Band:	Death
Album:	Individual Thought Patterns
Style:	Progressive death metal, Progressive thrash metal
Release date:	June 30, 1993
Guest review by:	K✞ulu

Disc I
01. Overactive Imagination
02. In Human Form
03. Jealousy
04. Trapped In A Corner
05. Nothing Is Everything
06. Mentally Blind
07. Individual Thought Patterns
08. Destiny
09. Out Of Touch
10. The Philosopher

Disc II [Live In Germany - April 13th, 1993] [Reissue bonus]
01. Leprosy
02. Suicide Machine
03. Living Monstrosity
04. Overactive Imagination
05. Flattening Of Emotions
06. Within The Mind
07. In Human Form
08. Lack Of Comprehension
09. Trapped In A Corner
10. Zombie Ritual
+ Individual Thought Patterns - Studio Outtake
    1 - The Exorcist

Disc III [Four Track Demos - Chuck & Gene - December 1992] [Reissue bonus]
01. Overactive Imagination
02. In Human Form
03. The Philosopher
04. Trapped In A Corner
05. Individual Thought Patterns
06. Jealousy
07. Nothing Is Everything
08. Destiny
09. Mentally Blind
10. Out Of Touch
+ Individual Thought Patterns - Chuck's Riff Tape - 1992
    1 - In Human Form
    2 - The Philosopher
    3 - Trapped in a Corner

Angry with all the crap evolving around Death (not being able to do the UK tour in the height of the Extravaganza tour of Europe due to financial irresponsibility of people "who did business in the band," then as a result a $14,000 debt, and just all those mendacious and greedy people in the music industry), Chuck teamed up with King Diamond guitarist Andy LaRoque, ex-Dark Angel drummer Gene Hoglan, and the fretless bass maestro Steve DiGiorgio (who also performed on the previous album Human) and recorded a masterpiece called Individual Thought Patterns.

The first thing to be said about ITP is that it's a very angry album dealing a lot with what I mentioned in the beginning, the music business, the press, and their screwed-upness. It's very to the point and in your face, with most songs being under or slightly over 4 minutes. So the songs go like this: here is what I have to say about you, retards, so f**k you and have a nice day. Songs like "Overactive Imagination" and "Mentally Blind" (talking about the press critics), "In Human Form" and "Trapped In A Corner" (about big shots in music business that rip you off your last penny as a musician), "Jealousy" (about people who will never reach the heights Chuck have, and all they do is talk crap about him), eponymous "Individual Thought Patterns" and "The Philosopher" (about lies and false theories that the society conforms to) are the responses Chuck gives to all the groundless accusations, backstabbing, and misrepresentation hailed at him for many years. So a very important thing about getting into this album is reading the lyrics.

As far as the music itself, it's very dark and of course heavy, but at the same time very fresh and technical in all respects. One can't say that the songs are super catchy, but all have some interesting melodies, rhythms, leads, and the typical Death elements. Some really somber and eerie-sounding solos can be found on "Trapped In A Corner" (the first one, played by Andy) and "In Human Form" (the second one, played by Chuck). One more lead worth mentioning is the second solo on "Overactive Imagination," which is played by Andy. For me personally, it is one of the best solos to come out of Death's forge. The vocals on this LP match the overall atmosphere of it: dark and intense. And speaking of it, I can't help mentioning Chuck screaming "Destiny!" on the self-titled song so fervently and deliriously that it just really grabs you by your guts. There are also some cool passages played by DiGiorgio, so put your headphones on and enjoy.

Drawing some conclusions, it's really hard to realize how a single record can hold so much aggression, anger, and defiance, and at the same time be melodic and progressive. Consequently, it really may take some time to let this album grow on you, and don't forget to read the lyrics, which are very significant in the light of the events that took place in the life of Chuck and Death prior to the release of this concept record.