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Death - Human CD (album) cover

HUMAN

Death

 

Tech/Extreme Prog Metal

4.21 | 466 ratings

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FruMp
Prog Reviewer
5 stars A Death metal classic.

DEATH are one of the most influential metal bands ever and Human is undoubtedly their most influential and important album, they helped create the death metal genre in the late 80's and with this release they would help cement the technical death metal genre pioneered several years earlier. DEATH was pretty much Chuck Schuldiner and he would recruit different musicians for each album, on Human he chose Paul Masvidal and Sean Reinert from the technical and heavily jazz influenced band Cynic (and bass guitar god Steve DiGiorgio undoubtedly leading to a more technical approach to the sound.

Human is a very strong album and has no real weak points but it has to be said that the breakneck opening track 'Flattening of emotions' is undoubtedly the best with a mid-paced double kick intro building up and launching into a brutal fast-paced assault, and it gets even better the solo is one of the best on the album, Chuck and Masvidal really show people how metal solos should be with strong fast, technical, well considered and with strong minor and atonal melody - never mindless shred. The real Kudos goes to Sean Reinert on drums though, his drum work is very interesting, where most drummers would play standard metal beats he adds syncopation and even dynamics - there is never a dull moment in his drumming. 'Together as one' is another highlight where Chuck's songwriting comes to the fore with breakneck tempos interspersed with slightly mysterious melody with a brooding main motif.

The songwriting here deserves special attention Chuck is an amazing song writer, every intro, every transition, every solo is very well considered and there is a lot of strong melody in his music (and this is death metal so that's a mean feat), each song just seems so cohesive like it couldn't really be improved and the thing that is most important is that when it needs to the music lightens up slightly and it comes back in with a solo or some fast double kick just when it is needed ('Secret Face' for example).

For death metal fans, Human is an essential album, people who enjoy CYNIC, ATHEIST and PESTILENCE will definitely enjoy.

FruMp | 5/5 |

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