Music DVD Review: Gojira - The Flesh Alive

If you like hard hitting metal to groove to that blends extreme with groove and melody and you aren't listening to Gojira, you are in for a treat. These guys deliver pure, unencumbered, heavy metal. The music they produce is a force of nature. Heavy, unrelenting, skull shattering metal. With The Flesh Alive, they have captured their live set in a few different venues and takes us behind the curtain to he writing process and the touring cycle.

Music Video Review: The Big Four - Live from Sofia, Bulgaria

There is always a little bit of controversy when talking about the biggest names in thrash metal. I know I have been taken to task on a few occasions by my references to the so-called "Big Four." I freely admit that as much as I love metal, I am not the most knowledgeable about its history. So what? I know what I like and I recognize the bands who have influenced my love of the genre for so many years. In my eyes, and in the eyes of the public at large, there are no bigger thrash bands than Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax. They have collectively influenced a generation and continue to deliver their music all over the world. With that said, it has always been the dream of millions of metalheads to see these four bands share the stage. That dream is now a reality.

DVD Review: Slayer - Still Reigning

Slayer is one of those metal bands that have left an indelible mark on the genre of thrash metal. They are one of precious few bands that even non-fans have heard of. There is always talk of the big four, and while there are always other influential bands, these four are widely known for a reason. They are that good and have attained a popularity level that transcends their style. In many cases there is an album or two that have pushed them across the line into something of legend. In the case of Slayer I can think of two, one is my favorite album of theirs Seasons in the Abyss and the other is the subject of this concert, Reign in Blood from 1986.

DVD Review: Slayer - War at the Warfield

Slayer has been at this game for a long time. When they take the stage they know what they need to do. The fans in the pit know what to expect. You reading this right now know what to expect. This is, after all, a Slayer concert DVD and if you are a fan of Slayer you have to be prepared. You see, attending a Slayer concert is not for the weak of heart, you cannot be afraid, you cannot be averse to a little blood, and you must be prepared to leave with a pounding head. I have had this experience twice, both times I left hurt, exhausted, and thirsting for more.

DVD Review: Slayer - Live Intrusion

In the early days of my growing love for music, I was drawn to more popular acts. Bands that were safe, fun, catchy, and could be heard a lot on regular radio stations. Like old people, when I heard more extreme styles I immediately identified them as noise and wrote them off. Well, blame it on being young, stupid, and unwilling to broaden my horizons. Fortunately I learned the error of my ways and I now listen to all manner of music and styles. What does this have to do with Slayer and Live Intrusion? Simple enough, I used to lump Slayer in with the noise. I know, I know, please forgive me.

DVD Review: Mogwai - Burning

Mogwai is a band I know very little about. Blasphemy right? I really don't, but I want to find out more. Honestly, I do. I guess it is a little strange to be starting with their first ever concert video, I understand that. However, if you stop and think about it, what better way is there to getting intimate with a band other than to witness them live? I know this isn't quite the same as actually seeing them in a concert but it does go a long way to showing one what the band is really like, how they flow, how they fit together, and how proficient they are at presenting their compositions. It is the live setting that will expose the act for what they are, a studio only band or one that can bring it to the stage in compelling fashion.

DVD Review: Megadeth - Rust in Peace Live

A sea of excited metal heads chants "Me-Ga-Deth!" over and over. A lone figure carrying a custom made Flying V guitar walks to the center of the stage and raises his arms triumphantly over his head. The crowd in turn raises theirs in agreement, cheering ever louder. The figure then asks: "You know why we're here, right?" Of course they know, answering with still louder cheers. Then the iconic opening riff brings the rest of the band to the stage and the show begins.

Billy Idol in Super Overdrive Live

Billy Idol has had quite an interesting career, the majority of which I am completely unfamiliar with. From his early days with Generation X to his solo heyday in the 1980's, to his fall from grace in the 1990's, he has been all over the place. Not to mention his near-death motorcycle accident. The man has shown incredible resiliency coming through it all with a sneer on his face and a fist in the air. This concert shows the man doing what he knows, tearing the house down. I believe this was recorded in 2005 while touring behind his last album, Devil's Playground. It is a no frills concert and Blu-ray release, but it matters not as it so finely presented and just a blast to watch.

I like concert video releases. The good ones can make it feel like you are right there in the crowd experiencing what they are, in the moment. There is another reason I like concert videos, although much less common reason. I like it when a disk is released of a tour I have seen. This is the third time that I can recall off the top of my head where a band recorded a show on the same tour I saw them on. The other two are Megadeth's Rude Awakening and Insane Clown Posse's Bootlegged in LA (yes, I like a wide variety of music). In addition to putting me in the audience, it takes me back to my live experience. That experience can add so much value to a concert video.

In this case, I saw Billy Idol in Poughkeepsie, NY in September of 2005. It was sort of sad as there was scarcely anyone there. If the concert hall was 25% filled that would have been a lot. Due to the small crowd, security allowed everyone to leave their ticketed seats and gather right up at the security railing. This sort of crowd could have led the artist to dog it, save energy for the bigger crowds, but not Billy. Billy, Steve Stevens, and the rest of the band played their hearts out. Ripping through new tunes, classic tunes, Generation X tunes, it did not matter what they played, it was incredible. Billy showed his true colors as a consummate entertainer. I swear, it did not look like he lost a step in all these years. He was up there singing, singing autographs, shaking hands, and never missed a beat.

This show was recorded at the Congress Theater in Chicago, an old school venue built before the proliferation of air conditioning. Watch Billy as he literally sweats his way through the set. I can only imagine how hot it was. Wait, I think the gorgeous high definition image does a pretty good job of showing the heat, you can almost see the waves coming up from the stage.

The show opens with "Super Overdrive" and as those first notes hit, I was transported back to that September 2005 show. He moved through such classics as "Dancing with Myself," "White Wedding," "Eyes Without a Face," and "Rebel Yell" with ease, delivering something of a greatest hits show.

Now, while Billy seemed to have a limitless reservoir of energy, he is not the only man putting on a show. Guitarist Steve Stevens and his 80's metal look playing off of Idol's punk aesthetic delivered a guitar clinic. You would swear he as surgically attached to his instrument. His performance was flawless ripping through those catchy riffs and ripping off a few solos to fill out the set.

Man, this is just a lot of fun to watch. I have watched it a few times now and as an introduction to music on Blu-ray, it is quite impressive. While the show is not the most theatrical or heavily produced, it is perfectly represented here. The colors are spot on and I did not detect any combing or artifacts. There is a touch of video noise, but that is to be expected and does not detract from the experience.

The audio comes in three flavors, LPCM stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1, and DTS HD master 5.1. No matter which flavor you prefer, they all sound great. They virtually envelop you in the music and the mix is crisp and clear allowing all of the instruments to shine through flawlessly.

If there is any complaint I could have with this, it is that the entire show is obviously not here. We get 12 tracks, whereas the show I saw had 17 plus 3 more in two encores. You can tell there are edits just by watching Idol's ever changing attire. This is particularly noticeable in the choice of ending the show with "Kiss Me Deadly." Don't get me wrong, it is a good song, but that was part of the encore at my show, and if you watch into the credits immediately after the song ends, his clothes are different. I know this is a minor quibble, but I would have loved the complete show.

