SCREAM BLOODY GORE

When participating in any discussion relating to death metal, it's hard to avoid a mention of this band, and their landmark debut album. Without a doubt, it is difficult to deny the impact that metal pioneers Death made with the release of 'Scream Bloody Gore,' but whether or not the album itself is 'good' or not is another matter. While a very historically significant album in the early days of the death metal style, 'Scream Bloody Gore' suffers from a multitude of severe issues in it's performance and songwriting; most of which would thankfully be improved to some extent by the time the second album 'Leprosy' came around.

While none of the early material of Death would reach the grandeur of later works like 'Human' or 'Symbolic,' the band had certainly found a unique sound for themselves this early on, especially considering the historical context of the album. Blistering guitars, screamed vocals, and furiously blastbeatten drum work defines what the sound of 'Scream Bloody Gore' is all about. On top of that; true to the title, 'Scream Bloody Gore' revolves around a multitude of different gory, violent themes that all fall under the same banner of b- grade, low brow but undeniably fun macabre. While the sound of the music certainly reflects these themes in it's primal approach and rawness, there is neither precise intensity or technicality to drive the album along well.

As with all Death albums that would follow, the spotlight is on the work of frontman Chuck Schuldiner, a man now revered as a godlike entity by metalheads around the globe. By today's standards, his guitar work and tone are nothing special, but his riffage is much faster and intense than what the typical metalhead of 1987 would have been exposed to. Despite being labelled 'death metal,' there is a very thrashy vibe on the album akin to that of Slayer, except with evidently more intense vocalwork.

The big issue here lies with the songwriting itself. While there are a few tracks here such as the title track and 'Evil Dead' which still sound as great as they must have been years ago, alot of the tracks here the dynamic, melodic undertones and technicality that would be seen on some of the later Death masterpieces. What's left is a generally mucky, speed-driven and basic barrage that can certainly be appreciated for the influence it would have on the metal community, but as far as the listening experience itself goes, 'Scream Bloody Gore' doesn't impress. A classic that certainly hasn't aged well, this album rightfully deserves a place in the annals of history, but perhaps not a long-lived stay in a record player.

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