Death – Human

Death Human is the fourth full-length album by Death, released in October 1991. It represents a turning point in the band's trajectory, where technical precision, progressive structuring, and more introspective themes come to the fore without sacrificing the raw intensity that defined their early work. Chuck Schuldiner’s songwriting here blends furious riffing and growled vocals with dissonant harmonies, odd time signatures, and moments of melodic clarity. The inclusion of new members—Paul Masvidal (guitar), Sean Reinert (drums), and Steve Di Giorgio (bass)—raises the level of musicianship, giving fuller textures and more instrumental interplay than many earlier records.

Musically complex yet concise, the album flows tightly across tracks such as Flattening of Emotions, Lack of Comprehension, and Cosmic Sea. The production balances aggression with clarity: guitars are sharp, drums dynamic, and bass work more prominent. Lyrically it addresses human frailty, responsibility, and existential themes rather than horror or myth, making it feel more grounded and mature. Overall, Human stands both as an exemplar of technical death metal’s evolution and as a work accessible to listeners beyond the extreme metal underground.

Reviews:

“Human started to break Death to a wider audience, after Chuck Schuldiner nearly disbanded the group. Schuldiner's playing has improved immensely since Scream Bloody Gore, as have his compositional skills. He writes strange, dissonant, harmonized guitar lines and is one of the few death metal songwriters who changes moods and textures over the course of an album.” – AllMusic