Forget everything you thought you knew about what death metal could be.

This album—the final Death album before frontman Chuck Schuldiner's final appointment with a brain stem tumour—redefines the genre and is a fitting testament to a man who was famously difficult to work with, due to his obsessive perfectionism.

Everything about this album is world-class; the guitar sound, the production, the songwriting, the musicianship.

My previous point of reference for Death was the album "Spiritual Healing", which was a typical late 80s/early 90s progressive death metal disc; a much cleaner sound than the earlier "Leprosy" (which has a primitive appeal, even now) and a social conscience in the songs, but still relatively simple. "Perseverance" is on another planet, and the riffing and guitarwork is up there with Dark Angel's "Time Does Not Heal" (considered by many to be one of the finest examples of thrash metal riff-writing and execution ever).

This is one of the best metal albums ever recorded.

And if you don't believe me, steal a copy of the final track, a cover of Judas Priest's "Painkiller".

...much more so than the likes of Metallica or even Megadeth.

Stuff like God Hates Us All is just mighty.

My favourite Voivod album is a split vote between Angel Rat and The Outer Limits. Negatron didn't do much for me.

\\m/, indeed.

But when it comes to death metal, I'm very much more inclined to the Floridian stuff of the late 80s - Obituary were the final word in "pure" death metal, due to their ability to lay off the fast stuff and really build a satisfyingly ghastly sonic gestalt - which is just as well, because their lyrics don't scan well in print at all.

The current crop of "death metal" is, pretty much, poo. I want to beat the likes of Lamb Of God with Entombed 12" singles until they get the point. Too fast, too loud (as in, "there's no subtlety in THIS mix"), too "GRARGH". You're not John Tardy or James Murphy, and you never will be.

And don't get me started on the attention-whoring ooh-we're-so-naughty squawkfest that is Cradle of Filth.

I can talk about metal for hours and hours, and will, given the opportunity.

Parting shot and pop quiz:

Best Thrash Band That No-one's Ever Heard Of?

My vote is for Atheist.