The disk also falls short in the extras category in that there are none. No interviews, featurettes, or extra songs. Of course, the show speaks for itself, but it still would have been nice to have something.

Bottomline. This is no doubt a superb show by an artist who has created some timeless tunes and who also appears to have come unstuck in time. I know this sounds a little gushing, but I don't care. You either get it or you don't. I ignored Idol back in the days of my youth and am now playing a little bit of catch up. In short, do yourself a favor, get your hands on this, press play, and rock out.I bet you will be up dancing to it in no time.

Recommended.

CD/DVD Review: Halford - Resurrection World Tour: Live at Rock in Rio III

I had my first official introduction to Halford last year when I got my hands on Metal God Essentials Vol. 1. That album was not a pure Halford release as it did have a few Fight and Two cuts. Still, that release showed that even though Rob Halford was not with the legendary Judas Priest, his talent shown bigger and brighter than ever. There is no doubt that he is an absolute metal legend. This two disk set further cements that legendary status (as if there was ever really any doubt).

Now, while Rob has rejoined Judas Priest, he is not allowing his output in the intervening years lay stagnant on the sidelines. He has released the Metal God Essentials CD, the War of Words documentary chronicling the rise of Fight following his departure from Judas Priest in the early 1990's, and then the excellent Into the Pit Fight collection that compiles remastered versions of all three of those releases along with a DVD of an early concert. If nothing else, Rob Halford is making sure you have access to the best versions of his music.

The latest Halford release, again through his own Metal God Entertainment imprint, is two disks of pure metal. What more can you ask for? If you are a Halford fan, you will want to get your hands on this, even if you just like metal, you need to get a hold of this.

The first disk is Halford's Rock in Rio III concert performance. This took place on in January of 2001 in the Brazilian city of Rio over the course of one week, featuring artists such as Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dave Mathews Band, Beck, and Guns n' Roses. Iron Maiden headlined one of the nights, a performance that was also recorded and released back in 2002.

This was not long after Rob Halford re-emerged on the metal scene with the first Halford release, Resurrection. They took the stage in front of an absolutely ravenous crowd and proceeded to tear up the stage for an hour.

The set was comprised of tracks from the debut Halford release mixed with a couple of fan-favorite Fight songs, as well as some classic Priest tunes. Regardless of what song they played, it was absolutely electric.

I saw Judas Priest live a few years back and that was an unforgettable experience, a great night of metal. Although, I do have to say that Rob is not all that great of a performer, but it does not really matter as he has that incredible voice, the leather and spikes image, and a face that is filled with intensity as he sings. This stage presence is much the same here. He primarily stands at center stage, microphone gripped tightly as he rocks back and forth singing his heart out. There is no one who can sing quite like he can, and watching him stand there is a magnetic experience.

His band is also first rate, featuring Metal Mike Chlasiak (recently heard on Sebastian Bach's Angel Down album) and Pat Lachman on guitar, Ray Riendieau on bass, and Bobby Jarzombek on drums. They form a solid metallic unit, ripping through each song with pure passion.

The set includes "Made in Hell," "Into the Pit," "Silent Screams," and "Electric Eye" before closing with the metal classic "Breaking the Law."

The DVD includes a Resurrection World Tour documentary, which runs north of 90-minutes. This features many song performances, including footage from a date at Madison Square Garden opening for Iron Maiden. The documentary also has interviews with the band members covering the writing process and how they came to be in the band.

The second disk is a remastered and expanded version of Resurrection album. This album truly brings him back to the metal fold, proving that the longtime front man was, and is, still relevant to the scene and can lead a metallic charge as heavy as the next guy. This comes after his industrial turn with Two, an album I still do not particularly care for.

Resurrection rocks from start to finish. Whether you want melodic playing, purely heavy riffs, face-melting solos, ear pounding drums, or that trademark Halford wail, it is all here. The moment the title track opens the CD, there is no denying that this truly was the resurrection of the Metal God.

The music here is something of a cross between the raw heaviness of Fight and the more traditional metal of Priest. However, despite the obvious similarities, this music is not a retread of anything he had done previously, this was the emergence of the latest iteration of a legendary voice of metal.

One song that stood out to me, one I had never heard before much less even knew existed, is "The One You Love to Hate." Why does this stand out? If you know the album, you already know. If you don't know, allow me to enlighten you. This song is a duet between two of the greatest metal voices of all time, joining Rob Halford is none other than Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson. It may not be the best song on the album, but the fact that both of these men are together is more than enough to grab my attention and show the potential of a two-singer band led by legends.

This CD, which was released last year as an iTunes exclusive, features a pair of songs that previously only been available on the Japanese version of the album. The two songs are "Hell's Last Survivor" and "Sad Wings." If that isn't enough, there are two newly recorded songs in "God Bringer of Death" and "Fetish." Both of these songs are quite good and sound right in step with the classic Halford sound, although their production values make them stand out as not originally being from this album. Still, more Halford is good Halford, right?

Bottomline. Any self-respecting fan will want to get this. The live performance is magnificent, put it together Iron Maiden's release and create your own Rock in Rio! The documentary may be padded out with full performances, but it is nevertheless an interesting look into the band and its formation. Then there is the remastered CD that contains just out and out pure metal. Halford definitely wants his fans to have the best.

Recommended.

CD/DVD Review: Avenged Sevenfold - Live in the LBC & Diamonds in the Rough

While Avenged Sevenfold is no doubt a good band, it appears that they may have peaked in terms of their mainstream popularity. Well, I guess you could doubt their goodness but that would end up in an argument over the value of their worth that will likely never be resolved. What do I mean by this? Well, it seems that after the mainstream explosion of City of Evil there has been a building backlash against them, the same that happens to pretty much any band/artist/film that gets too big too fast. It is through no fault of their own, it is just the nature of the beast. To their credit, Avenged Sevenfold charges forth with their die hard fans, and that is definitely who this set is aimed at.

I was one of the millions who discovered them with City of Evil. I absolutely love that album. I went back and picked up Waking the Fallen and found I loved that as well, it was a distinctly different sound but you can see the logical progression that City of Evil was. I have also gone and listened to Sounding the Seventh Trumpet, which is also a solid album, pretty much in line with Waking the Fallen.

That brings me to their self-titled album that was released in 2007. I have to say that I felt let down with that album. I was hoping for something along the quality of City of Evil following the progression begun with Waking. What I found was an album that had some good moments but felt a bit rushed and too much along the same ground as City of Evil. Now, with some time between its release and now, my views have softened somewhat and while it will never be my favorite, it is not all that bad.

Those softening feelings have been helped along with this two-disk release. This covers the band on two fronts: their charismatic live show and their quality leftovers from the studio. Whether you want live stuff or more new tunes, this will fill the bill for any A7X fan.

The set begins (ends? I guess it doesn't matter) with a 75-minute live set shot April 10, 2008 at Long Beach Arena in Long Beach, CA. This set makes up the Live in the LBC side of the package and it shows the band in fine form as they rip through their set, comprised almost exclusively of tunes from their last two albums, with only one song coming from the first two releases in the form of "Unholy Confessions" from Waking the Fallen.

I saw A7X live once, it was during the City of Evil tour cycle when they co-headlined a tour with Coheed & Cambria. They stole that night, in my opinion, as they ripped through their set to a ravenous crowd. This DVD is very reminiscent of that night, although the band seems even more confident here. See what life on the road, playing countless shows will do? It will tighten up your performance and give you all the confidence you need to play to a hometown crowd with a professional film crew recording your every move.

