Death

Originally issued in 1998, The Sound of Perseverance was a landmark album for genre pioneers/namesake outfit Death; it was their final effort before spearhead Chuck Schuldiner moved towards a more melodic path with successive work in Control Denied. His untimely passing in 2001 marked the impossibility of a return from one of extreme music's most pivotal acts. Revered by press and fans alike, the album's distinct mix of overt melody with progressive meandering, sharper, Sacrifice-ish vocals and Death's innate barbarism created an intense duality. Minus the questionable cover of Priest's "Painkiller," it surpassed the predictability of 1995 precursor Symbolic while alluding to Control Denied's adventurousness, after removing the linear shackles Death had been confined to. Therefore, it's of little surprise that Relapse would unleash the album's second deluxe repackaging in a half-decade. Featuring remastered sound once again, this incarnation benefits from the complete abandonment of the overly compressed quality many albums from its area succumbed to, creating enveloping vastness and adrenal heaviness. Moreover, in its various incarnations (two- and three-disc formats), unreleased/remastered demos from 1997/'98 create a comprehensive understanding of the band in just under two hours of enthralment. With its epic verses, immaculate performances and enterprising creativity, this version of The Sound of Perseverance is nothing less than cardinal death metal decadence.