Morbid Angel - Blessed are the Sick (1991, DualDisc 2009)

Dual disc edition of the Death Metal band's 1991 album. In addition to the original album, the release now boasts a brand new exclusive one hour documentary discussing the recording and release of the album, and highlighting the band's rise from underground heroes to worldwide flagbearers for the Death Metal scene. The documentary features new interviews with band and crew, and offers up the most intimate and detailed examination of Morbid Angel yet released. Originally released in 1991, the album elevated the entire scene to a more artistic, cultured level, taking influences from classical music and art to bring a touch of class to a previously maligned form of music.

High quality limited edition redux version of Morbid Angel's classic second album "Blessed Are the Sick" which in addition to the original album, now boasts a brand new exclusive one hour documentary discussing the recording and release of the album, and highlighting the band’s rise from underground heroes to worldwide flagbearers for the Death Metal scene! Featuring new interviews with band and crew this offers up the most intimate and detailed examination of Morbid Angel yet released and all housed in a deluxe multi-panel digipak.
Massive follow up to "Altars of Madness", a total mindfuck of blasphemous technicality… The band had a lot to live up to but managed to deliver an album full of atmosphere and darkness. David Vincent never sounded so demonic again. And now it has been remastered and inlcudes the bonus video "Blessed Are The Sick", liner notes by Trey Azagthoth and many unseen photographs. – Earache 2009

Morbid Angel had impressed many with Altars of Madness, but they still hadn't climbed into the upper class of death metal bands until this record. Overshadowed by great albums from Sepultura, Entombed, and Carcass the same year, Morbid Angel still managed to solidify their reputation as a heavy metal maelstrom with the 13 tracks found here. Songs like "Thy Kingdom Come", "Brainstorm", and the redundantly titled "Unholy Blasphemies" would go on to become cult favorites in the metal underworld, while "The Ancient Ones" became their first true anthem, as it covered the drug-fueled religious theories of guitarist Trey Azagthoth. Despite his unusual beliefs, his playing is on par with the best the genre has to offer, shredding through these songs with an unbelievable ease and dexterity that brings to mind his guitar hero, Eddie Van Halen. This unique approach to the genre is definitely what makes this band more memorable, although the simple fact that they bothered to write semi-catchy songs and had a fantastic vocalist in David Vincent did not hurt matters one bit. The album is short, to the point, and doesn't waste time noodling on forgetable riffs and needless tempo changes the way so many of their contemporaries did. Still sounding vicious, Blessed Are the Sick is an unheralded classic in the short-lived but rewarding first wave of death metal.

~ Bradley Torreano, all media guide

CD - Tracklist:
length: 39:29 min

01. Intro
02. Fall From Grace
03. Brainstorm
04. Rebel Lands
05. Doomsday Celebration
06. Day Of Suffering
07. Blessed Are The Sick/Leading The Rats
08. Thy Kingdom Come
09. Unholy Blasphemies
10. Abominations
11. Desolate Ways
12. The Ancient Ones
13. In Remembrance
14. Data Track (Blessed Are The Sick.mov)


Produced by Morbid Angel. Engineered and Mixed by Tom Morris
Recorded January-February '91 at Morrisound Studios in Tampa, Florida

DVD - New 60 min. Documentary
= Tales Of The Sick: A Closer Look =

01. Opening Credits
02. Making The Record
03. The Cover And The Image
04. The Backgrounds Of Live Show
05. You're Either With Us…
06. Inspiration
07. Making The Video
08. At War With Weakeners
09. Band Merchandising
10. The Tampa Scene
11. Who Is Morbid Angel?
12. End Credits
13. Bonus: Blessed Are The Sick (MV)



• David Vincent — vocals, bass
• Trey Azagthoth — lead & rhythm guitars, keyboards
• Richard Brunelle — lead, rhythm & acoustic guitars
• Pete Sandoval — drums

Originally Released: May 2, 1991
Re-Release Date: June 26, 2009
Number of Discs: 1 (DualDisc - CD and DVD)
Format: Original Recording Remastered
Label: Earache Records
Catalog No.: MOSH-031CDD


See also:
The 1st japanese pressing