The Sound of Perseverance

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The Sound of Perseverance
Studio album by Death
Released	August 31, 1998
Recorded	Morrisound Studios, Tampa, Florida
Genre	Progressive death metal
Length	56:17
Label	Nuclear Blast, Relapse
Producer	Jim Morris, Chuck Schuldiner
Death album chronology
Symbolic (1995) The Sound of Perseverance (1998) Live in L.A. (Death & Raw) (2001)
Alternative cover
2011 Relapse Records reissue cover

The Sound of Perseverance is the seventh and final studio album by American death metal band Death, released on September 15, 1998 by Nuclear Blast. This is the only album to feature guitarist Shannon Hamm, bassist Scott Clendenin and drummer Richard Christy.

Overview

The album, in particular, employs a style more akin to progressive metal than the earliest Death releases, although since Human and the albums following it, the band had been developing more toward this style. The average song length on this album is around six minutes. Also, it was a breakthrough album for drummer and later radio star Richard Christy, in the tradition of previous drummers like Gene Hoglan and Sean Reinert.

The album features "Voice of the Soul", an instrumental track that contrasts with almost every other work of the band in its inclusion of softer guitars and lack of percussion. In an interview done in March 1999, Chuck Schuldiner stated that Voice of the Soul was actually written during the Symbolic sessions. Death has produced only two instrumentals (the other being the considerably heavier "Cosmic Sea" from Human). The album also featured a cover of Judas Priest's "Painkiller", which shows Schuldiner attempting a different, high-pitched style of death growl more reminiscent of Rob Halford's original vocals and also singing for the first time with a clean voice through the end of the song. All the solos in the song are rewritten.

Some of the song names and music on The Sound of Perseverance were originally going to appear on the first Control Denied album, The Fragile Art of Existence. Schuldiner himself denied this in an interview with Metal Maniacs in 1998 by saying that none of his compositions for Control Denied had been used to fill space for a Death album. Schuldiner implied that some Control Denied songs were used for The Sound of Perseverance in an interview with Scream Magazine in October 1999, when he stated that The Fragile Art of Existence "contains a lot of music I didn't have in mind originally. Most of the material was completed in 1996-97." Also, Tim Aymar, in December 2010, confirmed that a few of the Control Denied songs had been, in his words, "'Deathized' and recorded on TSOP." When Death was signed on to Nuclear Blast, Schuldiner agreed to make one last Death album before moving forward with Control Denied.

"Spirit Crusher" was the single from this album. It featured a music video that was taken from their Live in Eindhoven performance.

Deluxe Editions

Nuclear Blast released a deluxe edition in December 2005. It contains the original album as well as the DVD Live in Cottbus '98 and press pictures. It was also released as a DualDisc.

Relapse Records released a second deluxe edition on February 15, 2011. The album was remastered and reissued in deluxe 2-CD and 3-CD formats, with the additional CDs containing unreleased demo material and a revised cover by original cover artist Travis Smith.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
About.com
Allmusic
Sputnikmusic
Chronicles of Chaos
Metal Forces	10/10

The Sound of Perseverance has received critical acclaim and is considered by fans and critics alike as one of Death’s greatest albums. Jason Hundey of Allmusic gave the album a 4.5 star review and described it as “a truly glorious metal release, certainly Death's finest hour, and easily one of the top metal albums of all time.” Chronicles Of Chaos reviewer Paul Schwarz said the album “excels in all the right places. Great thrashings, technical solos, memorable choruses and clear vocals are the order of the day.” He gave it 9/10 stars. About.com reviewed the 2011 reissue of the album and rated it 5 stars.

Track Listing

All songs written and composed by Chuck Schuldiner, except where noted. 

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Scavenger of Human Sorrow"	6:56
2.	"Bite the Pain"	4:29
3.	"Spirit Crusher"	6:47
4.	"Story to Tell"	6:34
5.	"Flesh and the Power It Holds"	8:26
6.	"Voice of the Soul" (instrumental)	3:43
7.	"To Forgive Is to Suffer"	5:55
8.	"A Moment of Clarity"	7:25
9.	"Painkiller" (Judas Priest cover)	6:02
Total length:		56:17

2011 remastered version (bonus disc 1)
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Spirit Crusher" (from 1998 demos, no bass (instrumental))	6:55
2.	"Flesh and the Power It Holds" (from 1998 demos, no bass (instrumental))	8:22
3.	"Voice of the Soul" (from 1998 demos, no bass (instrumental))	3:30
4.	"Bite the Pain" (from 1998 demos)	4:28
5.	"A Moment of Clarity" (from 1998 demos)	6:38
6.	"Story to Tell" (from 1998 demos)	6:40
7.	"Scavenger of Human Sorrow" (from 1998 demos)	6:49
8.	"Bite the Pain" (from 1997 demos)	4:31
9.	"Story to Tell" (from 1997 demos)	6:37
10.	"A Moment of Clarity" (from 1997 demos)	6:34
Total length:		1:01:02

2011 remastered version (bonus disc 2)
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Bite the Pain" (from 1996 demos, Chuck Schuldiner on vocals)	4:19
2.	"Story to Tell" (from 1996 demos, Chuck Schuldiner on vocals)	6:19
3.	"A Moment of Clarity" (from 1996 demos, Chuck Schuldiner on vocals, clean backing vocals)	6:17
4.	"Bite the Pain" (from 1996 demos, Paul Payne on vocals)	4:20
5.	"A Moment of Clarity" (from 1996 demos, Paul Payne on vocals)	6:17
6.	"A Moment of Clarity" (from 1996 demos, Chuck Schuldiner on vocals, clean vocals)	6:17
7.	"Story to Tell" (from 1996 demos, Chuck Schuldiner on vocals, clean vocals)	6:24
8.	"Bite the Pain" (from 1996 demos, Shannon Hamm on vocals)	4:14
9.	"A Moment of Clarity" (from 1996 demos, instrumental)	5:32
10.	"Bite the Pain" (from 1996 demos, instrumental)	4:14
11.	"Story to Tell" (from 1996 demos, instrumental)	6:13
12.	"Voice of the Soul" (from 1996 demos, instrumental)	3:29
13.	"A Moment of Clarity" (from 1996 demos, instrumental)	6:12
Total length:		1:10:07

Credits

Band members

• Chuck Schuldiner - Guitars, Vocals
• Shannon Hamm - Guitars, Vocals (on CD 3, track 8)
• Scott Clendenin - Bass
• Richard Christy - Drums

Additional Musicians

• Steve DiGiorgio - Bass (on CD 2, tracks 4-7, 9-10)
• Paul Payne - Vocals (on CD 3, tracks 4 & 5)

Production

• Jim Morris - Engineering, Mastering, Mixing, Producer
• Alex McKnight - Band photography
• Chuck Schuldiner - Producer, Lyrics
• Maria Abril - Art direction, Design
• Gabe Mera - Art direction, Design
• Travis Smith - Cover art

2011 reissue production

• Shannon Hamm - Liner notes
• Drew Juergens - Reissue coordination
• Alan Douches - Remastering
• Jacob Speis - Layout