I can still recall that day in 1987 when I first heard Scream Bloody Gore, the debut from the band Death. Death metal as we now know it was in its infancy, and this album was unlike anything most metal fans had heard before. Sure, acts like Slayer, Venom, Possessed, Bathory, Hellhammer, and Celtic Frost were dabbling in a thrash/black/death hybrid, but it wasn't until Chuck Schuldiner and Co. unleashed this savage slice of bloody entrails that the term death metal was fully conceived, and from there a whole host of bands from Florida followed in their wake. Many of the tracks here on this debut, now the last to receive the glorious reissue treatment from Relapse Records, are considered genre classics, such as the raging "Zombie Ritual", the brutal, rifftastic "Denial of Life", the maniacal "Sacrificial", and of course the unforgettable trio of "Mutilation", "Regurgitated Guts" and the frantic title track. Honestly, there's not a bad song here, with the band even hinting at their more progressive, epic style to come on the blistering "Evil Dead", a track that features some incredible soloing from Schuldiner and his patented growling vocals. And, it doesn't get more thunderous and extreme than "Land of No Return", just a punishing, punishing song with some sensational riffs and crushing drums. The remaster job from Alan Douches is stunning, giving Scream Bloody Gore a clarity it deserves, but takes away none of its brutal power.
Disc 2 & 3 contain a wealth of demo and rehearsal tracks, some without vocals, and as you can imagine, it's of varying quality, much of it pretty bad, but worth a listen for the longtime fan, especially the band doing a brief take on the KISS song "Do You Love Me?". There's even a the barnstorming track "Death Metal" recorded at a session in 1986, which basically spawned the name of this sub-genre of metal. Along with the remastered album, all of the previously unreleased recordings and rehearsal demos, Relapse has also put together super-expanded packaging, and brand-new extensive liner notes from former Death drummer / Autopsy founder Chris Reifert, Sepultura's Max Cavalera, and original Scream Bloody Gore producer Randy Burns. It's a must have folks.
Track Listing
Disc 1 (Original Album, Remastered)
1. Infernal Death
2. Zombie Ritual
3. Denial of Life
4. Sacrificial
5. Mutilation
6. Regurgitated Guts
7. Baptized in Blood
8. Torn To Pieces
9. Evil Dead
10. Scream Bloody Gore
11. Beyond the Unholy Grave
12. Land Of No Return
Disc 2
13 Torn To Pieces (Original Florida Session)
14. Legion Of Doom (Original Florida Session)
15. Scream Bloody Gore (Original Florida Session)
16. Sacrificial (Original Florida Session)
17. Mutilation (Original Florida Session)
18. Land of No Return (Original Florida Session)
19. Baptized in Blood (Original Florida Session)
20. Regurgitated Guts (Rehearsals 08-20-1986)
21. Sacrificial (Rehearsals 08-20-1986)
22. Sacrificial - Take 2 (Rehearsals 08-20-1986)
23. Torn To Pieces (Rehearsals 08-20-1986)
24. Do You Love Me? V1 (Rehearsals 08-20-1986)
25. Infernal Death (Rehearsals 08-20-1986)
26. Zombie Ritual (Rehearsals 08-20-1986)
27. Beyond The Unholy Grave (Rehearsals 08-20-1986)
28. Do You Love Me? V2 (Rehearsals 08-20-1986)
29. Denial Of Life (Rehearsals 08-20-1986)
Disc 3
30. (Part Of) Scream Bloody Gore (Rehearsals 5/28/86)
31. Legion of Doom (5/28/86)
32. Beyond The Unholy Grave (5/28/86)
33. Scream Bloody Gore (5/28/86)
34. Torn To Pieces (5/28/86)
35. Mutilation (5/26/86)
36. Torn To Pieces (5/26/86)
37. Zombie Ritual (5/26/86)
38. Land Of No Return (5/26/86)
39. (Part of) Evil Dead (5/26/86)
40. Baptized In Blood (5/26/86)
41. Infernal Death (5/26/86)
42. Denial of Life (5/26/86)
43. Death Metal (5/26/86)
40. Baptized In Blood (5/28/86)
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