VARIOUS ARTISTS
Choosing Death: The Improbable History Of Death Metal And Grindcore
Relapse Records
8/10
This package serves as companion to Albert Mudrian’s informative, introspective look at the forces behind the scenes that helped to shape an entire subgenre of extreme music, death metal and its bastard twin, grindcore, which technically came first. For those that are just getting interested in extreme music, this is a great place to uncover the roots of the art form, as well as keeping you up to speed with a few of the newer groups that are setting a new standard for the style.
“Choosing Death” gets going with the group that started it all, the much revered Napalm Death, a group focused on smashing the stereotypes and music and creating their own style. “Scum” might be, more so than any other track on this compilation, indicative of the true intent behind the creation of extreme music. Its low key production lends forcefulness to the cut as the group slam through the track that introduced grind to a completely unsuspecting public. Furious blasting rips through your speakers as Napalm summon a new era in pure sonic extremity. An especially sought after track is included by Bostonians Siege, who brandished a powerful sonic melding of metal and hardcore. These bashers are represented here with the cut “Walls”, a piece that would influence Napalm Death to take up the torch of grinding madness.
Flint’s Repulsion were America’s most extreme group at one point and “Maggots In Your Coffin” shows the listener exactly why, but Florida’s Morbid Angel would shortly thereafter emerge as the most popular death metal group with the release of their seminal 1989 classic “Altars Of Madness.” The bands rapid fire pace and evil image made their music that much darker and that album’s “Chapel Of Ghouls” served to completely define the death metal phenomenon. Over in Sweden, Nihilist was enjoying quite a stir from their self released demos that were widely circulated amongst underground tape traders. “Severe Burns” gives the listener a glimpse at the formative sounds of this young group, who would soon become Entombed. When Obituary hit the scene in 1989 with their Roadrunner Records debut “Slowly We Rot”, no one had heard anything quite like the deathly barf of vocalist John Tardy. Obituary would go on to become a big seller for Roadrunner, helping to set that company up for the success that it enjoys today.
Although a bit short on the production side in comparison to the group’s future albums, “Slowly We Rot” possessed a certain vibe that was unmistakably morbid. This song’s razor edged guitars are fashioned to rip the rotting flesh from your bones and ultimately, they serve their purpose very well. Everything about Deicide was and still is to this day, over the top, both in terms of the group’s overtly satanic image and lyrical content as well as in the group’s insanely wicked music. Singer Glen Benton’s approach of layering vocals makes the songs on the group’s debut “Deicide” sound wholly ungodly as Benton looks toward Evil Dead 2 for vocal training. “Lunatic Of God’s Creation” hold up today as one of the best put together and most memorable songs in all of death metal. There could be a bit of question as to whether “Heartwork” could be considered to be a cut that showcases Carcass at their most influential. The classic “Symphonies Of Sickness” was probably the most notable offering from the foursome; however “Heartwork” is a solid track that hints at death metal moving into a more melodic, streamlined and surprisingly commercial arena. The reason can be attributed directly to Columbia Records who upon launching a partnership with Earache Records, sought to bring the extreme into the mainstream.
Amazingly, At The Gates had a much more tremendous impact upon the metalcore scene than on outright death metal in general. The band showcases their pummeling riffing here with “Need”, from 1995’s “Slaughter Of The Soul”, definitely a high point in the blood soaked history of this deviant form of aural chaos. Chuck Schuldiner was a driving force in the movement, nearly since its inception. By the time metal fans caught wind of the most appropriately named ensemble, Death, Schuldiner was churning out anthems like “Pull The Plug” that were simply skull crushing. By “Symbolic”, the band had refined their sound, incorporating a further amount of melody to enhance the completely brutal riffing and sick, Drano gargling voice of Schuldiner. This period of the group’s history is often overlooked, but there can be no doubt that this effort’s title track was one of the most punishing examples of death metal to date. Opeth brought a progressive element to death metal that brought the band close to fans' hearts immediately. With “Demon Of The Fall”, you will discover that Opeth were accomplished artisans early on in their career, but maintained a unique heaviness that would establish the group as the leaders of the new era of the style. The reclusive Pig Destroyer brings fans into a virtual tornado of vicious gore to fans with an exclusive track “Untitled.” Here, you will discover that Pig Destroyer are unafraid to test the limits of grinding and this song makes the argument that they are poised to overtake the genre as the most extreme act out there.
The modern Headbangers Ball gave a ton of support to “We Will Rise” as Arch Enemy proves to be melodic as well as overwhelmingly aggressive. Vocalist Angela Gossow has emerged as the first overwhelmingly popular female vocalist in death metal and her scratchy growl brings a bleak atmosphere to the sound of Ach Enemy that makes the group’s recent material all the more worthwhile. Other hot new talents such as the insidiously evil Zyklon and bands such as Hate Eternal and Nile are spearheading an even more complex menagerie of musical deconstruction that shows that death metal is anything but dead in 2005.
Providing a wide retrospective of some of the most influential and skilled performers in the short history of extreme music, “Choosing Death” not only makes for a spectacular companion to a great read, it is in and of itself a top notch collection of highlights that no true fan would want to be without.
Written By: The Wizard
