The Sound of Perseverance - Misplaced Pages

The album featured guitarist Shannon Hamm, drummer Richard Christy, and bassist Scott Clendenin for the first time. It was also Death's final studio album, as Chuck Schuldiner died due to brain cancer-related issues in 2001, and Death subsequently disbanded.

Overview

In an interview done in March 1999, Chuck Schuldiner stated that the acoustic guitar-driven "Voice of the Soul" was actually written during the Symbolic sessions. Death has produced only two instrumentals (the other being "Cosmic Sea" from Human).

"The Moment of Clarity" was expected be the title track on the first Control Denied album; other tracks from the album would have included "What If" and "Cut Down to Size", which were all worked on in 1997. Schuldiner stated in an interview with Metal Maniacs the following year that none of his compositions for Control Denied had been used to fill space for a Death album. A few Control Denied songs were retooled as Death songs and released on The Sound of Perseverance.

The Judas Priest song Painkiller was intended as a bonus track for Japan, but Nuclear Blast recommended that it be included on all releases.

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
Chronicles of Chaos	9/10
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal	9/10
Kerrang!
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 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".

Track listing

All tracks are written by Chuck Schuldiner, unless 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 (Halford, Downing, Tipton))	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:		61:02

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:		70:07

Personnel

Death

Chuck Schuldiner – vocals, guitars, arrangements
Shannon Hamm – guitars, arrangements
Scott Clendenin – bass
Richard Christy – drums, tambourine

Additional personnel

Steve Di Giorgio – bass on 1997 and 1998 demos
Chris Williams – drums on 1996 demo
Paul Payne – vocals on 1996 demo
Shannon Hamm – vocals on 1996 demo

Production

Chuck Schuldiner – producer
Jim Morris – producer, engineer, mixing, mastering
Travis Smith – artwork
Jay Speis – art direction, graphic design
Eric Greif – Legal & IP management
Alex McKnight – photography

Charts

Chart	Peak position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)	35
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)	93
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)	60

References

"Death: The Sound of Perseverance (Relapse Reissue)". Sea Of Tranquility. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
DiVita, Joe. "10 Best Songs by the Band Death". Loudwire. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
"Death Metal, Melodic". Metal Storm. August 3, 2005. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
^ Hundey, Jason. "The Sound of Perseverance - Death". AllMusic. Retrieved October 13, 2011.
"Death". Lamentations of the Flame Princess. March 1999. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
Borivoj Krgin (December 1991). "Only Human". Metal Maniacs. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
Dennis Gulbey (Spring 1997). "Death no more! Control Denied is here!!". Sentinel Steel. Retrieved July 20, 2024. The tentative title for the record is The Moment of Clarity. That's, I think, going to end up being the title. Also, a song called "What If", another song, "Cut Down to Size".
"Reincarnation". Metal Maniacs. November 1998. Retrieved February 4, 2012.
"Tim Aymar Speaks Out". Empty Words. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
"Death Alive". Aardschok. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
"News > DEATH - Release Date Changed For The Sound of Perseverance Deluxe Edition". Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles. December 8, 2005. Archived from the original on September 30, 2012. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
Empty Words News Page, Empty Words, accessed December 14, 2010.
"Artist Explains Decision To Update DEATH 'The Sound Of Perseverance' Cover Art". Blabbermouth.net. January 13, 2011. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
Schalek, Dave. "Death - 'The Sound Of Perseverance'". About.com. Archived from the original on February 25, 2011. Retrieved May 13, 2012.
^ Schwarz, Paul (September 1, 1998). "CoC : Death - The Sound of Perseverance : Review". Chronicles of Chaos. Retrieved October 13, 2011.
Popoff, Martin (August 1, 2007). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 3: The Nineties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. pp. 105–106. ISBN 978-1-894959-62-9.
Greenway, Mark (September 19, 1998). "Albums". Kerrang!. No. 717. EMAP. p. 44.
Arnold, Neil. "Death - The Sound Of Perseverance (Reissue)". Metal Forces. Retrieved November 27, 2013.
"Austriancharts.at – Death – The Sound of Perseverance" (in German). Hung Medien.
"Dutchcharts.nl – Death – The Sound of Perseverance" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
"Offiziellecharts.de – Death – The Sound of Perseverance" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts.

v t e Death
Chuck Schuldiner Shannon Hamm Scott Clendenin Richard Christy
Studio albums	Scream Bloody Gore Leprosy Spiritual Healing Human Individual Thought Patterns Symbolic The Sound of Perseverance
Live albums	Live in L.A. (Death & Raw) Live in Eindhoven Vivus!
Demos	Reign of Terror Mutilation
Compilations	Fate: The Best of Death
Videos	Live in L.A. (Death & Raw) Live in Eindhoven Live in Cottbus '98
Related articles	Discography Band members Death (book)

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