by Steve Huey
A seminal album that helped establish the death metal subgenre, Scream Bloody Gore may be slightly musically amateurish next to Death's subsequent albums, but it trades polish for savage, gut-wrenching force and speed. Building on the blueprint of Slayer's Reign in Blood, the lyrics match the disturbing, stomach-churning qualities of the music, and Chuck Schuldiner's vocals do their best to live up to the album's title. A necessary item for anyone interested in the genesis of death metal.