intothewellsabyss

Jun 22, 202311 min read

Death — Individual Thought Patterns (1993)

𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐘𝐏𝐓𝐒 - 𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐁𝐔𝐌 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐊 & 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐘 𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐋…

30 years ago today, “The Philosopher” was “Out of Touch” with “Individual Thought Patterns”!

On this day (June 22) in 1993, Death released their fifth full-length studio album, “Individual Thought Patterns” via Relativity Records.

It is the only album by the band to feature guitarist Andy La Rocque, the first to feature drummer Gene Hoglan and the second and last to feature bassist Steve Di Giorgio.

Manager Eric Greif described the album as "an angry record, angry lyrically", attributing it to his conflict with Chuck Schuldiner at the time.

Talking about the songs on “Individual Thought Patterns”, and the concepts behind them, Schuldiner said;

“some of the titles are "The Philosopher", "Human Form", the title track "Individual Thought Patterns" and "Overactive Imagination". Half of the record will have a concept about people that I have to deal with, that affect a lot of people, stuff that I'm sick of seeing, people's misconceptions, people's inability to think for themselves, people out there that, in my opinion, are pure evil, that are within this business. This business is fucked, and definitely these lyrics reflect the people within this business, that's a good way to sum it up."

The album also includes the track “Out of Touch”, and when asked who or what the song was directed towards, Chuck answered;

“Out of Touch' is directed at more extreme people. Certain people are getting out of control, not just in metal either... Rap music, give me a break, it's blatantly racial, insinuating blatant violence. I'm not into that. I'm a positive person -my lyrics seem angry but it's a positive outlet and contains a message, in my belief. I'm not a religious person, but I'm definitely not a satanic person. Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs -but- religion should definitely not be about hurting animals or anything like that. I wouldn't consider that a real religion -that's totally screwed. Anyway, I'm not a hater of religion -I definitely finger forms that are corrupt -it shows you that, unfortunately, it's just human nature and it gets worse every year of my life. I come in contact with more and more screwed up people..."

Background:

In 1993, Sean Reinert and Paul Masvidal left the group to continue with the band Cynic, as they were working on a full-length album at the time. Schuldiner, unable to persuade them otherwise, replaced them with drummer Gene Hoglan of the recently dissolved Thrash Metal band Dark Angel, and guitarist Andy La Rocque from King Diamond for “Individual Thought Patterns”.

In a 1993 interview with Guitar School magazine, Chuck talked about how Andy La Rocque got involved with the recording of “Individual Thought Patterns”;

I've been a big fan of Kind Diamond and his music for years, going back to the MERCYFUL FATE days. I've always admired the musicians he had around him, and Andy has always been a great guitarist. When I had to find another guitarist to play on my new album, I decided to shoot for the top, and called Andy. I asked him if he'd be into it, and he was. It was a real honor to work with him, and I think his style of playing fits really well with the rest of the band.”

(1993 Guitar School interview with Chuck)

Bassist Steve Di Giorgio recalled working with La Rocque as a notable experience;

“Schuldiner only wanted La Rocque to play solo sections, so he only sent La Rocque the few bars of the songs where the solo would be. La Rocque would then arrive at the studio without much preparation, and largely improvised the solos, impressing everyone. In a 2021 interview, La Rocque would downplay this account, saying that he did prepare multiple ideas and alternate melody lines for each solo.”

Since La Rocque was obligated to his band, Schuldiner hired a then-unknown Ralph Santolla (R.I.P.) as touring guitarist. Death was arguably at the peak of their commercial and popular culture success.

"We're all excited about things, and I think listening to the record, that there is a definite 'metallic chemistry' throughout -it's got a real good groove- I feel that everyone involved got a chance to let loose and really shine. This record, I had been working on material since Human, and I presented tapes to everyone that was going to be jamming out and told them to cut loose and do whatever they were expressing themselves and being able to shine through on their individual instruments. We're all really happy with the result." — Chuck Schuldiner (Metal Maniacs, 1993)

(Death; Chuck Schuldiner, Gene Hoglan, Steve DiGiorgio and Ralph Santolla in the summer of 1993)

The album contains the track "The Philosopher", for which a music video was made that received airplay on MTVs HeadBangers Ball and was even featured on, and comically panned by, Beavis and Butt-Head in 1994, where the duo mistake the boy in the video for "Jeremy" from the Pearl Jam video and mock Schuldiner's vocals in a mock 'drive-thru' order of 'tacos, to go!' in Death Metal style).

Death has featured multiple line-ups, with each line-up not lasting more than two albums. Here, Chuck was asked if it bothered him that the line-up was never steady;

“Not at all. By changing musicians I've been able to work with a lot of killer players, including Andy and (former Dark Angel drummer) Gene Hoglan. People are so obsessed with the idea that I'm a jerk to work with, when all they should concern themselves with is whether or not the music is good. All that matters to me is to have good musicians around me and put out albums the fans enjoy. If someone else came in and started writing material, it probably wouldn't sound like Death; I think Death has its own style that people recognize. I don't tell the other musicians what to play -- I just want them to come into the studio and jam out and do what they feel is best."

