THE SOUND OF PERSEVERANCE

The last album in Death's catalogue finally provided me with some kind of answer to my query why the band is associated with Tech/Extreme Prog Metal. The Sound of Perseverance is without doubt the album where they finally forced some openings in their tight Death Metal coffin, letting in some mild influences from jazz and prog metal.

With that technical issue settled, let's take a look at the actual music.

And that, unfortunately, is quite a disappointment. Some of the thrash metal instrumental bits are rather enjoyable but overall the 'progressive' influences serve no better purpose then just being there. They sound disconnected from the rest and are merely a gimmick, pasted in to conceal the lack of really good basic ideas. It certainly didn't help them to create more interesting or poignant songs, quite the contrary; the new elements didn't seem to inspire the band into more epic or challenging songwriting. The material may be ok from a technical point of view but any band with similar technical skills could have written this train of riffs. Besides, I can't hear any riff, melody or progression that is as good as anything from the preceding albums. A song like Flesh And The Power It Holds works a bit better.

A second disappointment comes from the vocals. Where is that chillingly gruff moan from Schuldiner. Where is the pain? Where is the craving? The high-pitched shriek he adapted here is devoid of any feeling and expression. He sounds like a petty troll whose angry screech won't scare anyone but your little niece. Painkiller is painful example.

Death may have succeeded in adding more progressive elements, but they failed at creating better music. And I know which I prefer from these two. The album seems to go well with most fans though. 2.5 stars.