Review by ZeroSymbolic7188 for Death - The Sound of Perseverance (1998)

Quite a lot of people take vacations to Florida; Universal Studios, Disneyland, Beaches, and Margaritas. Not me though, I made the 17hour 1,000+mile journey from Detroit to Tampa because I wanted to tour Morrissound Studios, because that's where Chuck Recorded. Now it's not in the same building anymore, but nonetheless I felt his energy within it's walls. 

On my battle jacket, which I nearly never take off, there are 3 Patches strategically positioned. The largest patch on my back is Motorhead's Snaggletooth encircled in ROCK AND ROLL, and the Ace of Spades. My right pocket displays Black Sabbath in the purple Master of Reality font flanked by two demons, and finally on my left pocket, closest to my heart is the DEATH patch.

I listen to an epic fuck-ton of heavy metal, and while the albums in my top 20 shuffle around some, The Sound of Perseverance is always #1. 

For me this is an album beyond criticism. It represents my concept of perfect music. It has crystal clear production, and every instrument sits in it's own place complimented by the vocals. Those vocals are dirty enough to keep this an undeniably heavy album, but they aren't so piercing as in black metal, nor are they so low and guttural as to become indecipherable. Chuck belts out the lyrics in a banshee wail but you can make out everything he says. I guess that he was critical of his vocals, but I never will be. 

The technicality and progressive elements on display between guitars, bass, and drums are such that there is never any doubt that these guys are at the top of their game, but it never becomes a technical showcase at the expense of the music. Everybody is working together to serve the music, not themselves. The lyrics are just awesome, go read them as though it were a collection of poetry. I sometimes to refer to Chuck as the Bob Dylan of Death metal, because of how poetic his lyricism can be. I don't want to spoil them here for you if you haven't heard them. Just know that at this stage in the game Chuck was tackling ideas much deeper than zombies, gore, and the various ways one can expire.

If you need a single. "Spirit Crusher" is incredibly catchy and has the greatest chorus riff of all time.
If you want instrumental ambience "Voice of the Soul" is right there.
If you're into covers the final track is "Painkiller' originally by Judas Priest...

And if you just simply want the best possible music ever recorded-that's every song on the album. 

If you only listen to one heavy metal album in your life. Make it this one.