I have to give it to them, Death can make death metal! The title track Leprosy definetly shows progression from their first album. Here is 80's brutality at one of its finer points with awesome riffs and onslaughts...Wait? Wait just one second!! It's just metal, but they progressed...Throughout Death's career this factor is quiet evident as it could be made obvious if you compared Scream Bloody Gore! to Symbolic or The Sound of Perseverance. Sadly, Death did make their music better in the long run, but even till their last album they used the same formula of metal, just more shiny and technical. Which in essence makes Death one of the best metal bands ever, but not really one of the greatest prog metal bands as sometimes acclaimed. Don't get me wrong - Their career as a whole is progressive as they are the founders of Progresssive Death Metal...Anyways back on track! This album definetly has a shreddin' attitude while covering the morbid topics of death! How lovely and unexpected! The best tracks on this album are Leprosy and Pull The Plug as they both show hopes for progression. Most of the rest is just plain death metal though their formula in their music is shown to improve. The musicianship is fitting for what they were shooting for, though the dual guitars are quiet useless till the solos kick in. Chuck's vocals are low on this album as on later albums he changed them to be screechy and high pitched for a reason to me that is unknown...I honestly preferred his early vocals as they were more on the bearable side, but maybe changing his vocals was progress to Chuck? Born Dead, Forgotten Past, and Left To Die are fun death metal songs as they are nothing amazing, but have that overall "Throw me in the Mosh!" feeling...Now, Pull the Plug; this is defenitly my favorite from this album as one of my all time favorites by Death. Here on this track Death makes a death metal anthem! I can best describe its anathematic feel to Creep by Radiohead. With the refrain "Pull the plug" being as memorable as the line "I'm a creep". This song has to be one of the most creative original death metal songs I've heard though not totallly progressive, but maybe for its time? I'd say so. Well, here they show hope of going towards the right direction as a band. Also, the solos on this track are about the best on the album. After the amazing Pull The Plug the album turns back into what it was: fun death metal. This time being on the darker side with Open Casket, Primitive Ways, and Choke On It. Open Casket shows some good guitar solos though it is still mere death metal. The same goes for Primitive Ways and Choke on It. In conclusion, this album is not really that technical, in fact it's quite simple as it's just death metal; good death metal. If you're looking for progressive albums stay away! The only song I'd advise anyone to listen off of this album is Pull The Plug. So if you're looking for some fun death metal this is for you, but otherwise not much progression here as Death will later reach. This is early Death, they are still on their journey to being labeled "progressive". Check out Symbolic or The Sound of Perseverance if you want something more technical and shiny.
One of Death's best: Pull The Plug:
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