Death
Baptized in Blood

In memory of Chuck "Evil" Schuldiner May 13, 1967 - December 13, 2001

For 21 years, December 13 has been a sad day for me; since Chuck Schuldiner lost his battle against a brain tumor at just 34 years old, leaving no escape.

A genius of extreme Music; the absolute genius of Death Metal.

Human, an album released in 1991, remains personally the pinnacle of musical extremism; unattainable by the competition at the time of its release and still respected and revered by those like me who appreciate such bloody sounds.

It is an album that overflows with inhuman ferocity; a direct attack in just over half an hour. Technically monstrous with a cohesive lineup, extremely precise in the continuous changes of register. Deadly barrages played at a frenzied, derailing speed, yet always in total control, without the slightest slip, without the slightest error. Perfection, the squaring of the circle.

Released in October, the band immediately set off on a world tour, with the first dates in Mexico and the U.S.A.

Bassist Steve DiGiorgio does not participate in the concerts as he has to return to the band Sadus; his replacement is Scott Carino, another element endowed with an astonishing technique put at the service of colleagues Schuldiner, Masvidal, and Reinert.

In December, the band temporarily interrupts their U.S. tour to fly to Europe for some already scheduled dates in Belgium, Switzerland, and Germany; the lineup is nothing short of legendary: Death, Napalm Death, Pestilence, Dismember, and Cannibal Corpse!! (how I wish I could have been there...).

On the 19th, they perform in Stuttgart. The set of Death is short but brutally intense. Half of the songs played belong to Human; but there are also more distant tracks like the satanic "Zombie Ritual" or the equally disruptive "Left to Die".

The recordings are very lacking in terms of sound quality, which appears mostly spectral, verging on cacophony particularly in the first part of the show. Then there is an improvement in auditory quality that allows you to fully appreciate the sonic hurricane created in the performance of "Lack of Comprehension".

An audio document that once again certifies the uniqueness of Chuck...Support Music, not Rumours...

Diabolos Rising 666.