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
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
'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. ~ Brian O'Neill