Anthrax-Chile On Hell (Live DVD)

Megaforce Records
2014

Set for release on September 16, 2014, "Chile On Hell", which will be made available on both Blu-ray and DVD, is a live-in-concert release from Anthrax that was filmed at the Teatro Caupolican in Santiago, Chile on May 10, 2013. Recorded at the tail end of the "Worship Music" tour and mere weeks after the band had issued the covers EP, "Anthems", "Chile On Hell" is arguably the best representation that one can get of this thrash metal act live outside of catching one of their performances for yourself! I can confidently say that as nine months prior to the band's performance in south America I had the pleasure of catching Anthrax's set at the 2012 Mayhem Festival with an old work friend and his teenage son! On that occasion Anthrax simply smoked through classic numbers while simultaneously showing off the utter strength of their new material in a live setting. With "Chile On Hell" the band effortlessly does the exact same thing only better! Thanks to a highly energetic and enthusiastic crowd and the stellar work of guest lead guitarist Jon Donais (Shadows Fall) the "Worship Music" number "Fight 'Em 'Til You Can't" ends up having the same amount of fiery magic as early Anthrax tracks such as "Among The Living", "Caught In A Mosh" and "I Am The Love"! As he is in fine form here (sounding for all the world as good as he did the summer before hand when Rob Caggiano was still in the line-up) no over-dubs were needed in the case of Anthrax front-man Joey Belladonna. For his age (and the wear and tear that his voice has likely suffered since first joining the band in 1984!) Joey still rocks the mic duties while doing it with the same class and style that he has always been known for! Meanwhile the rest of his band-mates prove that there is still plenty of spring left in their steps. Scott Ian, who continues to be one of metal's most underrated guitarists, plays like he never ages while the rhythm section of Frank Bello (bass, backing vocals, co-lead vocals on the always appreciated "I'm The Man"!) and Charlie Benante (drums) threaten to blow the Teatro Caupolican into a billion tiny pieces! Thanks to the excellent production skills of Jay Ruston "Chile On Hell" unfolds as if you are right there. And that would be right there in the middle of one of the most intense crowds imaginable! When Anthrax rolls out the fan-favorites "I Am The Law", "Madhouse", "Indians" and "Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.)" the crowd leaps to it's feet and shares the love for this long-lasting New York metal band. Scott Ian (rhyme guitar, backing vocals) and Joey Belladonna (lead vocals) fill in the pauses with friendly chatter, but you can just tell that these hungry fans were there let loose and get down as "In The End", "I'm Alive", "A Skeleton In The Closet" and "Medusa" drives everyone crazy! "Fight 'Em 'Til You Can't" shows how Anthrax still has a stake in the game while "Indians", "Madhouse" and "Caught In A Mosh" show just how far you can come while still holding firm to your humble beginnings. Meanwhile cover versions of S.O.D.'s "March Of The S.O.D.", Trust's "Antisocial' and AC/DC's "T.N.T." offer portraits of the many faces this band wears while the medley "I'm The Man / Raining Blood" pays tribute to a fallen comrade. In-between all of the original numbers and cover tracks the viewer is treated to a variety of clips from the band members themselves as well as fellow musicians, critics and friends all of whom double as fans. All in all "Chile On Hell" proves itself worthy of the Anthrax name as it shows many different facets of this long-loved band from onstage (where Scott, Joey and the rest of Anthrax simply shred through new and classic songs and covers with fire still bubbling hot in their bellies!) to off (it's cool listening to Dave Ellefson of Megadeth wax nostalgic about his favorite Anthrax song!) and it does it in a very honest and sincere way. Not once does Anthrax ever come across as anything but humble as it painfully obvious how much they love their fans and the scene which they share with Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer. While it would be easy enough to be cynical about yet another live DVD (whether from Anthrax or in general) this one definitely has more than it's fair share of positives including the fact that it is A) well-produced so that it looks and sounds spectacular! B) it offers an expansive overview of Anthrax's career so far C) it features a choice cover of "T.N.T." by AC/DC (a fave band of mine as well as Ian!) who are, alongside the Ramones and Motörhead, one band that I always appreciate getting the royal treatment! D) the small tribute that is paid to Slayer's fallen guitarist Jeff Hanneman is a nice touch and finally E) it will retail for the very reasonable price of $16.98! Yes, fans will have to wait a little while longer to purchase a copy of this excellent live-in-concert release from Anthrax, but on the plus side it will be well-worth the wait. In the meantime be sure to check out the DVD's trailer here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utFoyZLPHvQ&feature=youtu.be