The band takes the stage with their sound, playing at the intersection of screamo, metalcore, and metal, delivering said combination with the cocksure attitude of the 1980's LA glam scene. Just try to picture what it could be like for a band like Ratt or LA Guns if they were headlining arenas today. Not to take anything away from those bands, but this is along those lines. Avenged Sevenfold attacked the stage with all the lights, fire, and strippers that you could ever want from an over-the-top rock show. They definitely know how to entertain.

Now, the set was a good one, except for the blemish of having a fan sing Pantera's "Walk" with the band. Sorry, may be fun if you were there, but I would have rather heard Shadow sing it himself. Oh well, the rest of the set was a blast featuring such hits as "Beast and the Harlot," "Bat Country," and "Critical Acclaim."

The recording is excellent with everyone sounding powerful in the LPCM stereo mix. I always love this option for concert DVDs. There is also a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix. Also, to sweeten the pot a bit, the entrance videos they used for each tour stop are included. They are all right to watch once, but nothing all that special.

The second part of the set is Diamonds in the Rough, this 11-track CD features seven leftover cuts from the Avenged Sevenfold sessions, two cover tunes, one remix, and one alternate version. All together, this 53+ minute CD is quite satisfying, showing that they did have some in reserve that was not laid out on the album proper, plus respect for those who inspired them.

The good thing about the tunes here is that they are not mere cast offs. Actually, I guess they are since they did not make the album. Anyway, while they were not deemed primary album worthy by the band, they are actually pretty good.

Each song features some strong guitar work from Synyster Gates, who is an excellent lead guitarist, punishing drums from The Rev, and the distinctive vocals of M. Shadows. Actually, I think Shadows may be the weakest link in the band. It is not that he is bad, but there is a tinge of whinyness that grates on me a little, still he has the right style for this band.

"Demons" opens the disk and while it is decent, it runs a bit too long, clocking in at a tiresome 6+ minutes. At the positive end of the spectrum, the new tunes are highlighted by "Girl I Know," "Until the End," and "Dancing Dead."

As for the covers? The first is Iron Maiden's "Flash of the Blade." The guys acquit themselves admirably, doing a fine job being true to the source while putting their own spin on it. The other is Pantera's Walk. Here they do a fine job of mimicry, sounding a lot like the original, although with a bit too much polish. The biggest issue here is that they try to hard to sound just like Pantera, I would have preferred a little bit more A7X flavor, like with the Maiden cover.

Lastly, the alternate mixes. First is "Almost Easy (CLA mix)," it sounds very similar to the album version. I did not do a side by side comparison, but the vocals sound a little different but that is about it. The second is "Afterlife (Alternate Version)," which has some different riffs and the addition of string support. I like this different version, the strings add some nice texture.

Bottomline. If you are an A7X fan, what are you waiting for? For everyone else, go start with City of Evil and work up to this. This is a good release that actually made me enjoy the band again, as I haven't listened that much since the self-titled release. The concert is nicely captured snapshot of their charisma, while the B-sides and covers just give us more new music to enjoy. All around this is a nice package.

Recommended.

Music DVD - Mushroomhead: Volume 2

I love Mushroomhead. Yes, I said it. Now, with that cat out of the bag, I would love it if the band would release a proper concert DVD, or a complete videos collection, or even a straight up documentary. Volume 1 came out back in 2005 and now we have Volume 2, and as it turns out, the DVDs are virtually indistinguishable from each other. Sure, the videos and clips are all different, but the set up is exactly the same and while they are a fun watch, I do not find either one to be terribly rewatchable. I will go back to them for the videos, but that is about it.

I have seen Mushroomhead live a number of times over the years and they never fail to put on a great show. This is a band that brings together a strong sense of musicianship and combines it with a theatricality not seen all that often anymore. Sure, there are the inevitable comparisons to Slipknot, but beyond the fact that they were masks and paint and play variations of metal, there is little else that stands between the two. I am a fan of both, but prefer Mushroomhead.

Now, when Mushroomhead goes on tour, they pull out all the stops and make for damn sure they have a good time doing it. That is what is captured on this DVD. All of the antics, places, and videos made during the touring cycle for their third major release, Savior Sorrow, and first with co-lead vocalist Waylon. Follow the band as they count off the days of their tour with clips from each stop, including one brief glimpse of the outside of The Chance, where I see them in Poughkeepsie, NY.

With all of the pranks, goofy antics, and actual work, I wish they would call each other by their band name a bit more often. The problem is that outside Waylon, Jeffrey Nothing, and Gravy, I have no idea who is who. I guess it does not really matter as we watch them get ready to play, play goofy pranks on sleeping band members and fire high calibre weapons.

Do not get me wrong, the DVD is fun to watch. Anything will give insight into what it is like to be in a band, but there is always hope for more. For one thing, you will quickly find Mushroomhead's penchant for the scary side of life, particularly in their videos. You will also see that they put it all out on the stage in their energetic stage show.

Still, what I would not give to see a professionally shot and edited concert release. Three live tracks grace Volume 2, "1200," "Simple Survival," and "Burn." The problem is that they are all camcorder takes with terrible audio and no multi-camera edits. Neat, yes, but not a good representative of what they do live.

Also, I would love to see an actual documentary on the band. Perhaps covering them as they work on an album, take us inside their writing process and follow them through tour preparation. Maybe something like Lamb of God's Walk With Me In Hell release?

Anyway, I still like the disk, how can I not? Mushroomhead is as talented as they are underrated. Just watch them in their videos and tell me they don't have it. This disk has videos for "1200," "Simple Survival," "Burn," "The Doubt," "Damage Done," and "Save Us."

The extras on the disk include commentary on the "1200" video with Gravy and Stitch, a collection of behind the scenes clips from the same shoot, and about 10 minutes of deleted clips.

Bottomline. No, not what I want in my vision of an ideal Mushroomhead DVD release, but still worth watching if you are a fan. If you are not a fan, but are curious, I would recommend picking up one of their albums (XX, XIII, Savior Sorrow) or just go see them live.

Mildly Recommended.

Music DVD Review: Lamb of God - Walk With Me in Hell

Over the years I have seen good music DVDs and bad music DVDs, but I could not say I have seen a lot of music DVDs. Lamb of God's latest DVD, released this past July, falls in the good category. It may even be a great DVD. Whatever it is, it is an absolute must have for Lamb of God fans, and fans of heavy music in general. I went into it not sure what to expect, only to find it a fascinating look inside a metal band on the rise.

I must admit to not being a huge Lamb of God fan. It is not that I don't like them, I just have had little exposure to them, what I have heard, I really like. My first experience with them came by complete accident. It was a few years ago at a concert, I do not remember who. CDs were for sale, I blindly bought one thinking it was for a band playing that night, it turned out to be a copy of As the Palaces Burn. It was a pretty wild disk. I was suitably impressed, but paid them no more mind. A few years later, Sacrament comes out and the band seemingly blows up and rises to to the top of what I have read is called the New Wave of American Metal, although that sounds more like marketing buzz more than anything else. Still, I took my time getting a copy of Sacrament, I shouldn't have. It is an excellent collection of metal tunes put down by guys who know what they are doing. I guess you could call me a fan at this point, but I still wasn't going out to get their other releases (at least not yet).

