Five albums after their beginning, Death put out one of the nicest gems of the scene and their career. With the dismissal of guitarist Paul Masvidal and drummer Sean Reinert, and the addition of drummer Gene Hoglan and guitarist Andy LaRocque, Death was much better off. Hoglan is an amazing drummer. Even better, how about adding one of the greatest metal bassists of all time to help him with the rhythm section? Thank god that Steve Digiorgio stayed with the band for another album, but sadly he left after this. "Individual Thought Patterns" shows Death at a period that is many fans favorite.

With "Individual Thought Patterns", the riffs are better written, they’re more memorable, the vocals have improved once again, the drums are awesome, the bass is unbelievable, and the completed product is outstanding. The band moves through each and every track never hitting a single weak spot or anything that seems out of place. Every track has a life of its own, and doesn’t sound confuse the listener into thinking they already heard the track. While not exactly creating a new sound for the band, what Death has done is refine their sound and continue to progress into a more progressive style of death metal. They do a damn fine job of it too!

If you like Death, this album is a necessity. If you like death metal at all, you need this album. This is one of the best albums that Chuck and Co. ever put out, and it deserves a hearty welcome into ones collection.