Madder Than A Full Moon Dog

Starjack Entertainment
2013

Forget Bloodstock Open Air, the Download Festival or even the Sonisphere Festival. For my money there's only one festival in the whole of the U.K. that I now have on my bucket-list and that's the Full Moon Dog Festival! This 2013 film, which carries the fitting tag-line "A film more nasty than a dose of pox -- a 'moment in time' in British rock history", serves as a remarkable documentary of the 2012 Full Moon Dog Festival that took place at at The Cockpit venue in Leeds. This annual festival helps keep the memory of Asomvel founder/front-man Jay-Jay Winter (tragically killed in a road accident in 2010) alive while simultaneously highlighting some of the true heavy weights of the British hard rock and heavy scene and giving new, up-and-coming bands a chance to showcase their skills in a live setting. Directed and co-produced by the amazing Deborah Robinson (Winter's sister and the wife of Asomvel' guitarist Lenny Robinson) and featuring  live footage of not only Asomvel, but the one and only Orange Goblin, this documentary is filled with so much heavy metal goodness it's hard to know where to even start! As I just mentioned the live footage let's start there. Besides Asomvel (whose song "Full Moon Dog" was not only used as the title of this UK festival, but also opens up the live footage on this disc!) and the almighty Orange Goblin (who prove once more why they are true legends!) we're treated to live cuts from Mercenary, Dark Forrest, Eliminator and Stiletto Farm (just to name a few). Now, while the official trailer to this cool documentary calls this a "film that your parents will hate" I actually watched a good chunk of this film with my own teenagers and we all found something different to enjoy about it. When you stop and consider the fact that these are two teenagers who (these days at least) are more into Top 40 then rock music (I know, where did I go wrong?) then that says a lot about how well-constructed this documentary is! And with my 15 year old daughter now showing interest in the music of both Stiletto Farm (which incidentally feature's Deborah's oldest son Steven (aka: Stel) on guitars and lead vocals!) and Dark Forrest I consider it time well spent together as a family! Speaking of which, "Madder Than A Full Moon Dog" comes across as a real family affair not only in the sense of all of the various family members involved, but also in the way in which all of the other bands and the fans themselves come together to honor the memory of the late Jay-Jay Winter. There is an abundance lot of love and respect shown towards both Jay-Jay Winter and his band Asomvel and this documentary does a wonderful job of showing how much of an impact this sorely-missed musician had on everyone he came into contact with. That of course brings up another cool aspect of this film and that is the various back-stage interviews. It's a bit of a toss up as to which I enjoyed more, Orange Goblin's numerous backstage chats or the various cuts with Asomvel's own Conan. They both present different perspectives of Jay-Jay Winter's impact on the scene, but I'm actually going to give the nod of approval towards Conan as this (appropriately-nicknamed) big man/vocalist/bassist offers up great insight as to how Jay-Jay influenced him. This ex-Deathwing bassist turned formidable front-man is (more or less) the host of this whole event and if you thought he inspired fear and respect on Asomvel's latest release "Knuckle Duster" then you should hear him take full-command of Asomvel classic cuts like "Full Moon Dog" and "Stone Cold Stare" in a live-setting! Hot damn this guy is a mad beast on the mic! I've got no doubt that somewhere Jay-Jay Winter is smiling on in approval and content in the knowledge that his heavy metal brothers are carrying on the mission that he started so many years ago! Without giving too much more away (as there are more then a few neat surprises to be found within this documentary!) here is the track-listing for this DVD:

 ·"Full Moon Dog"- Asomvel
· "Stone Cold Stare" - Asomvel
· "Death before Dishonour" - Stiletto Farm
· "Black Shadow" - Mercenary
· "The Wizard of Alderley Edge" - Dark Forest
· "Stand for Something" - Orange Goblin
· "We Rule the Night" - Eliminator
· "Drudgery" - Asomvel
· "Black Trinity" - Triaxis
· "Round Up the Horses" - Orange Goblin
· "Tales of the Ost" - Stuka Squadron
· "Blow Me" - Screaming Eagles
· "They Come Back" - Orange Goblin
· "Womb to the Tomb" – Asomvel