Sometime later, I believe it was last year, I received a drumming DVD featuring performances and talk from a couple of award winners, Jason Bittner from Shadows Fall and Chris Adler from, you guessed it, Lamb of God. This opened me up to something else, paying a lot more attention to drumming, and to the eloquence with which Adler presents himself. I am not one expecting metal musicians to be dumb brutes, but Adler carried himself with a lot of humility and intelligence, and I found him to be an interesting person.

Fast forward to now, I have Walk With Me in Hell in my hands and I have watched both disks of this expansive set. What I have witnessed is nothing short of excellence, it is not the music, it is not even the people, it is the insight which we are given into the lives of these five men, musicians, friends, and family.

You see, this DVD is not a collection of on the road videos, nor is it a concert DVD, it is an actual documentary. This is no Voluminal (Slipknot) nor is it Volume 1 (Mushroomhead), this is an actual documentary.

The two-disk set kicks off with the centerpiece, a two-hour documentary that takes you inside the band and on the road during the build up to Sacrament and on through the aftermath. The timing of the DVD is a little odd, considering the high regard the band has coupled with the fact that this happened two years ago. Still, it could be seen as a nice placeholder until a new album comes.

What makes this documentary so good is not the production quality, which is merely mediocre, it is the access. We get interviews with all five guys in the band, we catch up with them at signings, and practice, and on the stage, before the show, after the show, doing the touristy things on tour, and everything in between. We get to see this band work hard and see it pay off. We get to watch as Lamb of God rises through the ranks.

I was transfixed as I watched the disk. These five guys believe in their music, believe they can make it, but are completely unsure of how it is going. Essentially, we get to experience their coming of age as a band. Now, it is not all heavy stuff, these guys know how to have fun. I was particularly taken with Chris and Willie Adler jam on a street corner in Japan using gear belonging to a couple of street musicians. I also loved seeing how taken they were with crowds singing their words at the shows.

In addition to the documentary, the first disk contains songs from all of the major tours that they were on during this cycle, one song from each. This includes The Unholy Alliance, Gigantour, Ozzfest, and their headlining tour. The songs run nearly half an hour all together.

Disk two is headlined by the Making of Sacrament documentary that was previously released as part of the deluxe Sacrament release. Fortunately, it is new to me as I only bought the standard release of the album.

This feature runs 77-minutes and offers further insight into the band. The difference being, instead of watching the band on the road, we get to see them throughout the writing process. From the work in a practice studio, which Chris Adler bicycles to and from, to the studio, to working producer Machine (yes, that's the guy's name). I loved watching them struggle with material and each other as they work towards creating the best songs they can. Not a moment is wasted.

Next is their 40-minute set at the 2007 Download festival. The performance features the band absolutely tearing it up as the gigantic crowd feeds off of their energy.

The final piece of the puzzle is their video for "Redneck," accompanied by a brief behind the scenes clip on the making of the video.

Bottomline. You know, I generally prefer the concert centered music releases, but this one is an exception. The content here is great. I loved getting inside of Lamb of God, once you peel away the extreme music you get a group of guys who love what they do. In the end, you have to love it.

Highly Recommended.

Music DVD Review: Hatebreed - Live Dominance

Hatebreed has risen to the top of the hardcore heap through incessant touring, a strong work ethic, and above all some brutally heavy and downright catchy music. When I listen to a Hatebreed album I have no choice but to bang my head and feel the adrenaline flow. This is a typical reaction from a Hatebreed fan, there is something about their music that gets the blood flowing. Fortunately, there is more to it than that. I would never go so far as to call their lyrics deep, but they do serve a purpose, they speak to the alienated and disenfranchised, makes them feel like a part of a family, something bigger. It is where front man Jamey Jasta came from, and he is doing his part to give back, make sure no one is left behind. Well, maybe that is a bit lofty of an ideal, but I am sure it is not far from the truth, and when you see how much energy they leave on the stage at their shows, it is not hard to believe the genuine affection Jamey and Hatebreed have for their fans and love they have for the music. Live Dominance is a testament to that live show.

My experience with Hatebreed dates back to the early days, shortly after the release of Satisfaction is the Death of Desire. It was back in 1998, they were opening for Soulfly, and I did not care for them. If I remember correctly my thoughts were along the lines of: "They remind me of a low-rent Pantera with no stage presence." Obviously my thoughts have changed over the years. The turnaround began when I ran into my childhood best friend, Matt Byrne. I asked if he was still playing drums and he told me he was in Hatebreed. Of course I had to go out and check them out again. I picked up Perseverance and immediately became a fan. No, not because I know Matt, but because the music was good, and has gotten consistently better over their two subsequent releases. Not there is a DVD that is worthy of their increasing stature.

Live Dominance was filmed at Harpo's in Detroit, MI, during the Supremacy tour in front of a sold out crowd. Believe me when I tell you that the crowd was into every moment of the 75-minute set. From the moment the band first appeared onstage to the final notes and goodbye, they pit was moving, swirling, churning, a veritable sea of people in motion from all angles.

I have seen Hatebreed live one more time since that fateful day back in 1998. It came in 2006 when they took a slot vacated by Shadow's Fall, opening for Killswitch Engage. They took the stage and absolutely tore it up. They played a mix of new and old cuts, and the old cuts never sounded so good. As I watched this DVD I was taken back to that show, only in an expanded form. The energy from the stage, the reciprocating reaction of the crowd, it is easy to see why so many people love them.

When you watch this DVD, you are not going to watch it for technique. This is not the same experience as watching a, say, Dream Theater or G3 DVD where you want close up shots of picks flying across strings, or fingers working their magic. Watching a Hatebreed show is a different beast, this is about brutality, this is about watching 5 guys tearing it up on stage, watching the crowd move and surge in time to the music. On this level, this recording delivers on the promise of brutality.

Among the highlights of the concert are "To the Threshold," "Destroy Everything," "As Diehard as They Come" (dedicated to our armed forces stationed over seas, "Doomsayer," "Beholder of Justice," and the rousing closer "I Will Be Heard."

The concert was shot well, although at times it seemed to be a bit overly dark. Of course, shooting concert footage is no easy task, and this is by no means bad, I just think it could have looked a little bit better.

Now, while the concert is the centerpiece of Live Dominance, it is not the only content offered.

First up are a series of featurettes centering on the Detroit show:

• Drive to the show. This clip shows their time lapsed drive to Detroit, concluding with a look at the fans lined up outside the sold out show. (2 minutes)
• Building the stage. Another time lapsed video, this time showing the stage being put together, right through to the lighting tests and sound check. (3 minutes)
• Behind the Hate (part 1). Interviews with all of the band members on their influences and what they went through to get where they are and their personal experiences in the band. We even get to see fans with all manner of Hatebreed tattoos. (13 minutes)
• Behind the Hate (part 2). Continued interviews about how thankful they are to the bands that have helped them out along the way by taking them on tour and such. Also they get into their crossover appeal. (6 minutes)
• Tattoo Gallery. You have to appreciate just how diehard many of Hatebreed's fans are. I cannot imagine tattooing a band name or logo on myself, but that's me. Some of the work shown here is actually pretty impressive. (>3 minutes)
• R.I.P. This brief section pays tribute to friends and band members who have passed away, including Dimebag Darrell and Lou "Boulder" Richards. (1.5 minutes)

Next up are a bunch of bonus live performances. Believe me when I tell you that these guys leave nothing in the dressing room. They go out there and put everything they have down. Like them or not, you have to respect there effort. These performances are just icing on the cake that is Live Dominance.

