Description

As vocalist/guitarist/songwriter/metal pioneer Chuck Schuldiner was fighting a battle against cancer that he would inevitably and unfortunately lose, Nuclear Blast — probably at least in part in a noble attempt to drum up some revenue for a man burdened with astounding medical bills — released the first live disc from the first name in death metal, Death. It's a soundboard recording with all the usual limitations you'd expect from such a source (in fact, it was never meant for release), but it's still a powerful reminder of what an intense band Death was. Recorded on the tour for the group's last studio album, Sound of Perseverance, it features a lot of latter-period material, but still offers early classics "Zombie Ritual" and, as a set closer, "Pull the Plug." There is nothing on this release that tarnishes Death's legacy, and the album actually adds to that legacy when you consider how good it sounds — despite the primitive recording technique — cranked up really loud. This is a nice gesture, but a better album. Track listing: 1. The Philosopher 2. Spirit Crusher 3. Trapped In A Corner 4. Scavenger Of Human Sorrow 5. Crystal Mountain 6. Flesh And The Power… 7. Zero Tolerance 8. Zombie Ritual 9. Suicide Machine 10. Together As One 11. Empty Words 12. Symbolic 13. Pull The Plug