HUMAN

'Human' is the best release from Death... it managed to retain a raw menacing Death Metal sound while expanding the scope of the genre with greater technicality and more complex songwriting than any band of their type before them.

The songs are marked by psychotic timing shifts, intricate yet extremely heavy guitar virtuosity, and frenetic aggression. The band sound genuinely irate and seem to be lashing out at the world with their instruments. Much of this authentically aggressive feeling is missing from Death's later albums; they seemed to be just going through the motions on the over-rated 'Symbolic' and 'Sound of Perseverance' albums... both of which left me feeling cold and unmoved.

...but back to 'Human': this album is bursting with creativity and memorable moments. 'Suicide Machines' and 'Lack of Comprehension' are classics, and among my favorite all-time Death Metal tracks. It's hardly worth doing a track-by-track review, though, because most of the material has a singular sound and feeling.

The album is relentless from beginning to end and tends to blur together, but that's not necessarily a bad thing here. The grim persistence of this band's attack can have a brutal affect on one's psyche, and can even distort reality on repeated listenings... and personally i enjoy this kind of sonic lobotomy.

'Cosmic Sea' may be the most typically Proggy song, and is a stand-out track. Layers of atmospheric and melodic guitars are coupled with Steve DiGiorgio's amazing bass noodling and embellished by spacy synthesizers and effects... very trippy.

This is a must for every Death Metal collection, and most Extreme Prog Metal fans should love this.