“Human” is filled with punishing riffs and creative rhythms. It’s really as much of a progressive metal album as it is a death metal album. “Human” features the rhythm section from progressive death giants Cynic and takes the technical side of Death to a new level. It’s also hard to ignore a rhythm section consisting of Gene Hoglan and Steve DiGiorgio. The guitarwork is ridicilously good, both in terms of riffs and leads. Check out my collaboration cover of “Baptized in Blood” below.Īn album both technical and catchy at the same time, “Individual Thoughts Patterns” features Death classics like “Trapped in a Corner”, “The Philosopher” and “Overactive Imagination”. “Zombie Ritual” and “Evil Dead” are the most famous tracks, but I favour “Baptized in Blood”, “Beyond the Unholy Grave” and the title track. I’ve had each of the songs on my head at least once. The songs are extremely primal and simple, but the hooks are very well-written. It’s also one hell of a brutal and animalistic album from a young band.
“Scream Bloody Gore” set a lot of standards for death metal. Chuck’s vocals are in top form on “Leprosy” and the songs are highly headbangable. Not as raw as the debut “Scream Bloody Gore, but it features some very cool death/thrash moves typical for the time period. The opening track is an immortal Death classic, and there’s more value on the disc as well. There is also a new emotional tone in the guitar playing, culminating in instrumental “Voice of the Soul”. Chuck’s hoarse vocals may not be at their best, but some of the riffs and hooks are still downright fantastic. Songs like “Spirit Crusher” and “Flesh and the Power It Holds” have been staples in my playlist for years. Rightfully criticized for its instrumental indulgence, but I can’t deny that it’s a great record. My favorite song from “Spiritual Healing” is the thrashy, catchy opening track “Living Monstrosity”. The style is somewhere between thrashy “Leprosy” and progressive “Human”, without really competing with either of them in terms of songwriting. I agree that it’s a quality disc, but it’s still my least favorite. “Spiritual Healing” is often mentioned as the most underrated Death album.