Roadrunner Records - 1995
10/10
While Individual Thought Patterns saw the complete immersion of Death into the progressive death metal sphere, Symbolic is where the potential with that full immersion was realized to its peak. In a way, this takes the best features of Human, removes the small remnants of the old school sound, and replaces them with what Individual Thought Patterns did right. What does this all mean to the layman? The complexity remains but the memorable songwriting reaches a new level.
Hell, Gene Hoglan alone nails fills even better, and by now he was a fairly seasoned drummer. “Zero Tolerance” has always been the go-to song from this record to summarize all of its tactics. The wailing leads that take a melodic front fused with hard rhythm slams under a groovy guise are the bread and butter, but the explosive and precise drumming between the gaps add a whole second flavor. And yet, the chorus is still catchy amidst all of this, and this collective power is what sells the entire album so high. The anger felt even hints at the ability to channel emotion.
With catchy choruses also comes catchy riffing and verses that almost always match the energy. “Crystal Mountain” was the track that made me fall in love with Chuck and co. many years ago, because its consistency through everything sticks like a powerful adhesive. The opening riff, the bridge, the bounciness of the chorus, and of course that acoustic outro jump all over the place but flow like the smoothest natural spring you’ve ever stumbled upon. Softer tricks like this outro and the bass/drum combo do wonders, seen also on the intro to “Empty Words,” a track that works from gently placing musical layers before reaching the pre-chorus bridge.
And if this isn’t enough, Symbolic wins by sporting the best lyrics of any album. Poetic flow is something that has been increasing for the band since 1990, but as with everything else, the full potential is achieved here. Alongside that, we get clarity with all of them. “Without Judgement,” a faster number, sneaks in the intensity with the subject wonderfully, as does the opening title track with a slower crawl. In fact, “Symbolic” has a masterful shift from that iconic, crushing opening that folds into the speediest vocal/rhythm pattern on the entire disc. Again, the layers man, they push the limits.
Could we really finish without mentioning more about the bass? While less prominent than in the prior two records, “Sacred Serenity” boasts this not only in its bubbly intro, but the soft break in the wavy middle. Things like this add layers of emotion, which also pokes its head in “1,000 Eyes” due to the melancholic passage between the direct, angrier blows. Closer “Perennial Quest” strategically leaves us with a similar impression, utilizing acoustic dreariness after tailing off the angsty energy of “Misanthrope.”
The magic is in every corner. The down-to-earth ability to relate poetic clarity and striking rhythms with extreme technical precision and emotion reaches a level not matched by a single other extreme metal band. I truly think it took the career background of Chuck Schuldiner’s to master something of this magnitude, considering the constant tweak from album to album before reaching this point. It’s the record that truly makes me wonder how Death would have gone through the 21st Century had we not lost Chuck so early. They had another album, and he did other stuff, but considering that it’s now been nearly twenty-two years since losing the legend, there’s no way to predict how things could have looked now in 2023. Consider this my biggest tribute to the legend.
R.I.P. Charles Michael Schuldiner; May 13th, 1967 - December 13th, 2001
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