Death is June - Looking Back in Anger at Morbid Angel's "Blessed Are the Sick"

I bought this album before "Altars of Madness" , so in my mind it is better than what is often thought of as one of the most important death metal albums of all time. Pete Sandoval is more dominate on this album, which owes less to thrash than "Altars..." . Lyrically it feels darker and more committed to the sinister than "Altars..." which is more Slayer like it it's blasphemy for the sake of blaspheming. This album they feel like they are actually more in touch with occult forces. "Fall From Grace" is one of the death metal songs ever written , and listening to it today my thoughts have not changed. "Brainstorm" races out of it. David Vincent might snarl and growl , but never does he do so without intent. The vocals are never obligatroy. The "demons race into my eyes" has stuck with me over the years.

The double bass drives "Rebel Lands", but they do not feel rushed. I think you can see the trend here in regard to this album, they show you how all of the things I complain about when it comes to death metal are not tropes that need to even exsist if you are doing it right. "Day of Suffering" has a steamrolling stomp that is mpore powerful than when they are at hyper blast speeds. The title tack is equally as powerful. This album does sweep you up in it's momentum. 'Unholy Blasphemies" does sound like it could have been left over from "Altars" . When I was a teenager the whole vomit upon the cross thing seemed more edgey than it does now. Not that I have anything against that kind of purging there are just more subtle ways to go about that expression."Abominations" is not only one of the best death metal songs, but put it in the top 20 metal songs of all time. Maybe at a solid 15 , but in there.

For the purpose of this review, I am leaving out all the little interludes. When I bought this album it was on a tape , so I would just let it play. I think in looking back to see how albums hold up taking into consideration how listening habits have changed with things like Shuffle mode and streaming services , makes taking things on a song by song basis more important. I mean even back in the day mix tapes where a thing, so something like "Anicent Ones" would have stood out amid the other metal at the time. This album obviously is a 10, I am going to need to take some time and weigh "Altars" against it when I make my top 50 death metal albums of all time list.