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. ~ Brian O'Neill, All Music Guide
Absolutely incredible, as always. This is the lineup and tour from "The Sound of Perseverance". If you've come this far, go ahead and get the DVD version and see it all for yourself...