There are eight studio tracks on this one plus one cover of Judas Preists’ “Painkiller”. There are also tons of highlights. If you are a fan of skillful playing, it’s a great listen as the bar of musicianship on this thing is raised extremely high. Each song contains twists and turns at every corner, all driven by the unbelievable intricate playing of Chuck, who turns out some absolutely sick riffs and solos as usual. (The intro riff on Flesh and the Power it Holds is a personal favorite). Not to be outdone, the rest of the band, who prove they are world-class musicians in their own right. Shannon Ham compliments Chuck nicely on guitars. In fact the two perform a duet together on “Voice of the Soul”, a definite highlight. Scott Clendenin throws down some killer bass lines, and Richard Christy excels on drums as well. It is almost unimaginable to think that this is a brand new line up for the band, as cohesive as they sound. Generally all the songs on the album contain something memorable and worth noting. The only possible complaint I could have about this album is that the listener may lose focus a bit, with all the unpredictable stuff going on. This is by no means saying that the songs are boring, but rather that the metal listener (particularly death metal listener) may find himself reaching back more frequently for one of Death’s earlier albums--the complete ferocity of the past albums is not quite there. However, I think any listener can agree that songs such as “Scavenger of Human Sorrow”, “Spirit Crusher” and “Story to Tell” rank up there with the best Death has ever conjured. Finally, with this being the last Death album (Chuck would later go on to form Control Denied before passing) it is quite an important one from a historical aspect, since Chuck has become the metal icon that he is today. This is the final chapter of a band that has gone on to influence thousands of other bands, inspiring metal fans the world over.

written by Joe Grammatico

Playing time: 56.13