### Nader Sadek: In the flesh

#### 19/07/11 || revenant

Nader Sadek. Heard of him? Perhaps not a widely recognised name, Nader is best known for his artwork, particularly stage designs and so forth for bands such as Mayhem and Sun 0))). Though not a musician himself, he is the creative force behind this project which bears his name, both conceptually and to a degree musically as well (though the actual song writing is not his). To bring his vision to life, he had pulled together a veritable supergroup of musicians, namely Flo Mounier (Cryptopsy), Steve Tucker (ex-Morbid Angel) and Rune Ericksen (ex-Mayhem), plus a host of special guests (Attila Csihar, Travis Ryan [Cattle Decapitation], Tony Norman [Monstrosity], Destructhor [Morbid Angel] and Nick McMaster [Krallice]). A mouth watering list of names to say the least.

First things first, let’s deal with the obvious comparison: Morbid Angel. Yes, it’s there. Perhaps it’s the Steve Tucker influence, but it is in some parts incredibly undeniable. The heavy grooving behind Tucker’s vocals is straight out of the old Morbid Angel playbook. But that’s not to say this project is a Morbid Angel rip off, there’s enough original ideas in here to give this project enough of an identity of its own. It’s dark and atmospheric, and the whole album has the feel of an impending apocalypse. At times it’s fast and uncompromising. At other times it’s slow and groove focused. Sound effects add to the aural experience throughout. Tucker’s vocals sound as good as ever, there’s some great soloing and destructive (but also restrained) drumming.

It has to be said, this is a pretty damn good album. My main gripe with it is the length – it’s too short. At 30 minutes (28 when you take out the useless intro) you just can’t help but wish there was more. But within those 28 minutes, be prepared for some brutal, groovy, vicious dark metal.

It’s interesting, with the Morbid Angel influence so apparent, that this album was released so very shortly before “Illud Divinum Insanus” was. Intentional? Probably not, but considering this work is about 10 times better than IDI and it’s the style of album that Morbid Angel fans wanted, it does enter the market at a very interesting time. And, if you’re a fan like me who refuses to buy IDI (they’re not getting my money for that shit), it does provide a great alternative for disgruntled fans. With that in mind, I give you….

Revenant’s guide to “Illud Divinum Insanus” denial

1. Go out and buy yourself a copy of Nader Sadek’s “In the Flesh” 2. Go to Google image search and type in “Morbid Angel Logo”. 3. Print the best logo you find. 3. Cut carefully along the edges, and paste the logo on the top of the Nader Sadek logo. 4. Congratulations, you now have a copy of the new Morbid Angel album “In the flesh”! Have a good listen. Mmmm, doesn’t that sound much better than the bad press Morbid Angel have received? Note there aren’t any nu-metal style breakdowns or metalcore blasts. And where is that techno track? Must have been one of those April Fools jokes that always circulate the internet. Drink it in. Love the aggression and dark atmosphere. Isn’t it good to live in denial?

OK, you’re right, enough of the Morbid Angel schtick.

“In the Flesh” is without a doubt a worthwhile alternative for those looking for some death metal, Florida style, who are unhappy with some of the recent bigger name releases. The dark apocalyptic theme (oil, and man’s treatment of once living creatures as commodities) and feel to the album are a real treat, and despite feeling at times like a copy-cat release, there’s still enough original ideas (check out “Nigredo in Necromance”, a killer track that oozes atmosphere and originality) to make it worthwhile. Definitely an album worth checking out.

- Information
- Released: 2011
- Label: Season of Mist
- Website: Nader Sadek Facebook
- Band
- Steve Tucker: vocals
- Rune Ericksen: guitars
- Flo Mounier: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. Awakening
- 02. Petrophilia
- 03. Of this Flesh (Novus Deus)
- 04. Exhaust Capacitor
- 05. Soulless
- 06. Rusted Skin
- 07. Mechanic Idolatry
- 08. Sulffer
- 09. Nigredo in Necromance