'''''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]].<ref name=Allmusic/> 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.<ref>{{cite journal |date=March 1999 |title=Death |journal=Lamentations of the Flame Princess |url=http://www.emptywords.org/LotFP_2.htm}} Accessed December 7, 2010.</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite journal |date=November 1998 |title=Reincarnation |journal=Metal Maniacs|url=http://www.emptywords.org/MetalManiacs11-1998.htm}} Accessed February 4, 2012.</ref> 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." <ref>{{cite journal |date=October 1999 |title=Control Denied|journal=Scream Magazine|url=http://www.emptywords.org/ScreamMagazine10-1999.htm}} Accessed March 5, 2012.</ref> 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."<ref>[http://www.emptywords.org/EmptyWords12-2010.htm ''Tim Aymar Speaks Out''], Empty Words, accessed December 7, 2010.</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bravewords.com/news/36606 |title=News > DEATH - Release Date Changed For The Sound of Perseverance Deluxe Edition |publisher=Bravewords.com |date= |accessdate=October 13, 2011}}</ref> [[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.<ref>[http://www.emptywords.org/NEWS.htm ''Empty Words News Page''], Empty Words, accessed December 14, 2010.</ref> == Reception =={{Album ratings| rev1 = About.com| rev1Score = {{rating|5|5}}<ref name="about">{{cite web|url=http://heavymetal.about.com/od/death/fr/Death-The-Sound-Of-Perseverance-Review.htm|title=Death - 'The Sound Of Perseverance'|publisher=About.com|first=Dave|last=Schalek}}</ref>| rev2 = Allmusic| rev2Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name=Allmusic>{{cite web|last=Hundey |first=Jason |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/r376315 |title=The Sound of Perseverance - Death |publisher=Allmusic |date= }}</ref>| rev3 = Sputnikmusic| rev3Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name=Sputnikmusic>{{cite web|last=Schroer |first=Brendan |url=http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/36182/Death-The-Sound-of-Perseverance/ |title=Death - The Sound of Perseverance |publisher=Sputnikmusic}}</ref>| rev4 = Chronicles of Chaos| rev4Score = {{Rating|9|10}}<ref name=CoC>{{cite web|url=http://www.chroniclesofchaos.com/reviews/albums/2-909_death_the_sound_of_perseverance.aspx |title=CoC : Death - The Sound of Perseverance : Review |publisher=Chroniclesofchaos.com |date= }}</ref>| rev5 = ''Metal Forces''| rev5score = 10/10<ref name="metal forces">{{cite web|url=http://www.metalforcesmagazine.com/site/album-review-death-the-sound-of-perseverance-2011-reissue/|title=Death - The Sound Of Perseverance (Reissue)|work=Metal Forces|first=Neil|last=Arnold}}</ref>}}''The Sound of Perseverance'' has received critical acclaim and is considered by fans and critics alike as one of Death’s greatest albums.<ref>http://www.sputnikmusic.com/bands/Death/657/</ref> 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.