REVIEW: OBITUARY - Cause of Death - Live Infection

 

OBITUARY - Cause of Death - Live Infection

Relapse Records

Homepage

I was pondering why James on guitar sounded the way he did, and I concluded that it was because Kenny Andrews was on lead. He handled the effects quite well, but the technicality seemed to be diminishing. James is/was the master shredder, whether in Death, Disincarnate, Obituary, or Testament. His peculiar behavior was attributed to a brain tumor, akin to Chuck from Death, but unlike Chuck, James recovered. The "Live Infection" album runs about an hour long (CD version), and I still enjoy it, even though it's less technical than the original "Cause of Death" release. The alteration in sound was due to James not being on lead (at least to me), making it less appealing to Obituary fans.

Don't get me wrong, it's a great CD, but the production quality was suboptimal. The release features four original members: Donald Tardy (drums), Trever Peres (rhythm guitar), Terry Butler (bass), and John Tardy (vocals).

I believe this release was decent but could have been better. Live albums generally don't match up to studio albums, with a few exceptions. Destruction's "Live Without Sense" is an exception, but it's more of a thrash metal compilation purportedly recorded "live."

This live album didn't garner much feedback from listeners, only receiving one review. Initially, it reminded me of the "Cause of Death" era, albeit not as impressive. Nonetheless, they still performed well with their instruments. I just wish James was on lead. I always admired his creativity with effects and the unique vibe he brings to his guitar. Kenny's okay; he's featured on the more recent Obituary albums, including "Dying of Everything." Obituary has maintained their old-school death metal sound throughout, which is what keeps the band "badass." I'd still give "Live Infection" a "B" rating primarily for the raw sound of the instruments and the aggression.

I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from this album, knowing it wasn't solely "Cause of Death"; Kenny Andrews took over James Murphy's leads. There were also bonus tracks that contributed to the killer sound.

The vocals, music, and overall vibe of this album are reminiscent of the "Cause of Death" era, making it very listenable and brutal. They've stayed true to their style, which can make or break a band. I stand by my "B" rating. Give this one a listen!

Ryan “Death8699” Fanucchi