As I'm relatively new to the party that is Asomvel (I just discovered them this past year, but now have an overwhelming desire to acquire their whole back-catalog so any help from fellow fans/collectors in that regard would be greatly appreciated!) I can't really say they sound better then ever. Still, they absolutely killed it on their few live cuts as did Orange Goblin! Stiletto Farm are another band that just recently crossed my path (you can check out my review of their latest single at the link below), but their live cut, "Death before Dishonour", showed exactly why I find them to be one of the more new and exciting heavy rock bands out there! Mercenary, Eliminator and Dark Forest all prove more then capable of keeping the metal spirit alive and well and left me with quite the dilemma. How do I possibly go about adding all of these group's to my personal music collection without breaking the bank? And that definitely goes for Triaxis as well. Winning the "Where have you been all my life" award for best new female-fronted heavy metal band this UK-based act is lead by the stunning Krissie Kirby and provides further proof that "Madder Than A Full Moon Dog" is one hell of a cool DVD to add to your personal collection! Off-hand I can't think of anyway in which this documentary could have been made better although I do wish that the DVD set would have come with an optional digital download of the various live performances. That's a minor gripe though and takes nothing away from this fitting tribute to the remarkable Jay-Jay Winter. After watching this DVD I find myself more determined then ever to travel overseas. With the 2013 Full Moon Dog festival having just wrapped-up I now have a year to try to plan a trip over for the enviable 2014 event. Like I really needed another reason to visit the U.K.other then Dr. Who, but I digress! How I'll pull if off though is the real question, but with Asomvel and their extended "family" (Stiletto Farm and Stone Cold Kill) headlining the scene over there it's one journey that I'd move heaven and earth to accomplish! In the meantime I'll be doing my best to uncover new British hard rock and heavy metal bands to share with all of you our faithful readers and I wholeheartedly encourage everyone who loves British metal to check out this well-crafted documentary! You can find out more about it here:
http://www.madderthanafullmoondog.com/

Read my review of Stiletto Farm's latest release here:
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/search?q=stiletto+farm 

Check out my review of Asomvel's "Knuckle Duster":
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/search?q=Asomvel-Knuckle+Duster

Nomad Son-First Light / Pilgrimages of Doom

Metal on Metal Records
2013

For those of you who do not know the name Nomad Son, or have yet to read my review of the group's latest studio-album "The Darkening" (link below), then perhaps a (brief) history lesson is in order. First formed in 2006 by Forsaken bassist Albert Bell, and filled out by members of the classic rock/progressive rock band Frenzy Mono!*, this doom metal group recorded a 2-track demo in 2007 (which went unreleased although both of the songs on it, "Shallow Grave" and "Empyrean Fade", were later included on a promo compilation by Metal On Metal Records) before releasing their debut-album, "First Light", in the summer of 2008. My first exposure to the group came by way of the Metal On Metal Records' promotional compilation, "Compendium Of Metal Vol. 5", with their track "Can’t Turn The Tide" (also available on the group's sophomore recording, "The Eternal Return"). Otherwise my first true "full-length" exposure to Nomad Son came from hearing, and then obviously reviewing, 2013's "The Darkening". That's an important distinction to understand so that when I say that I recommend this expanded re-release (of the initially out-of-print "First Light") solely for the excellent "Pilgrimages of Doom" side it's not taken the wrong way. Had I taken the natural journey with this Malta-based band from "First Light" all the way to "The Darkening" then I would have seen the natural evolution of this 5-piece act. Unfortunately I went about things backwards so, while "First Light" is a good album and (in retrospect) a fine starting point for Nomad Son, it simply pales in comparison to the group's killer album "The Darkening". However, it does effectively show what the band's initial intentions were when they first put together this act and how (over the course of three distinctly different albums) how they achieved their goal. In that respect it's a good listen. Alright, with that part out of the way let's dive right into the real joy of this re-release, the "Pilgrimages of Doom" DVD! When the idea of re-releasing the out-of-print "First Light" first came up the guys in Nomad Light decided to add in this special bonus so that both fans and newcomers alike would get maximum enjoyment out the product. And I'll tell you what folks, maximum enjoyment is an understatement as far as how much I enjoyed the DVD side of this one! The DVD side is just jam-packed with goodies (up to and) including professional, multi-camera live footage taken of the band between 2009 and 2011 (which really impressed me!), an interview with the band from when they played at Headbangers Open Air XII festival, a slide show and more! Here's the actual run-down as clipped from the Metal Archives with a few comments (marked by **) thrown in for good measure on my end:

