Combat Records - 1987
9.5/10
Right as they were able to fully nail down the death metal sound that had been brewing for a while, Florida’s Death concocted potentially one of the meanest, most intense records that to this day has never truly been duplicated. Scream Bloody Gore in all its glory wasn’t even matched on the next album due to a slight loss in the chaotic feel that permeates every inch of the debut. Yet, as a record that feels like a proverbial head smash against the wall, it remains memorable. Such ferocity managed to achieve this with several tactics that would go on to be pillars of most OSDM inspired albums following, and I think the bluntness on this record needs to be dissected.
For one, it would become essential to use repetition properly, which shows itself all over the place. Almost every song is driven by a chorus that oftentimes repeats the song title; sounds redundant, I know. But the sheer jumps from explosive drum eruptions and some of Chuck’s most ear-splitting screams melting into a steady, rhythm-dense chorus does the trick every time. The classic “Zombie Ritual” may just be the most glaring example; is there really much to that chorus guitar part, or the chorus itself? Nah. But its gradual unfolding into this is what makes me return every time.
Scream Bloody Gore is far more than just that, though. Despite how much adrenaline is pumped into the veins of the music, you can get slight breaks that reveal advanced drumwork and guitar licks trading off with calmer areas. No full songs ride on this, but “Regurgitated Guts” and “Baptized In Blood” utilize this tactic timed perfectly. It must be an accident that it worked out so well. There’s certainly a strong ear for guitar solos and compelling drive, but again, that chaos factor makes you wonder how much of this landing was intentional. Surely plenty, but less than we think.
All that leaves is the pummeling energy that I keep mentioning but go into little detail. Delivery is everything, and its ability to match the gory lyrics and loud atmosphere ties everything up. “Mutilation” is such a simple tune, yet is striking in a way with its descending vocal patterns before letting on more shrieks. “Sacrificial” sounds angrier than anything the band has ever created, and the closers “Evil Dead” alongside the title track make sure to leave the same burning impression. At no point do any of these songs hit the brakes, and with brevity they allow the wonderfully placed tunes to pass by you like the beat of a heart.
The first wave of self-realized death metal often either took the dark and satanic route (Morbid Angel, Deicide) or the violent and bloody route (Death, Suffocation, Cannibal Corpse, etc.). As Chuck and co. laid the ground for the former and slowly evolved away, I can’t help but notice the sophistication that still poked its head even amidst this delivery. Leprosy only a year later displayed song tightening without drifting away, if only very little, and that small piece of raw and crushing energy lost is fully present here.
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