Depending on where you stand you have right here the birth of Death Metal as we know it today. Some would say its Possessed with their “Seven Churches” album others would go for this one. “Seven Churches” was released in 1985 where this one didn’t come out until 1987. I’m kinda torn. I’d say Possessed got there first but Death and their leader Chuck Schuldiner definitely took the music to a different sound, to what we now know as Death Metal. Maybe this is the first pure death metal record? Possessed and even early Sodom releases crossed heavily into thrash territory. Either way I guess who cares because now we have Death Metal!
Death Scream Bloody Gore is the first LP from the Flordia outfit. Death had always been a revolving door of musicians coming in and out of the band. The lineup on this albume featured of course, Chuck Schuldiner on vocals and guitar and bass (obviously done through multi-tracking) and Chris Reifert (Who later went on Autopsy) on the drums. My favourite tracks off this album would have to be “Zombie Ritual” just because I feel it breaths a little better than the others and “Beyond The Unholy Grave” for the absolutely throat shredding vocals, and they both have a bit of a chorus that sticks in your head. The whole album rips though.
I really like this album, It’s not my fave album by the band, as they kept improving in leaps and bounds with every release, but it’s definitely really cool. It’s quite well produced and as far as recorded output stands head and shoulders above almost anything else coming out of the florida scene at the time. And hey? They were the first to get a properly recorded album out (it’s important to note that Morbid Angel had recorded their first album “Abominations of Desolation” by this point but it never got released until years later).
Anyway if you like your metal evil, ugly and obsessed with death this is the band for you. Go out and buy your self a copy of this, or any other Death album. RIP Chuck Schuldiner your legacy will always stand tall!
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