{"id":8552,"date":"2011-10-25T00:00:43","date_gmt":"2011-10-25T00:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/?p=8552"},"modified":"2012-12-12T23:15:15","modified_gmt":"2012-12-12T23:15:15","slug":"album-review-death-individual-thought-patterns-2011-reissue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/album-review-death-individual-thought-patterns-2011-reissue\/","title":{"rendered":"DEATH – Individual Thought Patterns (2011 Reissue) | Album \/ EP Reviews @ Metal Forces Magazine"},"content":{"rendered":"

DEATH
Individual Thought Patterns (Reissue)<\/strong><\/span>
\n\"\"
\nRelapse (2011)<\/span>
Rating: 9.5\/10<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\n\n\n
<\/td>\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

Death albums get harder and harder to review, because words almost fail me every time I slap one of these records onto the turntable. Considering how Death evolved as a band, and what they stood for, they were criminally underrated. Thankfully, with Relapse Records reissuing the albums, Chuck Schuldiner\u2019s legacy can remain available to anyone who calls themselves a true metalhead.<\/p>\n

Originally released in 1993, Individual Thought Patterns<\/em> was Death\u2019s fifth record, and arguably features the best line-up (although some would say that 1991\u2019s Human<\/em> line-up was Death at its most intricate and potent). Chuck recruited the formidable drum talents of Gene Hoglan, axe wizard Andy LaRocque, and Steve DiGiorgio on fretless bass.<\/p>\n

Individual Thought Patterns<\/em> is a concise record, because it boasts 10 tracks, and runs just short of 40 minutes, but it does boast some of Death\u2019s finest moments, including the dazzling \u2018The Philosopher\u2019, which is pure Chuck in its introductory solo. The track also boasts some of Chuck\u2019s most guttural vocals since the early days, but lyrically we are bereft of gore as Chuck takes us on a more spiritual journey.<\/p>\n

Album opener \u2018Overactive Imagination\u2019 features that distinctive Hoglan drum assault; this guy has to be my favourite drummer of all time, clattering the skins with a sound something akin to a horde of wildebeest striding across the plains. The track features some superb leads which sew together the churning riffs and sturdy bass, and it isn\u2019t afraid to pick up the pace, and at just over two minutes provides us with an exquisite, although brief, solo.<\/p>\n

\u2018In Human Form\u2019 follows, showcasing DiGiorgio\u2019s bass skills; his fingers working overtime to create that almost bubbling effect amidst those hurtling riffs and rampant drums. \u2018Jealousy\u2019 is equally stirring, and again treats us to a selection of twisted bass-lines and machine-gun drums.<\/p>\n

\u2018Trapped In A Corner\u2019 and \u2018Nothing Is Everything\u2019 supply the backbone to the record. The former is a jarring, mid-tempo soundscape, while the latter jerks with unease, never allowing your average metal fan to bang their head.<\/p>\n

Chuck\u2019s vocal approach takes on harsher form on the speedier \u2018Mentally Blind\u2019, but again it\u2019s a track that refuses to settle on its initial groove. Lyrically this is Death at their most mature and masterful, Chuck finding no further need to speak of zombies and gore; instead he questions attitudes and delves deep into the human psyche, with DiGiorgio, Hoglan and LaRocque acting as his own personal soundtrack.<\/p>\n

The title track searches for answers with its thrashing tempo until it is injected with a deranged bass that flummoxes the ears. \u2018Destiny\u2019 soars in on an acoustic cloud which is soon blackened by a killer riff, and Chuck\u2019s distinctive roar of \u201cWishing that I could turn back time\u201d<\/em> is ever poignant until we are swept up by the crushing drum waves of \u2018Out Of Touch\u2019 with its symphonic edge and cutting riff. And then we\u2019re back to the magical swirls of \u2018The Philosopher\u2019; Chuck\u2019s voice booming out the speakers, \u201cDo you feel what I feel\u201d<\/em>, before the crackle ensues and the needle lifts and we\u2019re left with eerie silence.<\/p>\n

Once again we\u2019ve become mesmerized by Death, left gasping for more, rendered reeling by the almost inaccessible structures. And so we dive in again… eager for a second, third, fourth, eternal helping, still trying to master the DiGiorgio bass twangs, still attempting to avoid being audibly pummeled by Hoglan\u2019s drums, and forever to loiter in the palm of Chuck Schuldiner, metal messiah and extreme metal commentator extraordinaire.<\/p>\n

For the purists, this 2011 reissue features a bonus CD of tracks recorded live in Germany during 1993, with the deluxe edition offering a third disc of demos and riff tracks. Those who were never fortunate enough to hear Death live must lap this reissue up, and those lucky enough to have experienced Chuck and company onstage, should purchase this to relive those magical moments.<\/p>\n

Neil Arnold<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

DEATHIndividual Thought Patterns (Reissue) Relapse (2011)Rating: 9.5\/10 Death albums get harder and harder to review, because words almost fail me every time I slap one of these records onto the turntable. Considering how Death evolved as a band, and what they stood for, they were criminally underrated. Thankfully, with Relapse Records reissuing the albums, Chuck […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8552","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-death"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8552","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8552"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8552\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8558,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8552\/revisions\/8558"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8552"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8552"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8552"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}