Death - Spiritual Healing review

Reviewer:
9.0

1217 users:
8.43

Band:	Death
Album:	Spiritual Healing
Style:	Death metal
Release date:	1990
Guest review by:	Yanko

Disc I
01. Living Monstrosity
02. Altering The Future
03. Defensive Personalities
04. Within The Mind
05. Spiritual Healing
06. Low Life
07. Genetic Reconstruction
08. Killing Spree

Disc II [2012 Re-Release - Rehearsals]
01. Altering The Future
02. Defensive Personalities
03. Within The Mind
04. Within The Mind: Take 2
05. Spiritual Healing
06. Killing Spree
07. Defensive Personalities [Instrumental]
08. Spiritual Healing [Instrumental]
09. Within The Mind [Instrumental]
10. Satanic Jam
11. Primus Jam
12. Jon A Qua: Take 2
13. Jon A Qua: Take 3
14. Jon A Qua: Take 4
15. Jon A Qua: Take 5
16. Jon A Qua: Take 6

Disc III [2012 Re-Release - Live In New York, March 17th, 1990 & Pre-Human Rehearsals]
01. Living Monstrosity
02. Pull The Plug
03. Zombie Ritual
04. Spiritual Healing
05. Left To Die
06. Defensive Personalities
07. Genetic Reconstruction
08. Open Casket
09. Within The Mind
10. Leprosy
11. Suicide Machine [Pre-Human Rehearsal]
12. Together as One [Pre-Human Rehearsal]
13. See Through Dreams [Pre-Human Rehearsal]

Well, well, well? Here it is the album that keeps the flame burning. Death have started it three years ago and now bands like Morbid Angel, Cannibal Corpse and Carcass are strenuously practicing in some garage and deafening drunken metallers in some dirty underground metal club in the south of the US.

Death continue playing their typical style - the most brutal of thrash for its time, verging on death metal, but not quite being it, maintaining the creative attitude guitar-wise, mainly due to Chuck's genius.

Still a very heavy album, it is more technical and so harsh in comparison to its predecessor "Leprosy". The roots of true thrash metal can be heard, as well as a change in the vocals towards the screaming style of singing, we are to hear on the last of Death's albums.

Another distinct sign for this album being thrash is not only the vocals, but their feeling. It is the aggression, the immense feeling of despise and hatred, being concentrated in some words, sang in front of the mike. The deep sorrow and depression is what one feels, listening to the death metal grunting, while after "Spiritual Healing", there is a surge of power, that you feel and terribly need an outlet, so crush one's head.

This album is quite an improvement from monotonous "Leprosy", being very technical, with a lot aggression and power in the vocals and being a whole book full of great innovative and fresh guitar ideas. Upon those riffs bands like Bolt Thrower will build their style of music.

A great album, though not many people will be able to appreciate it, because so many bands have used those solos and riffs, it would sound like nothing new to someone who hears it now for the first time.

Written by Yanko | 15.09.2003

Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.

Comments

‹‹ Back to Reviews

Comments: 22 Visited by: 220 users

Hits total: 11824 | This month: 1

Chat Pile	Chapel Of Disease
Cave Sermon	Cosmic Putrefaction

	Vertex The Purest Light
	Distant Tsukuyomi: The Origin
	Harakiri For The Sky Scorched Earth
	Avatarium Between You, God, The Devil And The Dead
	The Great Old Ones Kadath
	Membrane Deathly Silence
	Besna Krásno
	Shedfromthebody Whisper And Wane
	Sunrot Passages [EP]
	Wardruna Birna

	A Year In Metal 2024
	Abattoir's Concert Hunt The Autumn Charm (2024)
	Splitting Hairs / Hearing Splits (Jul-Dec 2024)
	Wait A Minute! This Isn't Metal! December 2024
	Clandestine Cuts Vol. 14 Issue #12 Awesome New Demos and EPs
	Wait A Minute! This Isn't Metal! November 2024
	Clandestine Cuts Vol. 14 Issue #11 Awesome New Demos and EPs
	November Concert Round-Up

