Album Review // 2025-07-26

Death

Human

Released: 1991-10-22

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I did a poll on my website to determine what album was a must listen to and Death- Human came up strong. Thanks for voting!

I didn't know when I decided to review this album, finally, I would go down a very interesting rabbit hole. I spent a lot of time checking out live videos, interviews, artwork, discography, etc. What did I learn about Death? I learned that Chuck was a kind, intellectual person who was full of creativity. Chuck didn't want to be associated with negativity or conform to some kind of expectation. He was labeled as someone who didn't play well with others, because he had a vision he wanted to see through, and it took time to bring talented musicians alongside him.

The fact that he didn't start as the band's vocalist, but went on to become the vocalist and lyricist, and change the direction of the band, is impressive to me. I like that he went from cinematic types of gore and horror to real-life terror that gets you thinking. Let's face it, there are some scary things in this world!

Chuck didn't want to follow trends; he didn't want to limit himself. I like how he didn't care if people approved. And Death was coined as one of the catalysts for the death metal genre back in the 80s.

I am happy to be checking out an album that was released almost halfway through the life of this band. During my first listen to Death, on my channel, it quickly became apparent that this band came to a brutal halt with the death of Chuck. Fans were quick to inform me.

This band started as Mantas and later changed to Death. The name "Death" was meant to illustrate the sound of the style. Chuck said they were young, and it made sense with the heaviness. I like the visual it gives me of the Grim Reaper and the power he has. I like the fantastical nature of imagining it. And on the other hand, death itself affects us all, so it is a relatable name.

The name of this album, Human, at first glance, seems boring. However, the topics it can evoke are pretty wide.

Mood

The mood to me feels very authentic and down-to-earth. It feels like someone who doubts humanity and questions what it really means to be human. It is direct and honest. It makes me think of neurology, psychology, biology, and the inner workings of humans. All very interesting and amazing things. I guess it brings with it a sense of how ordinary it is being human, but also how extraordinary humans are, and I feel so small, in the vastness and intricacies. 

Vocals

I know I was hard on Chuck during my initial reaction to Death, on my channel. I knew nothing about this band. It was a song from "The Sound of Perseverance". I wasn't aware, like many bands, that there was a vocal journey Chuck was taking. Many have said there were some big changes for him. I notice a substantial difference here for this album. The rasp is different and feels less high-pitched. Taking a quick look at "Scream Bloody Gore", I wondered if it was indeed Chuck on vocals, and indeed it is. It does seem he got higher and higher in his approach with each album. The annunciation makes sense with the music and reminds me at times of something heard in thrash. Some screeches are like those seen in some black metal, and then, of course, low growls that are now associated with death metal. The vocal actually stands out from others in current death metal, as pioneers in the genre. No pig squeal on this album, or super drawn on low growls, we often see in death metal now. There is something super raw about this.

Music

This album is pretty quick, at under 35 minutes.

The drawn-out low notes, played on guitar, that I have come to associate with death metal, are wrapped in great guitar melodies that break it up and make it dynamic. This does not dampen the heavy nature, and make it too approachable. The guitar work shows great talent. Not everyone will be playing along with this. There is great movement, propelling this forward, never seeming stuck or misled. I like how, at times, the guitar jolts in a different direction. It feels like it takes center stage and takes on a lifelike nature. Great for the ADHD brain. Bass is very notable, not just a formality. Drums are kept busy from thrashy beats, to progressive elements.

I feel like this album encompasses many things I look for n death metal. It has groove, interesting lead guitar, catchiness that my brain remembers, thoughtful lyrics that aren't just about murder and mutilation, great movement between instruments, and melodic interludes such as seen in Cosmic Sea. 

There is a very progressive nature to this album. Memorable riffs, that I dare say go down as some of the best riffs written?!

Fast-paced thrashy sections, drawn-out low death metal sections, progressive, dynamic transitions. The guitar has something to say. It comes out onto center stage, but it feels very natural. 

I remember when I first heard Death, the dynamic nature stuck out, and it still does. You can have a pretty boring death metal song, but this is not that. 

Lyrics

Flattening of Emotions

This song makes me think of the way we disconnect from responsibility, especially from others, but even sometimes with ourselves.. If it is someone else's responsibility, in our minds, then we don't have to think about it.