Tracks 1-5 taken from Hammer of Doom VI festival (29th October 2011, Wuerzburg, Germany)

**Right up front I have to say that I was not expected the band to be as good live as they were on tape. Now that might sound bad I realize, but consider the fact that far too many bands these days get really doctored up thanks to extreme studio measures. Consider Black Sabbath for a moment. While their latest album sounds sharp enough and nice and clean it is painfully obvious how much of it is spit-shined. Especially as live footage of the group these days requires the listener to overlook just how awful Ozzy sounds in person! With Nomad Son you have a band that I'm now able to see and appreciate in a new light . The group's live material is tight and the group comes across as if the music is simply a natural expansion of their inner souls.

Tracks 6-13 taken from Doomsday IV festival (12th February 2011, Wakefield, UK)

** The band covers "Relentless" by Pentagram here. As one of their influences it's a cool number to hear Nomad Son play!

Tracks 14 and 16 taken from Headbangers Open Air XII festival warm-up show (22nd July 2009, Planet Alsen, Itzehoe, Germany)

** And another Pentagram cover shows up in "Sign of the Wolf"! Nice, very nice...

Track 15 - interview with the band at Headbangers Open Air XII festival, hosted by Andreas "Neudi" Neuderth (Streetclip.tv)

**This is quite nice as well.

Track 17 and 18 taken from Doom Shall Rise VII festival (10th April 2010, Goeppingen, Germany)

** In this clip we get a Trouble cover with "At the End of My Daze". So, two bands that have greatly influenced the development of this Malta act get covered! Nothing wrong with that at all!

Track 19 - taken from the band's appearance on "Generation" TV show (11th March 2009, on Maltese TV)

So yes, my observation of this re-release is pretty straight-forward. The thing is even if you have "First Light" already the bonus DVD, which is something like 2+ hours in length!, makes it well worth the money to pick it up again! Nomad Son sound AMAZING in a live setting and it's my goal now to try to see this group for myself before it's all said and done. And even if the band does get tagged as "doom metal" it's simply much more then that. Here's a band that usages Hammond organs and one which set out with the sole purpose of combining not only their shared love of band's like Black Sabbath, but their personal influences which includes classic bands like Uriah Heep! As the members all have different backgrounds in music and comes from all of these different walks of life they are able to combine these different elements not only on tape, but also in a live setting! And the one other thing that the DVD does is make me appreciate their new album even more! This is (simply put) one of the better "new" bands today in the doom metal scene and a huge reason for that is because with Nomad Son you've got a band that chooses to walk within the scene while also walking outside of it. This re-releases CD/DVD combo really helps to tell another part of the story of just who Nomad Son is and why they are destined to play an even bigger part in the future of doom metal. You can find out more about this must-own item here:
 http://metal-on-metal.com/albums/noma...
* I must credit Leif Krigen (Metal Squadron Mag) for the in-depth and highly informative interview he did with bassist Albert Bell. Prior to reviewing this CD/DVD, as (long story short) it took me sometime to find a proper device that would play this import releases' DVD side, I had read over the interview several times and found out a lot of useful information that I hadn't know before. I've included the link for the interview below as it is a good read for fans of Nomad Son and newcomers alike!
http://metalsquadron.com/2013/10/16/nomad-son-passion-for-hammond/


http://www.metal-on-metal.com
http://www.facebook.com/metalonmetalr...
http://www.metalonmetalrecords.bandca...

http://www.facebook.com/NomadSonMt
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zt0NG7zAkGw

Review of "The Darkening"
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/search?q=Nomad+Son-The+Darkening+ 