When asked about working with Gene Hoglan, considering there was a time when the two supposedly did not get along, Schuldiner replied;

“Yeah, we had some problems years ago when he was in Dark Angel, but we put those things aside. It was just screwed-up, stupid shit that happened when Death and Dark Angel toured together, and I'm glad we were able to get past it. I wanted Gene to play on the record because he has a lot of experience, and he has his own unique style of playing."

And, in another interview with Metal Maniacs in 1993, Chuck weighed in on the rumor that he was considered a dictator within the band setting;

“People, who, in the past, have gotten a free ride, once it's over, become very resentful; it's almost like a baby with a pacifier. Once it's taken away, the security, they have to talk shit, and I'm never one to start talking shit, it's always other people. People have been released from this band due to a number of things... when you have someone come into your band you don't even know them really- you set out with hopefully similar goals, but things change. I've always had to go where I wanted to keep improving and bringing this music to new heigths. There are certain people who don't want to improve as far as music goes and that can become a problem, down to people just being overall hard to work with. I am the easiest person to work with, it's funny people think the opposite... Instead of people talking shit, they should just prove themselves with what they have to offer, if they have anything to offer at all. I'm the type of person -hey, people may talk shit- but I come out with another record that's better than the previous one. That's my main goal -to make sure that the LP is just the best one I can put out."

My Analysis of “Individual Thought Patterns”:

What can be said about Death or the mighty Chuck Schuldiner that hasn’t already been said? Considering how Death are so highly influential, and yet, so criminally underrated. Thankfully, Chuck Schuldiner’s legacy will remain thanks in part to die-hard fans of Death like me and many of you.

A handful of tribute tours have also helped to keep the Death name alive, including the Death To All (or DTA) tour of 2013. Their first Europen tour in November 2013 featured the line-up of Steve Di Giorgio (Death, SADUS, Testament, Iced Earth), Sean Reinert (Death, Cynic, Gordian Knot, Æon Spoke) and Paul Masvidal (Death, Cynic, Masvidal) with vocalist Max Phelps (Cynic, Exist). And, in 2016 they embarked on the “European Thought Patterns” tour, where Death DTA payed tribute to the masterpiece along with classic cuts from all of the Death albums. The Death DTA line-up consisted of Steve Di Giorgio, Gene Hoglan (Dark Angel, Death, Strapping Young Lad, Testament), Bobby Koelble (Death) and Max Phelps, who joined forces to resurrect those iconic songs, along with many more milestones from Death’s legendary history.

In December 2021, two shows commemorating the 20th anniversary of the passing of the band's mastermind Chuck Schuldiner at Brass Mug in Tampa, Florida featured James Murphy (Obituary, Cancer, Testament, Disincarnate) and Terry Butler (bass) who performed Death's classic third album, "Spiritual Healing" (1990), in its entirety under the LIVING MONSTROSITY banner, while Steve Di Giorgio (bass), Bobby Koelble (guitar) and Kelly Conlon (bass) joined forces as SYMBOLIC to play songs from "Human" (1991),"Individual Thought Patterns" (1993),"Symbolic" (1995) and "The Sound Of Perseverance" (1998).

And this month (June 2022), Death To All (DTA) are once again celebrating the life and music of Chuck Schuldiner by embarking on a 13-date European tour. The trek kicked off on June 11 in Bochum, Germany and will conclude on June 26 in Kraków, Poland.

The current lineup of Death To All includes Gene Hoglan, Steve DiGiorgio on bass and Bobby Koelble on guitar. Max Phelps, who had been touring with Death To All, is once again handling the vocal and second-guitar duties.

Now, back to the album at hand… Originally released in 1993, “Individual Thought Patterns” was Death’s fifth record, which I consider to have featured the bands best line-up (although some would argue that that honor goes to 1991’s “Human” line-up). For this release, Chuck recruited the always impressive talents of drummer Gene Hoglan, guitarist extraordinaire Andy La Rocque, and fretless bass wonder Steve Di Giorgio.

“Individual Thought Patterns” contains some of Death’s finest moments, including my favorite track; “The Philosopher”. The track contains some of Chuck’s most brutal vocals since 1988’s “Leprosy”, lyrically Chuck Schuldiner immediately expresses his disdain for philosophers in general, demonstrating his belief that there is no use for philosophy in any society. The phrase “Ideas that fall” makes reference to some of the core ideals of philosophy, which Schuldiner views as false, while pointing out that “The Philosopher” has no understanding of a human beings essential nature (or inner-self) on an individual level. He also believes that their world view is ineffectual and restrictive. Schuldiner also points out that “The Philosopher” has no right in telling anyone else “who they are” or “how they should be living their lives”, as they have yet to discover who they, themselves are as a “sentient being”; “So you preach about how I'm supposed to be, Yet you don't know your own sexuality”. There is much more behind the story of this song, but I won’t get into that right now.

