Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of Western civilization's crowning achievements, January 13, 2003
I love all of Death's albums, especially their '90's ones, but I think "Symbolic" is clearly the band's masterpiece. Death's last four albums all represented an effort to inject progressive tendencies into extreme metal, and here is where they nailed it the best. More than any of their other albums, this one contains everything that made Chuck Schuldiner and his ever-changing band so great: unbridled creativity, complex arrangements, awe-inspiring technicality, Chuck's distinctive death vocals, and time changes that Nostradamus would have had trouble predicting. Perhaps most importantly, "Symbolic" was the culmination of Chuck's songwriting evolution. In spite of all the heaviness and technicality, these songs all maintained a strong groove, effortessly flowing from one passage to another. I can't think of another album, with the possible exception of Carcass's "Heartwork" and a few Opeth albums, that has balanced heaviness, creativity, and intricacy as well as "Symbolic."
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24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Chuck Schuliner's best and one of the best ever, July 16, 2004
Great metal songwriters typically come in 2 forms. One's who craft the songs to fit a certain ambiance(Black Sabbath, Katatonia, Tool, Emperor...) and ones who achieve greatness through the exhibition of mastery of the instrument.(Randy Rhoades, Children of Bodom, In Flames, Slayer...) I'm a fan of both types of songwriting and it is extremly rare that a cd will satisfy my taste for both. Death's Symbolic is one of those rare albums that does. This is damn near perfect, and while there is a great deal of showmanship, it never goes over the top and over shadows the music. Chuck's growling is the best it's ever been and this album can single handedly be used as the case for including him among the best death metal vocalists ever. There's plently of amazing solo's among a somewhat progressive rhythem section. Gene Hoglan's drums are well done and drive the album along nicely. While Hoglan does hold back a bit, it's done with the purpose of playing what the songs require. This album is what pure death metal should strive to be: Intelligent and aggressive, heavy yet focused and just melodic enough to make it fun to listen to. Defitintly one of the top 20 albums of all time. Would recommend this to any death or melodic death fan. I also recommend checking out In Flames(lunar strain/subterrianian), Cynic, Mithras, Hate Eternal and Amon Amarth in addition to this. On a different note, check out Within the Mind: In homage to the musical legacy of Chuck Schuliner, coming out later this year. It's directed by former Death guitarist James Murphy and features people from Six Feet Under to Mudvayne paying their respects. Proceeds go to help James Murphy who has a brain tumor. R.I.P. Chuck Schuliner
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It's Just That - SYMBOLIC Of What Death Metal Could Be, December 17, 2001
For the uninitiated, Death was the band (along with a few notable others) that spearheaded the American death metal wave of the mid- to late- 80's and into the 90's. Coming from Florida, it's no surprise that such a significant band would influence so many others from the same geographical region to play within the same musical frame, which is why the late 80's spawned so many death metal acts from Florida. Chuck Schulinder and company (in other words, whoever joined him on each individual release) drove home many classic albums that gave a sort of "state of the union" appeal for American death, with the most acclaimed being the first three - "Scream Bloody Gore", "Leprosy", "Spiritual Healing". In retrospect, "Spiritual Healing" was a turning point in Chuck's musical ambition and lyrical stance. Death's music expanded into a thrashier demeanor, something that would eventually morph itself into a progressive feel. Considering the changes with Death's direction, their 80's and 90's output can be pretty much split in two - the first three rattling death metal releases in one lump and the more progressive material in the second. Keep in mind, however, that despite the change in direction, none of the power, intensity, or aggression was lost one bit.
Of these later albums that might fit the description of progressive death metal - sorry, that's the best I can do! - the highlight is definitely "Symbolic", which was supposed to be the final album under the Death banner, from what I hear. In fact, the follow-up to this album, "The Sound Of Perseverance", was not even supposed to happen as a Death LP. Originally intended as the debut from Chuck's new band Control Denied, the timing apparently wasn't right.
So what to make of "Symbolic"? It simply has some of the most technical musical wizardry laid down on any metal album. Ever. To this day, I listen to this CD flabbergasted, wondrous (...how can they DO that?!?!?!) at the obvious talent oozing and dripping from every riff and every fill. Oh, the humanity! But, alas, there is more to a successful album than sheer aptitude. There's the music itself - and boy does it kill! This line-up's superior talent was required in order to execute all this ferocious madness so flawlessly while making it seem so effortless. There are tons of melodic sensibilities at work in most of the tracks, but they aren't overdone to sickening measures like you'd expect in many other "melodic death metal" acts who simply put too much emphasis on the "melodic" side of things to make the music still "death metal". There are very few "melodic death metal" bands that can do this well - and this album was proof of one that could. In other words, for each melodic riff, whether slow, mid-paced or speed-laden, there's a driving flat-out thrash-fest (shall I call it anti-melodic?) to counteract. Case in point: the 6 ½ minute opening title track starts the CD ominously and weaves its way back and forth between meaty mid-paced sections and Death's own trademark double bass speed techniques - a characteristic that finds its way in the much of the album.
Perhaps thinking of the lead guitar melodies and prog-rock complexities of Iron Maiden counter balanced with the brutality of Death's finest would best represent the direction here.
Of the nine superb compositions, I always seem to find myself wanting a second dose of the title track, "1,000 Eyes", "Empty Words", "Crystal Mountain", "Misanthrope", and even the epic "Perennial Quest". I know that accounts for the majority of the album, but with such masterful tracks to sift through maybe that's yet another testament to the brilliance on this disk.
In conclusion, I suppose one of the most important reasons to hear "Symbolic" - and even "The Sound Of Perseverance" - is to experience how far one man could push Death Metal. Unfortunately, Chuck Schulinder's drive, hunger, and ambition to do just that was coldly stripped away from him when he was forced to put down his guitar and fight the battle of his life - cancer. A battle he fought with the utmost dignity and pride, in fact. Even mere weeks before he ultimately lost that battle in December of 2001, he was in the press acknowledging that more Death and Control Denied albums were inevitable. Chuck's talent and vision are evident in all of Death's albums, but it's obvious that "Symbolic" was just that - symbolic of what he thought metal was all about.
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