A death metal live album essentially embodies the term “useless,” even as the parties involved try to convince the metal public otherwise. Heck, it wasn’t until the last decade that death metal started to at least sound comprehensible in the live arena; before it was all low-end. That being said, the death metal “art project” that is Nader Sadek was created to think outside of the box, with Living Flesh serving as the live companion to the band’s 2011 In the Flesh debut.
All-stars a-plenty here, including Cryptopsy’s Flo Mournier (who gets a drum solo), former Mayhem/current Ava Inferi guitarist Rune Eriksen, former Behemoth/Vader bassist Navy, and former Morbid Angel vocalist Steve Tucker, each of whom lend their distinguished talents to the vision of Egyptian visual artist, Nader Sadek. Outside of Mournier’s fantastic drum solo, you’re not going to get much out of Living Flesh other than shards of mid-90’s era Morbid Angel and Eriksen’s totally underrated playing, which is in its obtuse glory on “Suffer” and “Of This Flesh.”
Hard to see how Living Flesh will float, given the actual album is suitably better. Nevertheless, it’s commendable to see a bunch of death metal heroes in one place, and on one stage. Such momentous occasions deserved to be captured…