Scream Bloody Gore
Encyclopedia
Scream Bloody Gore is the debut album by American band Death, released in 1987 and considered "the first true death metal
record". Chuck Schuldiner
plays bass, wrote all the songs on the album and provides vocals in addition to guitar for the album. John Hand is noted on the cover as playing rhythm guitar, though this was incorrect and Hand was only in the band for a short period and was not on the recording. This is also the only Death album to feature drummer Chris Reifert
, who had joined for the Mutilation
demo.
Despite the many songs written during Death's demo days, only half of them were re-recorded for the album, the rest being new compositions. "Infernal Death" and "Baptized In Blood" originally appeared on the Infernal Death demo. "Zombie Ritual", "Mutilation" and "Land Of No Return" originally appeared on the Mutilation demo, and "Evil Dead" and "Beyond The Unholy Grave" were originally on Death By Metal. "Beyond The Unholy Grave" and "Land Of No Return" were also cut from the album, though were included on the re-release, with the live audio tracks taken from the "Ultimate Revenge II" video.
Certain songs on the album were inspired by horror movies. For example, Regurgitated Guts was inspired by the film City of the Living Dead
a.k.a. The Gates of Hell , Beyond the Unholy Grave was influenced by the movie The Beyond, and Zombie Ritual was inspired by Zombie
, all of which were films directed by Italian
director Lucio Fulci
.
prototype, and "clearly defined [death metal's] true essence for the first time", "which would qualify [it] as the first true death metal album" declared music biographer Joel McIver, who also noted that "Scream Bloody Gore was a turning-point in extreme metal." Writer Ian Christe stated in Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal
that "Scream Bloody Gore emulated hardcore punk. It also evoked the dark moods of horror sound tracks from the drive-in zombie and cannibal horror films of George Romero". Metal Forces
described the album as "death metal at its utmost extreme, brutal, raw and offensive - the kind that separates the true death metallers from countless trend-following wimps."
.
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
record". Chuck Schuldiner
Chuck Schuldiner
Charles Michael "Chuck" Schuldiner was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist.Schuldiner was the singer, songwriter, and guitarist of the band Death, which he founded in 1983, initially under the name Mantas. He also recorded as guitarist and songwriter with his other band, Control Denied...
plays bass, wrote all the songs on the album and provides vocals in addition to guitar for the album. John Hand is noted on the cover as playing rhythm guitar, though this was incorrect and Hand was only in the band for a short period and was not on the recording. This is also the only Death album to feature drummer Chris Reifert
Chris Reifert
Chris Reifert is an American musician, and one of the pioneers of the death/doom genre. Although his music is more death metal than doom metal, he is one of the first musicians that blended the two styles. He played drums on the Death debut album, Scream Bloody Gore...
, who had joined for the Mutilation
Mutilation (demo)
Mutilation was a demo released by Chuck Schuldiner and Death in 1986. The following year, they would release their first album, "Scream Bloody Gore", on Combat Records...
demo.
Overview
Scream Bloody Gore was actually recorded twice, with the second, Los Angeles-based session being released as the album by label Combat Records (later Relativity). It was first recorded in Florida, although only the rhythm guitar and drum tracks were recorded. The track-listing consisted of "Torn To Pieces", "Legion Of Doom", "Scream Bloody Gore", "Sacrificial Cunt" (later shortened to "Sacrificial"), "Mutilation", "Land Of No Return", and "Baptized In Blood". The label were unsatisfied after hearing the initial mix, so Schuldiner and Reifert re-recorded the album in California with Randy Burns as producer. Once returning to Florida, the first session was released as a promotional tape, and was eventually bootlegged. "Legion Of Doom" was a longtime staple of Death's rehearsals and live shows, and was indeed the first song written, reaching back to when they were known as Mantas.Despite the many songs written during Death's demo days, only half of them were re-recorded for the album, the rest being new compositions. "Infernal Death" and "Baptized In Blood" originally appeared on the Infernal Death demo. "Zombie Ritual", "Mutilation" and "Land Of No Return" originally appeared on the Mutilation demo, and "Evil Dead" and "Beyond The Unholy Grave" were originally on Death By Metal. "Beyond The Unholy Grave" and "Land Of No Return" were also cut from the album, though were included on the re-release, with the live audio tracks taken from the "Ultimate Revenge II" video.
Certain songs on the album were inspired by horror movies. For example, Regurgitated Guts was inspired by the film City of the Living Dead
City of the Living Dead
City of the Living Dead is an Italian horror film from director Lucio Fulci. It has numerous alternate titles, such as Gates of Hell. It is the first installment of the unofficial Gates of Hell trilogy which also includes The Beyond and The House by the Cemetery. Fulci makes an uncredited cameo...
a.k.a. The Gates of Hell , Beyond the Unholy Grave was influenced by the movie The Beyond, and Zombie Ritual was inspired by Zombie
Zombi 2
Zombi 2 is a 1979 zombie horror film directed by Lucio Fulci. It is the best-known of Fulci's films and made him a horror icon. Though the title suggests this is a sequel to Zombi Zombi 2 (also known as Zombie, Island of the Living Dead, Zombie Island, Zombie Flesh Eaters and Woodoo) is a 1979...
, all of which were films directed by Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
director Lucio Fulci
Lucio Fulci
Lucio Fulci was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor. He is perhaps best known for his directorial work on gore films, including Zombie and The Beyond , although he made films in genres as diverse as giallo, western, and comedy...
.
Reception
Scream Bloody Gore is perhaps the first death metalDeath metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
prototype, and "clearly defined [death metal's] true essence for the first time", "which would qualify [it] as the first true death metal album" declared music biographer Joel McIver, who also noted that "Scream Bloody Gore was a turning-point in extreme metal." Writer Ian Christe stated in Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal
Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal
Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal is a 2004 book by Ian Christe, documenting the history of heavy metal music and its origins....
that "Scream Bloody Gore emulated hardcore punk. It also evoked the dark moods of horror sound tracks from the drive-in zombie and cannibal horror films of George Romero". Metal Forces
Metal Forces
The British publication Metal Forces emerged during 1983 and aided greatly in the promotion of metal and rock genre music. The magazine was well known for its coverage of unsigned bands through its Demolition feature and championed the likes of Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, HellsBelles, Overkill,...
described the album as "death metal at its utmost extreme, brutal, raw and offensive - the kind that separates the true death metallers from countless trend-following wimps."
Track listing
All songs written by Chuck SchuldinerChuck Schuldiner
Charles Michael "Chuck" Schuldiner was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist.Schuldiner was the singer, songwriter, and guitarist of the band Death, which he founded in 1983, initially under the name Mantas. He also recorded as guitarist and songwriter with his other band, Control Denied...
.
Credits
- Chuck SchuldinerChuck SchuldinerCharles Michael "Chuck" Schuldiner was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist.Schuldiner was the singer, songwriter, and guitarist of the band Death, which he founded in 1983, initially under the name Mantas. He also recorded as guitarist and songwriter with his other band, Control Denied...
- bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Chris ReifertChris ReifertChris Reifert is an American musician, and one of the pioneers of the death/doom genre. Although his music is more death metal than doom metal, he is one of the first musicians that blended the two styles. He played drums on the Death debut album, Scream Bloody Gore...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Edward Repka - design, illustrations
- Randy Burns - percussion, producer
- John Hand - credited on album as rhythm guitar but did not actually play on album (or during any live performances)