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While Korn is enjoying the success of their of their release, Follow
The Leader, down in the shadowy, dark corridors of metal's
underground world lurks an even more fierce, brutal, frightening
and ugly musical beast called Death. What many of today's young
headbangers don't know is the origin of metal's jagged riffs, raging
breakdowns, vocal conniption fits and growls that existed long before
the Coal Chambers, Vision of Disorders, and Limp Bizkits of the
world. Many of those heavy riffs that have kids' ears glued to their
stereo speakers are far from new, and the credit should be shared
where it is due. Chuck Schuldiner, the mastermind and creator of
the gruesome band, Death, is what some would call a pioneer in that
genre. Even though death metal is treated like an unwanted stepchild
in the music industry, musically, it is a force to be reckoned with
and not to be taken lightly.
The history of Death dates
as far back as 1983, when Schuldiner formed Mantas with some high
school buddies, gaining much recognition in the underground tape
trading circuit. It wasn't long after that the name was changed
to Death and the groundwork was laid for some of the most rhythmically
confusing, innovative, and brutal music ever created. A new life
for Death began in 1987 with the debut album, Scream Bloody
Gore, a metal classic. The early nineties were a time when
mainstream music was undergoing its metalmorphosis, with choice
Death albums, like Spiritual Healing (1990), Human
(1991), and Individual Thought Patterns (1993) assisted
in defining the heavy music sound. After the last record, Symbolic,
it was time for Schuldiner to get back into the studio and record
another album, Sound of Perseverance. "This is absolutely
my favorite lineup," said Schuldiner. "I've been performing with
these guys a while now, so by the time we hit the studio, we were
more than ready to record. It was a realease to get this out of
our systems. If people have any doubts, their doubts will be gone
when they put on the first song." SOP shows Death's evolution
and passionately stays close to their roots with pride and conviction.
"It represents sticking true
to what I believe in as a metal fan. Heavy metal's not meant to
be a phase or trend. Metal is a type of music that will grow and
maintain its integrity and that's very important to me. It's not
about fitting in with all of these groove hip hop, new metal types
of bands out right now. I can't tolerate that, because I've been
playing metal for half my life. It would be so easy to play three
chords, hop up and down, and say we're from the streets. It's not
sincere and it's not from the roots where I come from. I come from
old school. I was musically inspired by bands like Iron Maiden,
Mercyful Fate, Metallica, Slayer and Queensryche. When Metallica's
first album, Kill em' All, first came out, it was one of
the heaviest albums next to the first Slayer. Then, the term 'death
metal' came out in the media. All it was back then was a very intense,
abrasive and aggressive form of thrash metal. I look at death metal
as an extension and a step further." Schuldiner stated. Death's
lineup alterations have given each individual album its own life.
For Schuldiner, professionalism is a crucial element in choosing
the right people for each record. Past lineups were difficult to
maintain because some members lived out of state, which can complicate
a rigorous rehearsal or recording schedule. Schuldiner has finally
found people who are located in Death's base, Tampa, Fl., the death
metal capitol. With the progression of music trends, some stick-to-yer-guns
metal artists are being forgotten about and lost in the shuffle
of the hip hop- meets - seven string chunk.
Schuldiner states, "unfortunately,
what corporate America has introduced to this younger crowd of kids
is that, if a band has heavy guitars, they are metal. That's a very
corporate way of thinking, and it has the power to sway people towards
what they think is the new thing. I see it everywhere. "The new
metal" I hate to break it to people, that's not metal and it's not
new. Anthrax was doing the crossover thing back in 1987. There's
no need to confuse people, but Korn is not new metal. This is an
opinion that I have credentials to base it upon. It's okay if people
like those bands, but keep things in proper perspective. Then, you
see Metallica in magazines saying that they're not a metal band
and they don't care about that anymore. That's a big blow to the
metal scene."
To most listeners, the hardest
thing to accept about death metal are the brutal vocals. In the
past Schuldiner's vocals have had a guttural, razorblade gargling,
scowling growl. Now, his vocals are a tad higher and reminiscent
of Mille of Kreator. Metal vocalists take a beating in the throat
department live. "I think, singing this vocal style, that there
is no proper way to take care of my voice, other than not smoking,"
Schuldiner said with a laugh. "It's a very difficult vocal style
to maintain and, after a show, I am ready to pass out."
To Schuldiner, whose band displays an amazingly high level of dexterity
and musical precision, seeing three-chord wonders on the covers
of magazines is disappointing. "It's very frustrating to look at
the covers and see the people who they are sticking on these covers.
I know they sell records, but things don't revolve around talent
anymore. It's insulting, in a way, to see these bands getting such
high praise," added Schuldiner.
Schuldiner plans to steer clear of all trends and continue with
his bandmates to create some of the sickest, twisted metal to date.
Death represents the heart that fuels many of those chunky riffs
that have metal fans throwing their fists up high. Death isn't meant
for the mainstream listener; it's an acquired taste that is created
with honesty, integrity, and soul. If you are inquistive about what
lurks below, when trends fade and loose their lives, remember that
there is always Death.
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