Album opener “Overactive Imagination” features some impressive leads, combined with Chuck’s signature grinding riffs, while showcasing drummer Gene Hoglan in his thunderous and technically proficient element.

“In Human Form” is another show-stopper, featuring Steve Di Giorgio’s impressive skills as a fretless bass wizard.

Equally as gripping is the following track “Jealousy”, as it showcases more wondrous riffage from the fretless monster, Steve DinGiorgio.

“Trapped In A Corner” and “Nothing Is Everything” are Death mainstays, offering more “edge of your seat” Schuldiner riffing, and a mélange of unpredictable tempo changes, from mid-paced grooves to fast and furious runs.

“Mentally Blind” is another temperamental track, quickly alternating tempos before you can hang on to a singular groove. Vocally, Chuck once again harkens back to the brutality of Death’s early days.

The title track dives into the manipulation of the populace with deception and lies (by what I would assume to be the governing bodies and the media), while quashing individualism and critical thinking.

“‘Destiny’ begins with a wonderful acoustic intro, which ultimately transfers into a heavily distorted riff, followed by Chuck bellowing the words “Time is a thing we must accept, The unexpected I sometimes fear”. The message I get from this track is that we must face life head on and accept that we cannot change the past, while striving for a future that will fill our lives with meaning.

“Out Of Touch”, as Chuck has explained it, is about how society is spinning out of control (somehow, even more fitting today). The feeling of the words are accentuated further by a balance of harmony and heavy riffing.

In conclusion; Lyrically, “Individual Thought Patterns” finds Chuck has grown as a songwriter. No longer content with subjects typically found in Death Metal, like horror and disfigurement, we find him diving headlong into ideology, religion, oppression and the human condition. And, while I loved the old blood and guts routine, I found this new direction even more engrossing than anything Death had released prior. As I stated earlier, I also found the line-up for this album to be the the most solid and well-rounded line-up of any Death album. This winning combination of compelling lyrical content and captivating musicianship is why “Individual Thought Patterns” remains my favorite release from Death! — E.N. Wells

The album is included in Guitar Player Magazine's Metal Guitar albums top 20. The album was reissued and remixed by Relapse Records in October 2011.

Some final thoughts from Schuldiner on the state of Metal music at that time;

“I'm very concerned about the whole Metal scene right now. I don't want to preach, but I would like to see Metal become more of a united thing. I'm tired of people breaking things down into categories like Thrash Metal and Death Metal. I think people tend to stick to one category, and I want people to support all kinds of bands, whether it be Slayer or Queensrÿche or Death. I miss the days when it was acceptable to listen to everything from Priest and Maiden to Slayer and Venom.” (1993)

And, when asked if he still considered Death a “Death Metal” band, Chuck replied;

“You know, Death Metal today is totally different from when I started playing. These days, when someone mentions Death Metal, it's usually about some Satanic band that goes around, hurts animals and plays music that doesn't have one speck of variety. I've been told that Death is wimpy because we play high up on the necks of our guitars! That's insane -- like writing with only half of a typewriter! I just consider Death to be a metal band. Whatever type of metal people want to classify us as, that's fine. I just refuse to put a limit on what we do." (1993)

Critical Reception:

Jason Arnopp of Kerrang! in his positive review considered “Individual Thought Patterns” the band's best album since “Leprosy” from 1988, attributing it in parts to band leader Chuck Schuldiner's choice of personnel. Arnopp noted especially Gene Hoglan's drumming and the guitar work of Schuldiner and Andy La Rocque, concluding that together with bassist Steve Di Giorgio "they create an altogether heavier din than was the case with last year's 'Human' album, while still adding Trad Metal/Progressive touches in an almost surreal fashion."

Individual Thought Patterns Tour:

Death began touring in support of “Individual Thought Patterns” on April 8th, 1993 at The Docks in Hamburg, Germany with Cannibal Corpse, Carcass, Tiamat & more. This show was a part of the 'Full Of Hate' festivals '93, which ran from April 8th thru the 17th.

Death began the official “Individual Thought Patterns” US Tour on July 7th at The Ritz, Tampa, FL with Gorefest & Sacrifice. The US tour ran from July 7th until August 7th.

Death finished out the full “Individual Thought Patterns” tour with their final show on October 21st, 1993 at Bolwerk, Sneek, The Netherlands with Anacrusis.

Below you will find a gallery of tour posters and gig fliers from the tour, along with other tour memorabilia.

Tour Photo Gallery:

Links to Artists, Albums, and Music Videos:

Click this link to listen to the “Individual Thought Patterns” via Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/individual-thought-patterns-deluxe/476107314

Click this link to watch the official music video for “The Philosopher”: https://youtu.be/8256VJ4hkJU

Click this link to follow official Death page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeathOfficial/

Click this link to follow the official Chuck Schuldiner Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ChuckSchuldinerOfficial

Click this link to follow Andy La Rocque on Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/andylarocque.official/

Click this link to follow Gene Hoglan on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GeneHoglanOfficialPage

Click this link to follow Steve Di Giorgio on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/steve.digiorgio.sdg

Note: The reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. — E.N. Wells