• NYC: "Destroy Everything"
• NYC: "Doomsayer"
• NYC: "Proven"
• CT: "Last Breath"
• CT: "Tear it Down"
• CT: "Under the Knife"
• PA: "As Diehard as Philly Gets" - This video is a love letter to the fans at the Philly show. If you were one of the lucky ones to be there, you will want to pay close attention to this. They turned the cameras on the fans. This video is all about the fans tearing it up during the show. Were you there?

Bottomline. This disk is a must have if you are a Hatebreed fan. Seriously, they put it all on the line and deliver an intense show. If you've never seen them live, this will give you a taste until you can rectify the situation. Definitely a strong performance. Wish I was there.

Recommended.

Set List:
1. This Is Now
2. Perseverance
3. A Call For Blood
4. To The Threshold
5. Empty Promises
6. Destroy Everything
7. Voice of Contention
8. As Diehard As They Come
9. Hallow Ground
10. Doomsayer
11. Betrayed By Life
12. Straight To Your Face
13. Facing What Consumes You
14. Before Dishonor
15. Never Let It Die
16. Last Breath
17. Beholder Of Justice
18. Smash Your Enemies
19. Proven
20. Defeatist
21. Live For This
22. I Will Be Heard

Music DVD Review: Decapitated - Human's Dust

My first exposure to Decapitated came this past Fall. I was making my web rounds and came across a story about an accident the band had been involved in. Being the occasionally morbidly curious guy that I am, I clicked on the story. It told of a tragic car accident that occurred in Russia while the band was on tour. The accident was bad, claiming the life of drummer Vitek (real name: Witold Kieltyka) and seriously injured vocalist Covan (Adrian Kowanek), who is still recovering. This was a terrible way to stumble across the band, but I am glad I did, as the music is absolutely insane. This, their first DVD release chronicles the earlier years, through 2004 just prior to original vocalist, Sauron, quitting the band. While not directly stating it, this DVD is a nice tribute to the talent that Vitek possessed, taken from the world too soon.

Decapitated formed in Poland way back in 1996, the band members were teens and pre-teens at the time (Vitek was 12!). It was apparent to those around them that they had the skills that could take them far. They developed their style (which I will guess and call extreme tech death metal, when you hear their music, that will make sense), wrote original songs, and released their first full-length LP, Winds of Creation, in 2000 via Earache Records. They went on to release three more albums before the tragic accident in October of 2007.

The centerpiece of Human's Dust is a 2002 performance in Krakow.The 35-minute set is brutal, heavy, and extreme. Knowing that they were teenagers at the time of this recording is simply mindblowing. I am no judge of this genre, so I cannot say just where in the pantheon of tech death bands they fall, but with the skills on display in this concert footage, they were (are) destined for greatness.

Decapitated does not have that great of a stage presence for this concert, primarily standing in place, banging their heads. However, this lack of presence is made up for by the intense way they attack their music. They are incredibly tight and the performance is pitch perfect. They absolutely killed with songs such as 'Nihility," "Spheres of Madness," and" Suffer the Children."

The audio quality is fantastic, the video is the same way. My biggest technical problem with this concert's presentation has nothing to do with its transfer, but the way it was shot. There are all sorts of rapid in/out zooms that are just incredibly annoying. I would have preferred that they just back off and let the music do the talking.

In addition to the Krakow show, there is more live footage to dive into.

First up is a three song, 15-minute sample of their 2002 Ozzfest appearance in Katowice, just months prior to the Krakow show. This footage is shot better, at lease more stable, than the Krakow show, and has some cool lighting as the band bangs their hair around. Again, the performance is brutal, intense, and very tight. No one can accuse these guys of not trying!

The third selection of concert footage was shot in 2004 Metalmania Festival (this is a great festival that releases its on collection of footage each year), in Katowice. This set runs 26-minutes and features songs that were not in the earlier shows, mainly coming from the new at the time The Negation. You can tell that the two years that passed between the earlier footage and this did not go to waste. Beyond having a vastly improved light show and footage quality, the band seems better able to control the stage. There presence has improved, mainly through the effort of frontman, Sauron (sporting a shaved head). Their sound is bigger and better here, and the newer material is fantastic, particularly "Mother War," "Sensual Sickness," and "The Negation."

Now, if live footage is not enough for you, there is about 40-minutes worth of interview footage spanning the three concerts presented. They offer up plenty of information on the formation of the band, development of their sound, hopes for the future, and the concert at hand. The first interview with Vitek and Vogg (guitars) runs nearly 20-minutes by itself and contains the most information about the bands roots. I found their discussion of touring to be most interesting, how they have had to schedule dates around school and having to work hard there in order to go on tour. It must be strange to have this kind of success while still going to school!

Finally, there is one music video. It is for the title track of their debut album, Winds of Creation. The video is comprised primarily of live footage, and the song is excellent, hinting at what was to come.

Beyond the live and interview footage, there is also a discography section, a text band biography, a few photo galleries, wallpapers, weblinks, and a band logo page. Plenty of stuff to explore!

Bottomline. If you are into death metal and do not know these guys, definitely check this disk out and go pick up some of the albums (I need to do this). They are an incredibly talented group of individuals who knew how to throw down from a very young age. This DVD pays tribute to those skills. My thoughts go out to Vitek and Covan's families in their time of loss and recovery.

Highly Recommended.

CD/DVD Review: Metalmania 2007

The past few years have opened my eyes to the depths of metal that Europe has to offer, not to mention the vast number of metal festivals that they have each year. Of course, I have not taken (nor had) the time to truly dive into the glories that are just waiting to be found, but I have uncovered a great way to have a sampling of said bands come to me. Metalmania is a festival held in Katowice, Poland, each year. For the past twenty-one years the promoters have put on a show of varying size, although this decade has seen the fest grow larger and larger. Bands come from all over the world to perform, and to benefit those who are unable to attend, Metal Mind Productions releases a two disk collection for each year. Disk one is a DVD focused on the bands playing on the main stage, while disk two is a CD featuring studio recordings of those playing the second stage. However you want to cut it, it is a great sampler of metal, many bands which American audiences are probably completely unfamiliar with.

The 2007 festival got off to a great start with a group called Korpiklaani. I was reminded a bit of In Extremo as I listened to these guys. I must say, though, it is not often that you find a metal band perform with an accordion, bagpipes, and violin, with a vocalist/guitarist that has fuzzy antlers attached to his microphone stand. The band hails from Finland and play their own brand of folk-metal, a genre I must admit to being intrigued by. The combination of new and old sounds is rather fascinating. They are represented by a trio of songs.

Following them is a black metal band called Crystal Abyss. Hailing from Russia, they bring the requisite speed and keyboard aided atmospherics, however, I cannot say I was all that impressed with their performance. The music, the one song included, sounded uninspired and their stage presence was a rather lacklustre.

