Individual Thought Patterns
Chuck Schulinder - guitar and vocals
Gene Hogland - drums
Steve Digiorgio - bass
Andy LaRocque - guitar
1. Overactive Imagination
2. In Human Form
3. Jealousy
4. Trapped in a Corner
5. Nothing is Everything
6. Mentally Blind
7. Individual Thought Patterns
8. Destiny
9. Out of Touch
10. the Philosopher
This album is a great mix of heavy riffs and dazzling melodic passages. Gene's drums are incredibly tight and the guitars are astounding. The only downside to this album is the vocals. Frankly, Chuck's vocals suck. It sounds like Chuck is trying to do low death gore screams, but he's just not good at it.
Songwriting rating 8 or 9/10
Production rating 8 or 9/10
The Sound of Perseverance
Chuck Schulinder - guitar and vocals
Richard Christy - drums
Scott Clendenin - bass
Shannon Hamm - guitar
1. Scavenger of Human Sorrow
(guitar tab)
2. Bite the Pain
(guitar tab)
3. Spirit Crusher
4. Story to Tell
5. Flesh and the Power It Holds
(guitar tab)
6. Voice of the Soul (instrumental)
7. To Forgive is to Suffer
8. A Moment of Clarity
9. Painkiller
(guitar tab)
Wow. Incredible. This album is a great blend of kick-ass death metal riffs, shameless melodicism and musical virtuousity. Despite it's seemingly rather short eigth song track list, the play time is about 59 minutes. "Painkiller" is a Judas Priest cover song. All of the songs here are really good. I particularly enjoy "Voice of the Soul" which Chuck Schulinder plays flawlessly. There are lots of great leads and harmonies all over this album. It sort of reminds me of Dark Tranquillity's "the Gallery" album. It also sort of reminds me of Iron Maiden. It's great to see that metal is progressing in a good new direction. This album will send the imitators reeling.
The drums are really tight. Chuck's vocals are kind of a high pitched black metal scream. The guitar work is amazing, especially from the band that created death metal. The bass also does some interesting things. The album's production is incredibly crystal clear. The lead guitar tone is too. I wish the rhythm guitar tone had a little more crunch, but you can't have a girl-friend and eat her too.