Granting the nickname "the Godfather of Death Metal" to vocalist/guitarist Chuck Schuldiner, a title he ultimately did not admire, is appropriate. Without his influence on the genre and on extreme music, some of the now numerous subgenres of death metal would have taken longer to gain full attention. Death's first three albums, Scream Bloody Gore, Leprosy, and Spiritual Healing, laid the foundation for death metal in the late 80s and very early 90s. Following the release of Human in 1991, Schuldiner's approach to songwriting took more progressive turn. While hinted at very briefly on Spiritual Healing, the overall instrumentation displayed on Human featured more technicality and elements of jazz than any previous Death album. The track "Lack of Comprehension," with it's slow, spacey intro and crazy soloing showed that Death planned on heading in a very different direction compared to their earlier releases. This is due partially to who Chuck surrounded himself with in the studio. Guitarist Paul Masvidal and drummer Sean Reinert (R.I.P.), of the prog-metal pioneers Cynic, both played on Human and expanded the overall composition greatly.
Human's follow-up, 1993's Individual Thought Patterns, continued along these new guidelines. The track "Trapped in a Corner" is a great example of the proggier instrumentation. Chuck and Andy LaRocque focus more on tapping and bass master Steve DiGorgio uses a fretless bass that adds so much to the overall nature of the track (and the album overall for that matter.) Symbolic released two years later in 1995 and demonstrated another watershed moment in Death's history. This album is the last "Human-era" Death release before the band went full-on progressive death metal on their last album The Sound of Perseverance in 1998; an album that is one-of-a-kind when compared to the entirety of Death's discography. While picking a favorite Death album is subjective and one's pick will always lead to some form of debate from fellow Death die-hards, Symbolic is Death's most personal, positive, and masterfully written album.
Stream the album here
Pardon the lack of a proper Bandcamp streaming link. This album is currently in limbo between several different record labels despite Relapse Records owning nearly all the rights to Death's music. Symbolic is available on major streaming services.
Symbolic starts with the title track. A slow chugging riff and mid-paced tempo brings in some oddly positive lyrics. Normally, the lyrics featured in Death songs are negative yet thought-provoking and discuss Schuldiner's personal outlook and philosophy on organized religion, greed, the treatment of others, and life itself. However, "Symbolic" sees Schuldiner wax nostalgic on the value of vivid memories and how they bring him joy.
"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"
The dark instrumentation counters the positive lyrics and the track also shows the band's petion for speed. "Zero Tolerance" slows the album to a crawl with legendary drummer Gene Hoglan taking center stage. The mid-section of the song features some melodic and almost doomy riffing and subtle clean guitars behind the distortion. "Empty Words" features a clean and modulated intro that mimics those seen on the two previous albums. This track also showcases Schuldiner's vocal shift into the upper register; a concept he dove headfirst into on The Sound of Perseverance. (Look no further than his performance on Spirit Crusher or his cover of Judas Priest's Painkiller. The vocals on Painkiller alone could shatter glass!)
"Sacred Serenity" features more positive lyrics, this time discussing Schuldiner's love for cats and dogs. An outspoken animal lover, this track is Chuck's ode to his furry friends.
"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"
The bass steals the show on this track. Kelly Conlon shows that he can hold his own despite having to follow the immense standard set by DiGiorgio on the previous albums."1,000 Eyes" thrashes away and discusses the growing concern of constant surveillance due to increasing crime rates. Chuck opines on how many of the populace remain blind to the fact that they are "living in the pupil of 1,000 eyes." The intense distorted riffage, driving bass, and various fills from both the drums and guitars define the track. Schuldiner wrote the track, "Crystal Mountain," about his snooty, religious neighbors. While not opposed to religion in general, Schuldiner hated when religious people saw and actively believed themselves to be better than anyone else. He stated "They believe they live a perfect life in a crystal mountain. Unfortunately, I live next door to these religious fanatics, who live [on Earth] and certainly not in [those] mountains." The track ends with some classical guitar solos over the main verse riff. The switch around fast, thrash-like riffs in the intro and Cynic-like song writing in the chorus of "Misanthrope," a track that is apparently about aliens looking at the actions of humanity, makes for yet another quality song.
Breaking away from the track list, "Without Judgment" and the closer "Perennial Quest" represent some of the best progressive death metal songs later-era Death has to offer. These songs see each individual member lock perfectly in sync with what Schuldiner is yearning to achieve on this album. Both of these tracks display Death's new style to a perfect T. "Without Judgment," dense with proggy riffs moving up and down the fretboard and tapping atmospheric composition in the later half, is equal parts aggressive and beautiful. "Perennial Quest" is exactly that, more of a journey than a song. Positive lyrics about one's quest for happiness in life and some fantastic acoustic guitars in the outro, caps off the album perfectly.
"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"
After the release and supporting tour of Symbolic, Schuldiner put Death on hiatus to focus on a more traditional yet still progressive metal project, Control Denied. The new band featured a who's who of metal musicians including former Death members Steve DiGiorgio and Richard Christy. After recording a few demos, the label Nuclear Blast Records put the release of the band's debut on hold for The Sound of Perseverance, the final Death album. The Fragile Art of Existence released one year later in 1999 and displays Chuck's more melodic and progressive guitar playing perfectly. Control Denied partially recorded a follow-up, When Man and Machine Collide, but unfortunately Chuck Schuldiner passed away due to brain cancer on December 13, 2001 at the age of 34. Another legend in music taken far too soon.
While there is a clear division in Death's discography with fans gravitating toward either the earlier albums or the more ambitious later releases, there really is something for everyone here. However, Symbolic is arguable Death's magnum opus. It provides all the components of Death's music into one convenient package. Simple yet effective rhythm riffs, progressive song structures, intricate solos and scalar fills, a tight and virtuosic rhythm section, and intriguing lyrics. The album marked the end of an era for Death and is a clear pivot point leading into Chuck's more progressive focused end of his career. 25 years on and Symbolic still stands as a testament to the legacy of Chuck Schuldiner.
Official Death CDs/LPs/Merch available here
Article featuring links to interviews with Chuck about Symbolic here
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