Stryper-Live In Indonesia At Java Rockin' Land

MVD
2012

Christian hard rock act Stryper were filmed at this huge festival in Indonesia two years ago. It was reported that it was a last minute addition to their touring schedule, but the band and their management did what they had to for making it happen. Here we have the line-up that played on all of their well know 80's albums as bassist Tim Gaines returned in 2009 after being out of the band for a few years. The set list is also made up of mostly 80's tracks with cuts like "The Rock that makes me roll", "Loud n' clear", "Honestly". Yes, the band is still is still wearing yellow and black outfits only now they are a bit more subtle about their attire. My favorite things about Stryper are that Robert Sweet is a very solid drummer. I have heard it more in the various projects he has done with guitarist Bill Menchen, but you can hear and definitely see it in this performance with Stryper as well. I always felt that Michael Sweet and Oz Fox were a slightly overlooked guitar duo as both were competent and even impressive at times on their solos. One of the major drawbacks of Stryper for me was too many sappy, slow songs. I know that some of those were there most known hits, but they never appealed that much to me. Every hard rock act back in the day seem to have felt the need to tack on at least one power ballad, but Stryper always seemed to put more than one of their albums and for me it slowed down the momentum of their albums. Another part of Stryper that I had trouble with was how high Michael Sweet's vocals could be. He was always in tune, but at times this approach took away from the overall heaviness of their songs. Let's get into this 2010 performance. This was a huge festival and the sound and camera people do a great job of capturing the excitement of an event of such proportions. The first thing that I noticed right away was that Michael Sweet was a much more charismatic frontman than I would have thought. He is very natural and relaxed, but also engaging with the crowd. In between songs he jokes about how 80's glam bands looked and about what MTV has become. Unlike other 80's hard rocks that are now middle aged there is no attempt to act like they are still in their 20's and be the aging rocker. Instead what we get from Sweet and the rest of the band is straight forward show of solid hard rock delivered to the best of their abilities. In listening to Stryper's 80's albums I always felt the production could have been a bit more full in tone on their heavier tracks. On occasion it felt like they were playing music that but someone behind the knobs turned the music down a bit. On this show you get to here some of what you may have been missing on those studio versions for all these years. Stryper managed to act natural, look natural and play their songs about as good as I have heard them. I didn't go into this DVD expecting to be that impressed, but I was indeed impressed. Since the time this concert was filmed the band has released the very likable 2011 cover album "The Covering" and they continue to tour. I was glad to see a veteran hard rock look like they still had something left to give.

Ozzy Osbourne-Speak of the devil DVD

Eagle Vision
1982/2012

Not to be confused with the live album that had all Black Sabbath tunes, this DVD is from a show that was filmed at Irvine Meadows, California on Junee 12, 1982. The show was also shown on MTV on Halloween back in 1982. So we know the back story for this. That being that guitarist Randy Rhoads was tragically killed in a plane crash in early 1982. This also happened shortly after Ozzy had begun his tour in support of 1981's Diary of a Madman. Ozzy decided to soldier on and continue the tour. By the time this show was filmed Brad Gillis (Night Ranger) was Ozzy's guitarist. Filling out the live band were Rudy Sarzo on bass,tommy Aldridge on drums and Don Airey on keyboards. The set list relies heavily on material from Ozzy's solo debut "Blizzard of Ozz". There are also a few songs from Diary of a madman and a few Sabbath songs towards the end of the set. The video and audio quality are similar to that of a VHS tape, but I'll cut them some slack since the show was filmed 30 years ago. Let's get the negative out of the way first and then we'll get to the positive. Brad Gillis had some huge footsteps to fill following Randy Rhoads and trying to handle Tony Iommi's riffs on the few Sabbath classics that are on here. He handles the rhythms well enough, but his solos are rather average. As I said I am sure it was tough to follow Rhoads, but when I compare how Gillis plays the Rhoads/Ozzy tunes and the Sabbath tracks I fins myself thinking that he tries his best go note by note on the rhythms with no real music personality of his own. Perhaps he was told not to improvise, but either way his playing is rather average. It's not Brad Gillis' name that appears in great big letters on the front of this DVD so the madman himself is open for some criticism as well. This was during a time where Ozzy was probably living pretty wild and I am sure the death of Randy Rhoads took it's toll on him as well. He looks extremely tired here and it's funny to realize that even thirty years ago Ozzy moved like an old man as he shuffled about across a limited range on the set. I am not sure if his struggles with getting the mic in the stand was due to the equipment iteself or Ozzy not being sober, but either way he struggles and fiddles with said equipment all through the show. Now that the gripes are out of the way lets get to why this disc is worth seeing. There is a lack of spectacular solos and the keyboards being more prominent than needed on a few songs, but other that is an overall tight set with a solid song selection. Ozzy's band sticks in there and show a considerable amount of enthusiasm all the way through. Ozzy himself sounds in good form. He may look and move like he was on his last leg, but his vocals were all that I hoped for. Despite looking fatigued he sure doesn't get tired as the show goes on, in fact he gets stronger and sounded even better as he went along. The stage set is a parts of a huge castle which look great even though we know Ozzy isn't going to be doing any running around out there. Maybe this shows my age, but I really liked the simple camera work that was typical of that time. There are only a few cameras and no quick cuts. I felt like I was really to getting to see a lot this way as opposed to some videos of recents years where they switch angles every few seconds. Ozzy wasn't perfect on this set, but he was good and seeing this show I am reminded of why he once held in such high regard in the metal community once upon a time.

