BASHMC: Part 8 of 25

Death holds a very special place in my heart. They were releasing albums throughout my entire childhood and I wasn't even aware of it. I didn't discover this band until 2001, when I saw an ad in Revolver magazine for their new Live in L.A. CD. I was attracted by the logo and decided to check them out. I was so upset with myself that I didn't know who they were. They are one of the most influential metal bands of all time. They created the Death Metal genre, even though they are much more than that. I'll tell you another reason, why I was so upset that I discovered Death so late. I have never seen them live nor will I ever be able to see them live in concert. I will never be able to experience their genius and ferocity in a small intimate setting. Chuck Schuldiner, the core, leader, soul, nucleus of Death, passed away on December 13, 2001 of complications with a brain tumor. His talent was boundless, and from what I have read and heard, he was the nicest person in the entire world. He was too talented for this world.

The Sound of Perseverance was Death's last studio album which was released in 1998. It mixes thrash, death and progressive metal.  If you listen to the entire Death discography, every album is better than the last. Each build towards something better. I would love to have heard what Chuck and Death were capable of after listening to this album. I'm not sure if they could top it, but I know they would try their damnedest to. The Sound of Perseverance is about human struggle. Chuck was diagnosed with cancer in 1999, after the release of this album, but the song titles and the title of the album suggest that this album correlates to the fight with cancer. Bite the Pain, Spirit Crusher, Story to Tell, Voice of the Soul, To Forgive is to Suffer and Moment of Clarity are a few song titles that support this theme.

Voice of the Soul has to be the most beautiful song ever written. There are no lyrics, nor drums, just Chuck Schuldiner pouring out his soul on guitar. The passion and love for music comes through loud and clear on this album but especially on Voice of the Soul. In a perfect world, Chuck would be alive, and I would have seen Death in concert 5 times already. I would be waiting for the newest Death album to drop next year. Luckily some of his unreleased tracks have been printed and released. I have also heard rumors of an entire album's worth of music to be released some time in the next year.

Key tracks: No. 3 - Spirit Crusher, No. 5 - Flesh and the Power it Holds, No. 6 - Voice of the Soul (of course) and No. 8 - Moment of Clarity.