''Leprosy'' is the second studio album by American death metal band

Death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...

, released on August 12, 1988, by

Combat Records Combat Records was an American independent record label founded in 1983 and based in New York City. The label specifically was for heavy metal and punk rock acts, Notable artist include: Megadeth, Circle Jerks, Nuclear Assault, OZ, Deat ...

. The album is notable in its different tone and quality from the band's 1987 debut, it is the first example of Scott Burns' work heard on many of the death metal and grindcore albums of that era. The cover is featured in '' Metal: A Headbanger's Journey''. It is the first album to feature drummer Bill Andrews and the only one to feature guitarist

Rick Rozz Rick Rozz (born Frederick D. DeLillo, January 9, 1967) is an American guitarist. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York and spent his formative years in Altamonte Springs, Florida, attending Lake Brantley High School. He is best known for his work w ...

. In a poll by the German ''

Rock Hard "Rock Hard" is a single by the Beastie Boys, released by Def Jam Records on 12" in 1984. The track contains samples from the AC/DC song "Back in Black", which was used without obtaining legal permission, causing the record to be withdraw ...

'' magazine, ''Leprosy'' was voted the number one of the 25 most important death metal albums of all time. On April 29, 2014, a three-disc remastered edition containing bonus tracks was released via Relapse Records. The title track was covered by the

blackened death metal Blackened death metal (also known as black death metal) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal that fuses elements of black metal and death metal. The genre emerged in early 1990s when black metal bands began incorporating elements of death me ...

band

Akercocke Akercocke are an English extreme metal band from London, formed in 1997 by Jason Mendonça and David Gray. The band also features Paul Scanlan and Nathanael Underwood. History Akercocke's first album, '' Rape of the Bastard Nazarene'', was sel ...

on their 2007 album ''

Antichrist In Christian eschatology, the Antichrist refers to people prophesied by the Bible to oppose Jesus Christ and substitute themselves in Christ's place before the Second Coming. The term Antichrist (including one plural form)1 John ; . 2 John . ...

''. Dutch

melodic death metal Melodic death metal (also referred to as melodeath) is a subgenre of death metal that employs highly melodic guitar riffs, often borrowing from traditional heavy metal (including New Wave of British Heavy Metal). The genre features the heavine ...

band Callenish Circle covered "Pull the Plug" as a bonus on their '' Flesh Power Dominion'' album, released in 2002; shortly thereafter, Norwegian band

Zyklon Zyklon was a Norwegian blackened death metal band formed in 1998 by Samoth and Trym of Emperor, along with members of Myrkskog. Their style has been described as modern death metal with black and industrial undertones. After more than a two- ...

also recorded "Pull the Plug" to be used as a bonus track. Finnish

thrash metal Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...

band

Mokoma Mokoma is a Finnish thrash metal band formed in Lappeenranta, Finland, in 1996. Their music also has grindcore and death metal influences with traditional Finnish melancholy. Mokoma started out as a creation of Marko Annala, who is the band' ...

covered the track "Open Casket", with lyrics in Finnish and titled "Avoin Hauta", on their EP ''Viides Vuodenaika''. "Pull the Plug" was also covered by American band

Revocation Revocation is the act of recall or annulment. It is the cancelling of an act, the recalling of a grant or privilege, or the making void of some deed previously existing. A temporary revocation of a grant or privilege is called a suspension. Con ...

Track listing

All music written by

Chuck Schuldiner Charles Schuldiner (born May 13, 1967 – December 13, 2001) was an American musician. He founded the death metal band Death in 1983, in which he was the lead vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter and only consistent member until his death in ...

and

, unless stated. All lyrics written by Chuck Schuldiner. All songs published by Mutilation Music.

Personnel

Death

– vocals, rhythm and lead guitar, bass *

– lead guitar * Bill Andrews – drums *

Terry Butler Terry Butler is an American bassist who currently performs with the death metal bands Obituary and Inhuman Condition. He was also a member of Six Feet Under, Massacre and Death. He was credited on the Death album ''Spiritual Healing'', and ...

– credited with bass but did not play on the album

Production

* Dan Johnson – production * Scott Burns – engineering * Michael Fuller – mastering * Edward Repka – artwork *

Eric Greif Eric Greif (1962 – 2021) was an American lawyer and entertainment personality known for a management and record production career within the heavy metal musical genre in the 1980s and early 1990s, and later within the legal profession. He was ...

– management * Frank White – photography * David Bett – art direction * Alan Douches – mastering (2014 reissue)

References

External links

Lyrics to every track
on Deaths official website {{Authority control 1988 albums Death (metal band) albums Combat Records albums Relapse Records albums Dystopian music Albums recorded at Morrisound Recording Albums with cover art by Ed Repka