Next up is a band I have only heard one album from, but have quite impressed me. They have this big symphonic black metal sound, full of drama and bombast. All of it comes through in their live performance. The Polish sextet deliver on the two song sampling here. Featuring male and female vocals, they offer plenty of texture and depth over the heavy guitars, driving drums, and keyboards. This is definitely a band to pay attention to.

The fourth band is Zyklon, a blackened death metal band formed by two members of the black metal act Emperor. These guys decimate the stage with three songs. They are fast, heavy, and devoid of the theatrics employed by the previous bands. Not my favorite of what is sampled here, but their straight forward, ground and pound approach is refreshing and quite effective.

Following Zyklon is Vital Remains, an American death metal act hailing from Providence Rhode Island. These guys more than hold their own next to their European counterparts. Vital Remains certainly brings a different style of stage presence than the European acts. They kick off their set with the appropriately titled "Let the Killing Begin," as they proceed to pound out three tracks of brutal death.

I became acquainted with the next act back in the early 1990's following the release of Wolverine Blues. Entombed, originating from Sweden, play are style of hardcore inflected death metal. Three songs from their set are included here, and they put on a strong show, standing out from the prior bands with their stripped down approach.

Destruction, a thrash band out of Germany, has been delivering punishing metal for more than a quarter century. Despite their long presence on the scene, I had not heard them prior to this. I like what I hear. They have a distinct old school quality to them that shines through their music. They song contingent is highlighted by "Nailed to the Cross."

Following old school thrash is old school metal with Blaze Bayley, one time frontman for Iron Maiden. This guy knows his way around a stage (but he is no Bruce Dickinson), and he concludes his set with the Iron Maiden cut "Sign of the Cross."

As we draw closer to the headlining act, the bands become more and more recognizable, although this next act is considerably different from when I was first introduced to them. Brazilian metal act Sepultura arrived with neither Cavalera brother. I had lost track of them back around the time that Max (vocals) left and formed Soulfly. They put on a good show, but it is not the same without Max and Igor. Fortunately Andreas Kisser is still a killer axeman, delivering the trademark Sepultura sound. They have three songs here, anchored by the classic "Dead Embryonic Cells."

British doom act Paradise Lost was up next, represented by only one song. Fortunately, the one song included is a classic and is performed wonderfully. It is "Say Just Words" from 1997's One Second album. This is a band that deserved more than one song. Now, if you are unfamiliar with these guys, do yourself a favor and pick up something by them.

The headlining act is underrated thrash legends (looks funny, doesn't it?) Testament. Chuck Billy and company are afforded the largest representation here, with five songs performed. This band seems rejuvenated now that the original members (minus Louie Clemente). Their performance here is electric and indicative of the talent they have, not to mention the burning fire to perform. Their set closes with "D.N.R." and is a fantastic performance. Testament is the real deal, and when they are on, they are unstoppable.

The concert runs more than two hours, filled with non-stop metal of various styles. It is a great sampling of live metal. While the concert would be enough for most, the DVD also includes video interviews with all of the main stage acts. These are interesting and give you a little more insight into the various bands. Also included are text biographies of the second stage acts.

As if all of that wasn't enough, there is a second disk of songs from the second stage acts.

The CD begins with Carnal. This is a band I have been unable to find any more information regarding them, although based on "My Salvation" I would like to. They have a gothic tinged sound that reminds me of Moonspell.

Horrorscope ups the speed with the thrash metal style. This Polish band is quite impressive, not reinventing the genre, but working the style solidly. Definitely an act to look into further.

Heavy metal/folk act TYR provides a song called "Brother's Bane." I have heard this band before, and they are quite good. They give their own spin on the metal/folk hybrid. They hail from the Faroe Islands, an autonomous province of Denmark. These guys are solid, and this song is a good example of what they bring to the table.

Witchking is a solid, straight-up metal band from Poland. They have a great sound that is reminiscent of Judas Priest. They have no black or death metal trappings, what you see is what you get. Plenty of heavy with a strong dose of melody.

Sphere adds some depth to the second stage with some brutal, skull crushing death metal. Nothing mind-blowing, but there is plenty of brutality to get behind.

Moving from death into a more black metal style, Deivos delivers "Blackness Incarnate." If nothing else, the metal representation on this set is varied, you never know what you may get next. These guys are quite good, with a varied song structure to keep you involved.

Benediction keeps the CD moving along with "Suicide Rebellion." Not one of the better tracks here. The song just never seems to go anywhere, content to bound through the black/death metal standards.

Forever Will Burn also wallows in mediocrity. The band hails from South Africa, and is not really bad, I just don;t hear anything that makes them stand out from a crowd.

The next act brings in some old school black metal. Root has been around since the mid-1980s and hails from the Czech Republic. I did not particularly care for the song, "And They Were Silent," but it was not awful.

Ciryam is a progressive gothic act from, I believe, Poland. The music did not impress me all that much, but the unique female vocal delivery was more than enough to keep me listening. I am intrigued to hear what else they have to offer.

The CD side of the package is anchored by WU-HAE, a Polish band that seems very out of place. The sound is groovy, with distinct hard rock and hip hop influences. I like the song and would be interested in hearing more from them, but they do not seem to belong here.

Bottomline. All of the Metalmania collections I have experienced have been excellent. While I do not like all of the bands represented, the variety of styles and the fact that I have never heard of many of them before is more than enough to make it a worthwhile investment.

Recommended.

Music CD/DVD Review: Fight - Into the Pit

I was never a really big Judas Priest fan, of course you could blame that on my late entry into music fandom. This is a fact that has changed over the past decade, I still cannot be considered anywhere near a big fan, but I am a fan, recognizing their place amongst the top bands that have influenced so many bands of the years (up their with Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden). The album that gave me the first inkling that I could be a Priest fan was 1990's Painkiller, that is a great metal album, period. Two years after that Rob Halford announced that he was leaving the band, wanting to do something else in the music world. That "something else" turned out to be Fight, a band that was distinctly different from Priest, while still living up to the standards that Halford had set during his 19 years with his prior band. This box set collects all three Fight releases, remixed and remastered, along with a DVD featuring one of their early appearances.

The big question for fans is going to be whether or not they really need this set. That is a question that each of you will need to answer for yourself. My answer is yes; you do need it. It is a nicely packaged set, featuring great sounding remastered audio, plus that concert disk. The audio quality is a definite step up from the original CDs. So, if you have those early disks, this is a very nice upgrade. For those of you who don't have any Fight, this is the perfect way to get it all. If you are a metal fan, you owe it to yourself to own these disks, Fight turned out some strong music during their short tenure.

In 1993, just one year removed from his departure from Judas Priest, Fight's debut release, War of Words hit store shelves. It proved to be one of the best metal albums of the year, somewhat overshadowed by the continuing dominance of the grunge scene.

The band's line-up consisted of Halford, Brian Tilse and Russ Parrish on guitars, Jay Jay on bass, and Scott Travis behind the drum kit. The music was heavy, riff driven, and considerably more raw than Priest material. The songs here have a stripped down to the bare essentials feel to them, with an almost punk-like aggression throughout. Halford seems to experiment more with his voice here, expanding his range from his traditional highs all the way down to a death metal like growl. He sounds phenomenal, and those riffs behind him? Wow, the first time I heard the band I fell in love.

