Blessed Are the Sick

Blessed Are the Sick is the second studio album by American death metal band Morbid Angel, released on May 22, 1991 through Earache Records.

Composition and musical style

Though the album features some fast sections, the overall sound is markedly slower than the debut, with identifiable classical music undertones present. Tracks 9, 10 and 12 are re-recorded songs from the 1986 demo Abominations of Desolation. According to Chris Krovatin of Kerrang, "while Altars is straight-up death metal horror, Blessed is a strange and static album, with Morbid Angel's more straightforward moments peppered between arcane, Lovecraftian passages of twisting guitars and off-kilter drumming. It's a starker and more unique approach to the genre, and one that set Morbid Angel apart from the rest of the blood-drenched pack."
Blessed Are the Sick's tracks have been described as "semi-catchy," and the album as a whole has been called "short to the point." The album's lyrics explore the "drug-fueled religious theories of guitarist Trey Azagthoth." His shred guitar style has drawn comparisons to Eddie Van Halen.

Background

The cover painting is "Les Trésors de Satan" by Jean Delville. The album was reissued in 2009 as a digipak in DualDisc format. The CD side contains the original audio release and the DVD side contains a one-hour documentary.

Reception and legacy

Bradley Torreano of AllMusic commended the band for not " time noodling on forgettable riffs and needless tempo changes the way so many of their contemporaries did," and said they joined "the upper class of death metal bands" with the album.

Personnel

;Morbid Angel

David Vincent – bass, vocals
Trey Azagthoth – guitars, keyboards
Richard Brunelle – guitars
Pete Sandoval – drums

;Additional personnel

Tom Morris – engineering, mixing