Where is the person that could have been
Who, what took over, when did the end begin
Should we not prepare for the uncertain
Mysteries of our life, of our destiny
See things that are not there
Intruding voices
What went wrong to their picture perfect life
They once knew - Flattening of emotions

Suicide Machine

Immediately, I think about assisted death, which has become quite common. That line about denying the pain of someone else speaks to the fact that we are very selfish as people. We can be empathetic, but can't truly care as much for others as for our own best interests. Dying is usually about what the family wants. I have been there. I have been the family. What about the suffering person? What about other suffering? Can we help people with what is best for them?

Suicide machine
A request to die with dignity
Is that too much to ask?
Suicide machine
How easy it is to deny the pain
Of someone else's suffering

Together as One

I think this is about conjoined twins. I remember seeing a set of twins as a child. There was a shock factor. The life of people in this situation isn't average. It isn't easy. It is medically dangerous. I think this is where the natural horror element comes in. We don't have to make up a horror story to induce fear; we can just look around.

To the normal it seems grotesque|
Connected by a bond of flesh
Sharing both pleasure and pain
Two minds, two hearts, one soul
Separating mentally
An illusion of privacy
Together - they absorb each other's lives
As One - they will live and they will die
A living hell has begun

Secret Face

This song is deep. We are not what we seem so often. Some people are fake all the time, some people occasionally present themselves deceptively. The scariest part of this to me is the way we can lie to ourselves, on a subconscious level, and cause ourselves to believe lies about ourselves. Humans truly are complicated.

There is a mask
That covers up one's true intentions
Once removed, things become very clear
Analyze behavior patterns to see beneath
The person that is presented to you
Vulnerable through trust
Life is a twisted maze of obstacles
Presented by people with a secret face

Lack of Comprehension

You know that saying "Ignorance is bliss", I don't think it is. I want to know and do better, though I am still ignorant at times. Having a lack of comprehension is challenging, but not wanting to comprehend leads to all kinds of issues.

A condemning fear strikes down
Things they cannot understand
An excuse to cover up weaknesses that lie within
Lies
Laying your guilt and pain
On people that had no part in the molding of a life
That creates its destruction

See Through Dreams

Sleep is important. It rejuvenates the body and allows your body the downtime to heal, so the story goes. I would go so far as to say that your brain can work things out while you are resting. This song specifically makes me think of someone who has lost their sight and can only see things when they sleep. An interesting concept, and apparently happens depending on when a person lost their eyesight.

Close your eyes and imagine to be without
What we take for granted every time we open our eyes
A permanent shadow to never step away
Feel the dark in the cold
Feel the warmth of the light
Which has been denied

In dreams my thoughts take their form
To give memories identify
Through dreams I obtain
The ability to connect sight with sound

Cosmic Sea- Instrumental

I like the '60s flair to this instrumental song.

Vacant Planets

I think this song is referring to souls as planets, maybe. My mind goes to the way we have neural elasticity and can actually make a neural pathway where we don't have one, or where we have a faulty pathway. Our mistakes, experiences, challenges may have created a path, but it doesn't end there. We can change the path.

Mysterious objects of flight on a voyage
To correct what they have done, what we are doing
Perhaps submerged, living in the inner most
Recesses of the planet - no choice but|
To adapt to an underground world
Limiting our passages of thought
Are they the examples of regression
A life form's abusive progression
In a realm so vast, we sit among the Vacant Planets

Playlist Pick

This was a hard decision, as each song has very memorable moments. I chose songs I like overall the most, not based on my favourite riff, as seen in "Suicide Machine".

There wasn't a song I didn't like on this album. Okay, maybe the Kiss cover wasn't my favourite, but the fact that they chose to do a cover is cool.

See Through Dreams will make it to my playlist. I enjoy the quick pace at the gate, then the death drawn out riff that follows, then the back and forth between these styles, feels groovy. I like all the places this song goes.

Vacant Planets will make it to my playlist. The music and vocals follow each other nicely on opening, I really like the change 1.5 minutes into this song, followed by a solo, and the fast pace in the second half. I like that it has the drawn out death metal sound in the background.