Death- Leprosy (2014 Reissue)

               Death was one of the most iconic death metal bands of our time. Relapse Records has been reissuing their work and Leprosy is the newest release. Originally released in 1988, the 2014 version comes fully re-mastered and has a second disc of demos and rehearsal material. To say that this album is amazing would be an understatement! Decibel Magazine named it the # 6 death metal album of all time, while Metal Hammer Magazine boldly states “Leprosy splatters blood from the beginning”. Who could argue with that statement with songs such as; “Pull the Plug” and “Open Casket”!

                This was the second official release by Death and by all accounts it hit the metal community like a tsunami. Chuck Schuldiner’s vocals cut like razors straight to the point, while the guitar work shred and chugged in what we now hear as true death metal fashion. In my opinion, Death set the example or blueprint of what death metal should sound like and this album set the bar very high. Throughout Death’s history, many of the band members changed from album to album with Schuldner being the only constant. On Leprosy, Rick Rozz (Massacre) handles guitar duty, Terry Butler (Massacre, Six Feet Under) on bass, and Bill Andrews (Massacre) destroys the drums. It’s no wonder why Massacre’s new album Back From Beyond was the epitome of classic death metal. Death’s legacy is why so many bands reference them as an influence, as well as cover some of their classic songs. A few examples of great Death covers to check out are; Psychotic Gardening covering “Open Casket” or Revocation covering “Pull the Plug”. So check out Death’s reissue and if all else fails, at least check out some great bands covering Death songs.