AngelOfDisease Posts: 71	Permalink 28.02.2009 - 22:00 Rating: 9 AngelOfDisease Posts: 71 Great review, and I agree about what you say in the last paragraph. This album changed Death into their more progressive sound. Loading...
Butters49 Posts: 208	Permalink 01.03.2009 - 07:50 Rating: 6 Butters49 Posts: 208 Their worst album, IMO? They sounded confused. Or Bored. Or had serious writers block. ---- "Sataaaaaaaaan. Yeah yeah!" -King Diamond Loading...
Elio Red Nightmare Posts: 4920	Permalink 03.04.2009 - 16:49 Rating: 8 Elio Red Nightmare Posts: 4920 Probably their worst album, still it's good. This guys knew no wrong. lol this guy had to wait more than five years for the first comment poor him ---- IntoPlighT said: "Slipknot is 15 years old how the fuck is that Nu metal?" BEST. QUOTE. EVER. Loading...
Deadmeat Necrobutcher Posts: 2437	Permalink +1 03.04.2009 - 17:08 Rating: 10 Deadmeat Necrobutcher Posts: 2437 Written by Elio on 03.04.2009 at 16:49 Probably their worst album, still it's good. This guys knew no wrong. lol this guy had to wait more than five years for the first comment poor him this means human is better??? why?? ---- Υou've sold your human essence to the cold world of dead and empty things... You're SOLD! Loading...
Elio Red Nightmare Posts: 4920	Permalink 03.04.2009 - 17:16 Rating: 8 Elio Red Nightmare Posts: 4920 Written by Deadmeat on 03.04.2009 at 17:08 Written by Elio on 03.04.2009 at 16:49 Probably their worst album, still it's good. This guys knew no wrong. lol this guy had to wait more than five years for the first comment poor him this means human is better??? why?? Cause Human has Flattening of Emotions anyway, Human represents their changing into a more technical band...I see this one in the middle of their two phases. ---- IntoPlighT said: "Slipknot is 15 years old how the fuck is that Nu metal?" BEST. QUOTE. EVER. Loading...
Deadmeat Necrobutcher Posts: 2437	Permalink 03.04.2009 - 17:47 Rating: 10 Deadmeat Necrobutcher Posts: 2437 Written by Elio on 03.04.2009 at 17:16 Written by Deadmeat on 03.04.2009 at 17:08 Written by Elio on 03.04.2009 at 16:49 Probably their worst album, still it's good. This guys knew no wrong. lol this guy had to wait more than five years for the first comment poor him this means human is better??? why?? Cause Human has Flattening of Emotions anyway, Human represents their changing into a more technical band...I see this one in the middle of their two phases. you cannot deny that living monstrosity is a GREAT song??? dont you?? yeah so if it is the middle why should it be the weaker?? ---- Υou've sold your human essence to the cold world of dead and empty things... You're SOLD! Loading...
Elio Red Nightmare Posts: 4920	Permalink 03.04.2009 - 17:53 Rating: 8 Elio Red Nightmare Posts: 4920 Written by Deadmeat on 03.04.2009 at 17:47 you cannot deny that living monstrosity is a GREAT song??? dont you?? yeah so if it is the middle why should it be the weaker?? oh, I don't. man, look at my ratings, this album is very good imo, I just said this is probably their weakest, not that this is BAD ---- IntoPlighT said: "Slipknot is 15 years old how the fuck is that Nu metal?" BEST. QUOTE. EVER. Loading...
Deadmeat Necrobutcher Posts: 2437	Permalink 03.04.2009 - 18:47 Rating: 10 Deadmeat Necrobutcher Posts: 2437 Written by Elio on 03.04.2009 at 17:53 Written by Deadmeat on 03.04.2009 at 17:47 you cannot deny that living monstrosity is a GREAT song??? dont you?? yeah so if it is the middle why should it be the weaker?? oh, I don't. man, look at my ratings, this album is very good imo, I just said this is probably their weakest, not that this is BAD your ratings say that scream bloody gore is the weakest and i agree!!!! (not because it is worse than the others, but because it has a much worse production).. ---- Υou've sold your human essence to the cold world of dead and empty things... You're SOLD! Loading...
Uirapuru Liver Failure Posts: 2955	Permalink 24.04.2009 - 00:48 Rating: 6 Uirapuru Liver Failure Posts: 2955 Agree with (almost)everyone about this: it's really their worst effort. ''Living Monstrosity'' is the absolute best song in this album. ---- ---- member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/ Loading...
SatyriconChick Posts: 248	Permalink 13.11.2009 - 19:28 Rating: 9 SatyriconChick Posts: 248 I love this album! I don't understand why it gets so much flak. The title track, "Altering the Future" and "Low Life" are my favorite songs. Loading...
Demonmayonnaise Posts: 362	Permalink 25.02.2010 - 17:54 Rating: 10 Demonmayonnaise Posts: 362 This is actually my favorite album by them. I don't know why, I just like it more. But to each his own Loading...
Angelic Storm Melodious Posts: 6675	Permalink 25.02.2010 - 19:52 Rating: 7 Angelic Storm Melodious Posts: 6675 Written by SatyriconChick on 13.11.2009 at 19:28 I love this album! I don't understand why it gets so much flak. The title track, "Altering the Future" and "Low Life" are my favorite songs. ....Those 3 songs are the only ones I really love on the album! The solo duels between James Murphy and Chuck on "Altering The Future" and especially "Low Life" just floor me every time. "Altering..." is just such a huge song, and that ending sends chills through me still to this day... For me, "Human" is the worst Death album, though "Spiritual Healing" is definitely the next weakest IMO. Loading...