I remember the first time I heard Fight, it was MTV's Headbanger's Ball. The band was in the studio performing. They played "Into the Pit," "Nailed to the Gun," and "A Little Crazy." They may have played others, but those are what I remember, and it was so freaking heavy, my young mind was instantly hooked. You know, there is nothing quite like a heavy riff to get the blood flowing, and this album did it.

This remixed and remastered version of War of Words is just what the the fan needs. The music sounds rejuvenated, with new life breathed into it. Among my favorite songs include "Nailed to the Gun," "Kill It," "Vicious," "For All Eternity," and "A Little Crazy." Aw, what the hell, there isn't a stinker on the entire album.

The second disk in the set was originally released in 1994 and bears the title Mutations. It is just what the title implies, rather than a new collection of songs, it is split between live cuts and remixes. I had hoped for more new material following the great War of Words, but this is still a nice release.

The first half has performances of songs "Into the Pit," "Nailed to the Gun," "A Little Crazy" featuring a big crowd sing-along, and the Judas Priest classic "Freewheel Burning." The second half has some decent remixes that adds an industrial edge to the already heavy cuts. Among the most successful remixes are "Kill It (Dutch Death Mix)," "Immortal Sin (Tolerance Mix)," and I like the drawn out groove intro to "A Little Crazy (Straight Jacket Mix)."

This disk also includes a couple of mixes I do not recall hearing before. First is "Culture of Corruption Mix," a remix of "War of Words." I did not really care for this remix, but am not complaining. The second is "Lost Faith Mix," a remix of "Kill It." The instrument part of the mix is all right, but I don't like how the vocals are processed and pushed to the background.

Disk three is the band's second and final album of new material, A Small Deadly Space, released in 1995. When I first heard it, I felt it paled in comparison to War of Words, however, over the years I have to like it a lot more, but it still trails behind that first release when I have a hankering for some Fight.

This album features one line-up change, Russ Parrish left and was replaced by Mark Chaussee. Another big difference is Rob Halford shares song writing duties. On War of Words, Rob wrote everything, this time Fight is more of a band and less of a solo project. This is more of a collaborative effort. The results include song structures that are a bit more complex, yet still retain that sheer heaviness of the first album. There is also more work with different tunings. A Small Deadly Space has a deeper sound as they work with a lot of detunings.

A Small Deadly Space features such strong tunes as "Legacy of Hate," "Mouthpiece," "I Am Alive," and "Human Crate." There is also something to be said for the final ballad "In a World of My Own Making." Quite frankly, when I said of War of Words that there wasn't a stinker in the bunch, the same could also be said here. While I think it is a slightly weaker album, it is hard to find an outright bad song. That says a lot.

I am going to need your help, as whenever I hear it my mind goes blank. The opening of the title track sounds just like some other song, but for the life of me, I cannot place it. When you hear the song, please tell me where I have heard it before.

Disk four is titled Fight - Live in Phoenix. This footage dates back to August of 1993, one month prior to the release of War of Words. This night was the second live performance of Halford and Fight; it was shot with two cameras in the cramped quarters of a small club in Arizona. The video is rough and a little grainy and the audio is raw sounding stereo mix. This combination gives the concert a fantastic intimate feel as the band absolutely rips it up for a set that runs for nearly an hour.

The set list is the War of Words track list, front to back. The entire album played in order to an enthusiastic crowd. The set did conclude with a non-album track, "Light Comes Out of Black," which was originally recorded by Halford and members of Pantera in 1992 for the Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie, it appeared on the film's soundtrack release.

Fight's performance is very good. They perform with reckless abandon, great aggression, and worked like a well-oiled machine. I can only imagine what it must have been like to have been in the crowd.

This DVD also includes some more Fight footage. There is a 1993 commercial for the War of Words album release, footage from the Amsterdam studio they recorded at, video from the album's release party, and footage of Rob bungee jumping in Australia. Closing out the added material is the video made for "Blowout in the Radio Room," from A Small Deadly Space. This additional footage totals roughly 15-minutes.

Bottomline. You couldn't ask for a better collection of Fight tunes (well, they could have added the K5 demo release that came out last year, but that's okay). Four disks filled with Fight excellence. However you want to slice it, this is first-rate, high quality metal. It stands apart from Judas Priest, and should also be remembered for the classic material that it is. So, what are you waiting for? Go get it!

Highly Recommended.

Music DVD Review: Earache My Eye

Way back in the late 1980's Digby Pearson started up a record label called Earache. If all you knew about the label was the name, would you be able to guess what kind of music they released? Come on, I am sure you have a guess. No? They became most identified with death metal, although there were also hardcore acts thrown in the mix, and later more radio-friendly acts like Adema were introduced. Earache also had the occasional genre oddity like Dub War, who specialize in reggae-metal, included. To this day, Earache is a thriving record label, working with distribution through Caroline Records. Their upcoming releases include new albums from Deicide and Carcass

Among the labels releases is this video collection that originally saw the light of say back in 1999. It was a VHS release (DVD was still pretty young at the time), and collected a number of clips from bands on the label. It was a pretty barebones release with simple title cards in between the videos and limited credits. Now fans of Earache bands and the original VHS can relive the past with this 52 minute DVD.

My first impressions of the DVD are not all that favorable. Before you even get to the videos, the main menu has a cheap look and feel to it. There are no bonus features. Considering that fact, I was surprised to find that there was a 5.1 audio mix joining the original stereo. Frankly, I am sure they could have gotten a hold of at least a few of the included bands for some retrospective interview or something, anything.

Once you start the DVD, the cheap feel continues as this looks to be a straight port from a second or third generation VHS tape. The images lack definition; there is virtually no sharpness, and it just does not look all that good. For those fans hoping for a remastering or any sort of cleanup, you will need to keep waiting. As for the audio, it suffers as well, with little definition, often sounding muddied. You will probably be waiting a long time, as I doubt this will see another release for a long time, if ever.

DVD issues aside, one thing that becomes abundantly apparent is that the bands were working with very low budgets. Seriously, some of these videos are pretty corny looking and revolve around band performances in one setting or another. Not that this is a bad thing, but it is definitely interesting to see where they were coming from back in the day.

Funny thing, as I look over the list of videos and as I watched the collection, I discovered that while I am certainly aware of most of the bands, there are very few that I have ever actually listened to. To that end, the only song I can claim 100% that I have listened to before is Entombed's "Wolverine Blues." It was the only Entombed album I ever picked up, and I really like it. Funny thing is that the only reason I picked it up originally was because they had permission from Marvel Comics to have the X-Men's Wolverine on the cover.

Now, let's take a quick tour through the videos:

GODFLESH - "Crush My Soul" (from "Selfless") This is a simple video featuring the band performing against red and black backdrops. It opens with a cock fight, and features a nearly naked man being strapped to a table. I cannot say that it does much for me, but the industrial guitar rhythm became somewhat hypnotic in its repitition.

DUB WAR - "Strike It" (from "Pain") This caught me off-guard. I can honestly say I did not expect reggae-metal. The opening bassline reminded me of something by Urban Dance Squad, but cannot recall which song. This video is pure performance with the band plying near the river in a city (I believe it is NYC). There is not a lot to the video, but I have to admit to really liking the song, it gets under the skin and is near impossible not to groove to.

