Blessed Are the Sick | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | May 2, 1991 | |||
Recorded | January – February 1991 | |||
Studio | Morrisound Recording, Tampa, Florida | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 39:24 | |||
Label | Earache/Relativity | |||
Producer | Morbid Angel | |||
Morbid Angel chronology | ||||
|
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
About.com | [1] |
AllMusic | [2] |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [3] |
The Great Metal Discography | 6/10 [4] |
Blessed Are the Sick is the second studio album by American death metal band Morbid Angel, released on May 2, 1991 through Earache Records.
Though the album features some fast sections, the overall sound is markedly slower than the debut and with identifiable classical music undertones present [5] (main composer Trey Azagthoth would dedicate this album to Mozart). Tracks 9, 10 and 12 are re-recorded songs from the 1986 demo Abominations of Desolation .[ citation needed ] According to Chris Krovatin of Kerrang, "while Altars is straight-up death metal horror, Blessed is a strange and static album, with Morbid Angel's more straightforward moments peppered between arcane, Lovecraftian passages of twisting guitars and off-kilter drumming. It’s a starker and more unique approach to the genre, and one that set Morbid Angel apart from the rest of the blood-drenched pack." [6]
Blessed Are the Sick's tracks have been described as "semi-catchy," and the album as a whole has been called "short [and] to the point." The album's lyrics explore the "drug-fueled religious theories of guitarist Trey Azagthoth." His shred guitar style that has drawn comparisons to Eddie Van Halen. [7]
The cover painting is "Les Trésors de Satan" by Jean Delville. The album was reissued in 2009 as a Digipak in DualDisc format. The CD side contains the original audio release and the DVD side contains a one-hour documentary. [8]
Bradley Torreano of AllMusic commended the Morbid Angel for not "[wasting] time noodling on forgettable riffs and needless tempo changes the way so many of their contemporaries did," and said the band joined "he upper class of death metal bands" with the album. [9]
All lyrics are written by David Vincent, except where noted; all music is composed by Trey Azagthoth, except "Desolate Ways" by Richard Brunelle.
No. | Title | Lyrics | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Intro" (instrumental) | 1:27 | |
2. | "Fall from Grace" | 5:13 | |
3. | "Brainstorm" | 2:34 | |
4. | "Rebel Lands" | 2:41 | |
5. | "Doomsday Celebration" (instrumental) | 1:49 | |
6. | "Day of Suffering" | 1:54 | |
7. | "Blessed Are the Sick/Leading the Rats" | 4:47 | |
8. | "Thy Kingdom Come" | 3:24 | |
9. | "Unholy Blasphemies" | Azagthoth, Vincent | 2:10 |
10. | "Abominations" | Azagthoth | 4:27 |
11. | "Desolate Ways" (instrumental) | 1:40 | |
12. | "The Ancient Ones" | Azagthoth | 5:53 |
13. | "In Remembrance" (instrumental) | 1:25 |
Date | Note |
---|---|
May 2, 1991 | |
November 3, 2009 | Reissue |
Morbid Angel is an American death metal band based in Tampa, Florida, formed in 1983 by guitarist, primary composer and sole remaining original member Trey Azagthoth, vocalist and bassist Dallas Ward, and drummer Mike Browning. Widely considered one of the most influential bands in the genre and important in the transition of death metal from its thrash metal roots, they were one of the first bands to incorporate guttural vocals, up-tempo blast beats, multiple tempo changes and a dark atmosphere. They have been described as one of "the most influential and emulated bands in death metal", alongside Obituary, Death, Cynic, Autopsy and Deicide, and have been cited as an influence by many later bands. They were also the first death metal band to experience mainstream success in connection with being signed to Giant Records in 1992, heavy rotation of their music videos on MTV, and having the music video for the song "God of Emptiness" shown on an episode of Beavis and Butt-Head. Their first three albums – Altars of Madness (1989), Blessed Are the Sick (1991), and Covenant (1993) – are considered classics in the death metal genre.
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