Moosh666 Posts: 132	Permalink 19.04.2011 - 11:23 Rating: 8 Moosh666 Posts: 132 Written by Angelic Storm on 25.02.2010 at 19:52 Written by SatyriconChick on 13.11.2009 at 19:28 I love this album! I don't understand why it gets so much flak. The title track, "Altering the Future" and "Low Life" are my favorite songs. ....Those 3 songs are the only ones I really love on the album! The solo duels between James Murphy and Chuck on "Altering The Future" and especially "Low Life" just floor me every time. "Altering..." is just such a huge song, and that ending sends chills through me still to this day... For me, "Human" is the worst Death album, though "Spiritual Healing" is definitely the next weakest IMO. I agree, you just described exactly how I feel about those song Loading...
Deadmeat Necrobutcher Posts: 2437	Permalink 23.04.2011 - 20:44 Rating: 10 Deadmeat Necrobutcher Posts: 2437 Written by Angelic Storm on 25.02.2010 at 19:52 Written by SatyriconChick on 13.11.2009 at 19:28 I love this album! I don't understand why it gets so much flak. The title track, "Altering the Future" and "Low Life" are my favorite songs. ....Those 3 songs are the only ones I really love on the album! The solo duels between James Murphy and Chuck on "Altering The Future" and especially "Low Life" just floor me every time. "Altering..." is just such a huge song, and that ending sends chills through me still to this day... For me, "Human" is the worst Death album, though "Spiritual Healing" is definitely the next weakest IMO. genetic reconstruction and defensive personalities are also great songs imo! but when we are talking for Death, i guess that the term "their weakest album" is close to the term "generally, a great album" right? ---- Υou've sold your human essence to the cold world of dead and empty things... You're SOLD! Loading...
Void_Eater Account deleted	Permalink 24.04.2011 - 22:07 Void_Eater Account deleted I've noticed a trend as of late of people calling this album Death's underrated masterpiece. I can't see why anybody would think that; it sounds like a confused transition from a straight up death metal band to a more technical band, only they can't write very good technical riffs yet. Loading...
Angelic Storm Melodious Posts: 6675	Permalink 06.05.2011 - 02:34 Rating: 7 Angelic Storm Melodious Posts: 6675 Written by Deadmeat on 23.04.2011 at 20:44 genetic reconstruction and defensive personalities are also great songs imo! but when we are talking for Death, i guess that the term "their weakest album" is close to the term "generally, a great album" right? While I don't think "Defensive Personalities" is as awesome as the songs I mentioned, I think it's a good song, as is "Living Monstrosity". But imo, there are only 3 total classics on the album, which are the ones I mentioned before. xD Yep, that is exactly right! lol Death have never made a bad album in my opinion. Even "Human", which in my opinion is the weakest overall album that they did, (although it's a toss up between that one and "Spiritual Healing") contains 3 songs that I totally love. And none of the songs are actually bad. So yep, saying a Death album is their weakest just means that it's not quite as awesome as their absolute best albums. Loading...
Deadmeat Necrobutcher Posts: 2437	Permalink 06.05.2011 - 11:23 Rating: 10 Deadmeat Necrobutcher Posts: 2437 Written by Angelic Storm on 06.05.2011 at 02:34 Written by Deadmeat on 23.04.2011 at 20:44 genetic reconstruction and defensive personalities are also great songs imo! but when we are talking for Death, i guess that the term "their weakest album" is close to the term "generally, a great album" right? While I don't think "Defensive Personalities" is as awesome as the songs I mentioned, I think it's a good song, as is "Living Monstrosity". But imo, there are only 3 total classics on the album, which are the ones I mentioned before. xD Yep, that is exactly right! lol Death have never made a bad album in my opinion. Even "Human", which in my opinion is the weakest overall album that they did, (although it's a toss up between that one and "Spiritual Healing") contains 3 songs that I totally love. And none of the songs are actually bad. So yep, saying a Death album is their weakest just means that it's not quite as awesome as their absolute best albums. shame on you about "living monstrosity"! it is an amazing song! i can see "why" you like more these 3 songs but living monstrosity is also AMAZING! on the rest we seem to agree ---- Υou've sold your human essence to the cold world of dead and empty things... You're SOLD! Loading...
Oaken Hipster Posts: 1322	Permalink 27.06.2012 - 03:52 Rating: 9 Oaken Hipster Posts: 1322 Amongst their best material. Chuck's leadwork is as stellar as ever. ---- In that case, man is only air as well. Loading...
tea[m]ster Au Pays Natal Contributor Posts: 5266	Permalink 27.06.2012 - 07:16 Rating: 9 tea[m]ster Au Pays Natal Contributor Posts: 5266 I listened to this 8,346 times back in 1990. Thanks for bringing back some great memories... ---- rekt Loading...
Oaken Hipster Posts: 1322	Permalink 27.06.2012 - 21:26 Rating: 9 Oaken Hipster Posts: 1322 Written by tea[m]ster on 27.06.2012 at 07:16 8,346 times The whole album 8,346 times? WOW! Is that a real number or an exaggeration? ---- In that case, man is only air as well. Loading...
X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18439	Permalink 27.06.2012 - 21:36 Rating: 7 X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18439 ^ ---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Like you could kiss my ass Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49 Rod, let me love you. Loading...
Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 62297	Permalink 26.07.2015 - 19:05 Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 62297 Good album, different as other that time bands, maybe Nocturnus 1th one can be same level od originality ---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die" I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing Loading...