[4] The album featured guitarist Shannon Hamm, drummer Richard Christy, and bassist Scott Clendenin for the first time.

It is considered to be one of the most accomplished releases in Death's discography, and is now regarded by some as one of the greatest heavy metal albums of all time.

The Sound of Perseverance has been described as "[appearing] as an eerie specter that copiously reminds us of how our subconscious strangely discerns more than one can even imagine about oneself.

[6] It is considered to be the most experimental[7] and "expansive"[2] Death release by critics and journalists, containing lengthier tracks[7] and increasingly sophisticated songwriting.

"[10] In an interview done in March 1999, Chuck Schuldiner stated that the acoustic guitar-driven "Voice of the Soul" was actually written during the Symbolic sessions.

[13] Schuldiner stated in an interview with Metal Maniacs the following year that none of his compositions for Control Denied had been used to fill space for a Death album.

[15] The Judas Priest song Painkiller was intended as a bonus track for Japan, but Nuclear Blast recommended that it be included on all releases.

[21] Paul Schwarz of Chronicles of Chaos stated that while he was impressed with Death's cover of Painkiller by Judas Priest, he questioned its use as the closing track on the album.