Individual Thought Patterns is the fifth studio album by American death metal band Death, released on June 22, 1993, by Relativity Records. It is the only album by the band to feature guitarist Andy LaRocque, the first to feature drummer Gene Hoglan and the second and last to feature bassist Steve DiGiorgio.
The album contains the track "The Philosopher", for which a music video was made that received significant airplay on MTV.
Background and release
DiGiorgio recalled working with LaRocque as a notable experience: Schuldiner only wanted LaRocque to play solo sections, so he only sent LaRocque the few bars of the songs where the solo would be. LaRocque would then arrive at the studio without much preparation, and largely improvised the solos, impressing everyone.[1] In a 2021 interview, LaRocque would downplay this account, saying that he did prepare multiple ideas and alternate melody lines for each solo.[2]
The album was reissued and remixed by Relapse Records in October 2011.
Music and lyrics
Individual Thought Patterns was seen as a progression from its predecessor Human, showcasing "more progressive and sophisticated" songwriting and instrumentation. The album was called "one of the genre’s most forward-thinking pieces" by Invisible Oranges.[3] Chuck Schuldiner's vocal performance on the album has been described as "comprehensible," and the album has been said to be "[not] brutal" by traditional death metal standards.[4] According to Matt Mills of WhatCulture, "the calibre of the musicianship on [the album] is off the scale [...] packing prog into tight and fast death metal tracks."[5] Despite the band's progressing technical prowess, the closing track "The Philosopher" has been described as one of the more accessible cuts from Death's later catalog,[6] and has been called "Death’s biggest hit".[5] The album's guitar riffs (some of which have been called "deceptively tricky") make use of staccato rhythms, tapping, arpeggios, and odd time signatures.[6] The album also features fretless bass playing provided by Steve DiGiorgio, who had previously played with the band on their previous album.[7] The album employs shred guitar solos, and lead guitar duties are split between Chuck Schuldiner and Andy LaRocque of King Diamond.[5] According to MetalSucks, "Trapped in a Corner", the album's fourth track, "[bridged] the gap" between the melodic death metal of Europe and the scene emerging in America.[8] Manager Eric Greif described the album as "an angry record, angry lyrically", attributing it to his conflict with Chuck Schuldiner at the time.[9] "The Philosopher" is about "questioning the guidance and judgment of others".[7]
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 LaRocque, 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."[12]
The music video for "The Philosopher" appeared in the TV show Beavis and Butt-Head, where the duo mistake the boy in the video for "Jeremy" from the Pearl Jam video and mock Schuldiner's vocals.[15][16][17]