ENTOMBED - "Wolverine Blues" (from "Wolverine Blues") Opening with the Wolverine album cover "Wolverine Blues" quickly moves to the individual members playing with obviously blue-screened backgrounds with what appear to be Video Toaster effects to transition between them.The song is heavy, brutal, and accompanies a very bad video.

CATHEDRAL - "Hopkins Witchfinder General" (from "Carnival Bizarre") This video is a bit more showy than what has come before and incorporates video clips from the Vincent Price movie Witchfinder General. The video has the band performing with dead tree cutouts in the back and scantily clad "witches" dancing around. The singer looks the transitionary figure between Ozzy Osbourne and The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins. I like the song, and the video is a throwback to the 80's.

NAPALM DEATH - "Greed Killing" (from "Diatribes") Quickly changing gears we jump into the death metal of Napalm Death with a video that seems to be a bit more ambitious than the earlier entries on the disk. It still centers on band performance, but has them being observed, as if in an asylum, by strange be-goggled spectators.

MISERY LOVES CO. - "My Mind Still Speaks" (from "Misery Loves Co.") Prior to this video, I had neither seen nor heard of this band befire, The sound has a bit more of a hardcore edge to itm while still being metal. It, again, centers on band performance, but it weaves in a story of child abuse.

AT THE GATES - "Blinded By Fear" (from "Slaughter Of The Soul") Music picks up in speed and intensity with this band performance video. The band is playing in what looks like an old warehouse. I like this. It is in your face and hard to ignore.

CARCASS - "No Love Lost" (from "Heartwork") Carcass slows down the tempo, but seems to up the evil quotient. This guys voice is quite creepy and makes my skin crawl a little. Voice aside, the chugging music drew me in to the performance.

PITCHSHIFTER - "Underachiever" (from "Infotainment") Stepping away from death metal, this band introduces industrial elements, reminding me of Fear Factory. The video is interesting in how it has some of the lens blocked off to simulate watching a television set through a television set while performing a song about the effects of television and media manipulation. This is a good entry, I should look into these guys a bit more.

SLEEP - "Dragonaut" (from "Sleeps Holy Mountain") A closeup of an amp and a groovy bassline introduce me to Sleep. No, not actual sleep, just the band Sleep. Shot in grainy black and white (although some of the grain may be a result of the poor transfer, the actual intent cannot be discerned), "Dragonaut" has a strong Black Sabbath vibe to it as it grooves along with some evil sounding undertones.

BRUTAL TRUTH - "Godplayer" (from "Need To Control") Industrial metal takes over in this low budget science fiction infected video. Notable for being founded by former Anthrax bassist Dan Lilker, this song lives up to the bands name, it certainly is brutal music, although I found the video to be kind of boring.

FUDGE TUNNEL - "Rudge With AJ" (from "The Complicated Futility Of Ignorance") You have to love that band name. The video follows a bald man in an orange jumpsuit walking around in between band performance clips and sped up images of moving through traffic. There is nothing terribly exciting to be found here.

MEATHOOK SEED - "Famine Sector" (from "Embedded") This is very nearly a straigh up live video. It is compiled primarily of live concert footage with plenty of flashing lights. THis features the worst audio of the DVD, to the point that it was ruined because I was unable to get any idea of what they were doing.

Bottomline. If you are a fan of these bands, it would be worth picking up, but for the casual fan, there are other collections that would be more worth your time (like the Metalmania sets). I would have really appreciated some sort of remastering to make it look and sound at least a little bit better. I understand that being a low interest title, the expense was likely not a priority.

Not Recommended.

DVD Review: Aural Amphetamine - Metallica and the Dawn of Thrash

I am not, never have been, and never will be a metal historian. I would be willing to take that statement a step further and say that I will never be a historian of any sort on any subject. That said, I will always have at least a little knowledge about the subject of music, not much mind you, but enough to get by. I guess this lack of true historical perspective dates back to my initial interest in music. I started late and therefore missed a lot of metal's roots, the fact that I heard any of the true metal of the 80's is thanks to my childhood friend Matt Byrne (now of the band Hatebreed), who was into the heavy stuff. This is where I first heard bands like Slayer, Metallica, Anthrax, Megadeth, Testament, Exodus, Mercyful Fate, Suicidal Tendencies, and others. Still, I did not become a real fan until years later, after I cut my teeth on hair and glam metal. What does that have to do with Aural Amphetamine? Well, it is a documentary concerning itself with the emergence of thrash and the importance that Metallica played in its growth in popularity.

A documentary about metal would seem like an easy thing to do, get yourself some old concert footage, pick a theme, and your done. It's never that easy. When it comes right down to it, making a documentary of any sort is rather difficult. Getting the information together is the easy part, what is difficult is putting it together in a fashion that is entertaining. You have to play to your target audience and not bore them. I am sure you have all seen a documentary that was just a bunch of talking heads, not much fun, just take a look at the majority of those unauthorized band documentaries if you want to see how not to do it. Does Aural Amphetamine make the material watchable? Sort of.

Aural Amphetamine is not a terribly exciting to watch documentary, Metal: A Headbanger's Journey is more entertaining in that regard. This one consists of talking head-style interviews with the occasional band photograph and some concert footage. However, what it lacks in visual excitement, it makes up for with information and quality of interviews. Yes, there are a lot of unfamiliar faces, actually, most of them are unfamiliar, but they are guys that have studied the subject with many, more importantly, having lived it. There are interviews, new and archival, with members of Elixir, Diamond Head, Metallica, Laaz Rockit, as well as other notable personalities, such as a photographer that followed Metallica all through their early years and the author of a Metallica biography.

With the style out of the way, an important part to be certain, but it is not the number one reason to check something like this out, there is the matter of the content. This is where it is important to remember my lack of historical knowledge, as I have to, more or less, accept what I am being fed. In the end, I have to say that the information given here is quite good, offering plenty of historical perspective and logic.

When I sat down to watch this, I was expecting a film that was focused purely on Metallica. I am sure that many of you are expecting the same thing. For those of you who wanted that, I am sorry to have to deliver disappointment, for those of you who did not want that, fear no longer. This is more than an origins of Metallica story. It is more an interesting look at how thrash emerged from the blending of punk and metal, pioneered by bands like Motorhead and Venom, taking cues laid out by the genre's forefathers (who are definitely not thrash) in the form of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, and Led Zeppelin. It looks into this new scene and how it grew organically through tape trading and word of mouth, this is where Metallica comes in.

Metallica took the scene by force, and it is their popularity following the release of Kill'em All that helped push thrash metal to the next level, the national stage. This documentary doesn't try to convince you that Metallica created thrash, I am not sure that argument could successfully be made. Instead, Aural Amphetamine focuses on the importance of Metallica, while the scene was growing, it was the national success of Metallica that helped push thrash forward and open up this style to a new, larger audience.

Audio/Video. Nothing particularly special on either front. The audio is a straight up stereo mix, represents the music well, but is not great by any stretch. The same is true of the video transfer. The full-frame transfer does the job, nothing more, nothing less.

Extras. There is a brief interview with Harald "O", a photographer and musician who photographed the early years of Metallica. There is also a quiz on Metallica that you can take, I did pretty good on it. Finally, there are some text biographies of the participants.

Bottomline. Fans of thrash with an interest in its origins would do well to check this out. It is not the most exciting, but it has plenty of interesting information, some great old footage, and gives insight to the beginnings of a great style of music.

Recommended.