friend too.

Mark Kadzielawa