Control Denied - "Fragile Art of Existence"
(1999) 50:17
Chuck Schuldiner has talked
about doing a metal project with a traditional style vocalist as far back as
1995. As his band Death evolved from fast death/speed metal into progressive
thrash in the mid 90s, the addition of a melodic singer to that style seemed
appropriate. Schuldiner wrote songs for this project, called Control Denied,
and shopped demos to record labels in 1997. None signed the project, so
Schuldiner reformed Death for "The Sound of Perseverance" (1998)
while planning to record Control Denied immediately following. The lineup for Control Denied includes
vocalist Tim Aymar of Psycho Scream, drummer Richard Christy and second
guitarist Shannon Hamm from Death, and bassist Steve DiGiorgio, who appeared on
two brilliant early 90s Death albums. Schuldiner wrote all the lyrics and
music, including the vocal melodies. The style is similar to the mid-tempo
thrash of recent Death, with harmony lines and occasional faster riffs. The
vocals show a strong Rob Halford influence, and that combined with the early
Iron Maiden style guitar harmonies evoke an early 80s British metal
reminiscence. The music, sadly, is weak. The riffs are
mostly simple and predictable, with few of the clever syncopations or odd
meters that made mid 90s Death so creative. The pedantic chugging rhythm guitar
grows monotonous with no pause or contrast save one acoustic guitar break. The
fast, arppegiated guitar solos all sound the same, and it's difficult to tell
Schuldiner and Hamm's leads apart without reading the liner notes. The drumming
is competent, and Steve DiGiorgio's fretless bass is a bright spot, tastefully
used in slower sections to add needed flavor. Control Denied is a solid thrash record, but
it falls short of the landmark metal event it could have been with more
creative songwriting. Unfortunately, Schuldiner was diagnosed with a brain stem
tumor after the "Fragile" recording sessions. Tour plans for Control
Denied are uncertain while he recuperates from treatment, but he is expected to
recover.
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