Death – Symbolic
(Roadrunner,
1995)
Symbolic is not Death’s best album. Human and
Leprosy are essential listening, but
as an ultra-infectious starting point for new fans, there is no better than Symbolic.
Filled with viciously grooving hooks, frenetic galloping passages, 80s
and 90s video game riffing, and customarily excellent musicianship, this
record is a smorgasbord of Death sounds. It doesn’t have the cohesiveness or invention
of Human, but it crams into 50 minutes
just about everything you could want to know and feel about this band. Symbolic
was my gateway to the phenomenal and genre-defining work of Death, and as
such has shaped my musical life as much as any other extreme metal album.
Line-up
changes had become an accepted part of Death’s career, with only the late Chuck
Schuldiner being a constant in their existence, and their 1995 release was no
exception. Bobby Koelble and Kenny Conlon
would make their only recorded appearance with the band, while Gene “Atomic Clock” Hoglan would make his second and final album with Chuck before continuing
his unmatched drumming tour of heavy music.
With the exception of Paul Masvidal and Sean Reinert’s influence on Human, Death was really Chuck Schuldiner
and the Death Boys from the outset, and that fact shines through on this record. Symbolic
feels as though Chuck is allowing his writing to flow naturally, fusing the
more exploratory styles of Human and
Individual Thought Patterns with the
instant catchiness of Leprosy and allowing
himself more fun through his music.
There is a 90s video game quality to the whole affair. In songs like
“Without Judgement” I hear Makoto Tomozawa’s work on Megaman X, but the album’s frenetic riffing, rampant solos, and
insane drumming continually remind me of playing Smash TV on the SNES or Xenon
2 on PC. I feel like I’m dodging a
hail of laser bullets, spinning in circles trying to avoid obstacles or collect
power-ups, and panicking every time more baddies enter the fray. It’s a dizzying experience of dense riffs,
crystal clear solos, military precision drumming, and beautiful death metal
vocals.
“Crystal
Mountain” might be the best example of the immediacy of Chuck’s approach on
this album. Opening on a galloping riff,
supported by Hoglan’s exquisite double bass control and overlaid with echoing
lead guitar accents, this track is about as cheesy and catchy as extreme metal
gets, with even a Spanish guitar somehow infiltrating the final moments. It was the
first Death track I ever heard and convinced me in mere seconds that I would be
buying this album. Once purchased, “Without
Judgement” continued in this vein with its video game initial riff leading to more
tightly packed verse guitars and frenetically paced choruses. The speed and pitch perfect delivery seems to
physically pick you up and spin you round, while Chuck’s vocals and lyrics
provide the thoughtful counterpoint to this loss of corporeal control. His drawn out vowels and deliberate pacing
highlight his lyrical plea for a society and its people to be more open-minded, and
to eschew over-simplification of others’ issues.
And
I have to be careful not to oversimplify what Death have done on this
record. While it is more accessible than
its two immediate predecessors, there is interesting complexity at every
turn. From Chuck’s slightly offbeat
vocal on “Zero Tolerance” to the eight minutes of structural and pacing experimentation
of “Perennial Quest”, via the choppy guitars and wild mid-section solos of “Empty
Words”, this album is frequently surprising and rewards repeat listens. The grooving intro of album opener “Symbolic”
belies the chopping riffs, psychedelic sci-fi-inspired solos, and unexpected
vocal rhythms that follow. At times the
song is travelling so fast, and there is so much density of sound, that the
mind almost can’t keep up. Adrenaline
starts to flow in response to this barrage, and each Chuck growl stands to
attention the hair on your neck and arms.
This is a feeling that doesn’t let up through album highlights “Empty Words”,
“Sacred Serenity”, “1,000 Eyes”, and “Without Judgement”, each contributing to
the album’s astounding middle act, and leaving listeners gasping for more.
Every
time a Symbolic track pops up on
shuffle, it’s time to stop what I’m doing, pay attention, and thrash my head
relentlessly. Every song is irresistible,
the production is perfect, and the lyrics and vocals challenge any preconceptions
of death metal. That feeling of being
thrown into a physical maelstrom while being intellectually stimulated is rare
in music and is the reason that Death are so iconic. To Chuck’s credit, Symbolic retains these qualities while somehow managing to
incorporate an almost pop music level of catchiness. This is death metal for those who enjoy a
little life with their death.
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