Rose Tattoo-Live in 1993 from Boggo Road Jail

MVD Visual
2012

What was going on in the music world in 1993? Seems like there was a bunch of grunge and alternative bands moving to the forefront of the scene over here. However one music event of note was taking place on the other side of the world. Rose Tattoo had reformed to open for Guns -n- Roses and they also played at an event to celebrate the closing of the Boggo Road Jail. This DVD is from that show. What a show it is. This band has always been compared to AC/DC and rightfully so with the sound being similar in it's basic style. However AC/DC lightened up after a few years while Rose Tattoo stayed very raw. The heart of their music really shines through in this show from almost twenty years ago. They plow through some great songs including "Assault and battery", "Rock  -n- roll is king", "One of the boys" and "Tramp". I tried to think of highlights, but really the whole show is highlights. There are no filler, no off moments just a down and dirty rock band hitting on all cylinders. The thing hits me most watching them in this show was it's like a big party as far as the relationship between the band and their fans. This isn't some rock stars putting on a big, it's just a band and it's fans feeding off of each other's energy and that's how it should be. The sound and video quality are decent. My only complaint was for about the first half of the show we kept getting the same angles of the crowd. This was a big show with a wide area to film from, surely they had more cameras capturing the action, but that's a minor complaint. This was a heck of a show from a band that hasn't always gotten it's due outside of their home country. It's also hard to believe that both guitarists who played on this show-Peter Wells and Mick Cocks have both since passed away. So this DVD is definitely worth seeing to view this line-up giving their all.

Iron Maiden-En Vivo!

DVD
Universal
2012

Iron Maiden have several years between studio albums, but part of that is due to their extensive touring schedules. Of course they have released plenty of live CDs and DVDs along the way. Now we get En Vivo! take from a show on April 10th, 2011 when Maiden played in Chile's Estadio Nacional in Santiago in front of 50,000 fans. Iron Maiden have been around for well over three decades and they have been through ups and downs. However age hasn't slowed them down and the last decade has seen them get back close to the form they were in during the 1980's. Maiden fans have come to expect that live this band will go all out in stage show and performance. For this band it's never been about ego, but instead it's always been about giving their all in performing the music they believe in. Despite some less than great albums here and there over the years they still manage to shine live, they always have. The first disc on this set is the live show. Since this was the Final Frontier tour several tracks from that album are included in the first 2/3 of the set plus we get Eddie as an alien and a space ship stage set. When the DVD begins we hear the intro "Satellite 15" from "The Final Frontier", but on the DVD they show lots of clips of the band's stage being set-up and the fans waiting and then finally getting to enter the stadium. It does a fine job of setting up the excitement and then the band launches into the title track from the last album. As always the band is full of energy and let all that go into their performance. I'll just list a few of the highlights for me. "The trooper" is always highlight of any Maiden set. Bruce comes out in an army jacket waiting the British flag as band tears into this song. "The wicker man" isn't always one of my favorite Maiden songs, but they really go at it here and the crowd eats it up. "The evil that men do" is an incredible song and the performance here is tight plus we get to witness the sea of fans going crazy for it. "Hallowed by thy name" is a classic with it's haunting feel. It always translates well live as well as the tension builds gradually within the song. The sound quality is excellent, I don't think it could have been better. Bruce is slightly off in pitch on a few songs, but that's natural and I am glad they left rather than editing it to be perfect. The picture quality is sharp and consistent. I love the crowd shots that really capture the mood and the chaos. The lighting really allowed for some great shots. My only complaint here is when they go to split screen and try to cram several images into the screen at once. For me that doesn't work as well as a single image. I don't mind cutting quickly to different shots, I appreciate that. However give us one image on the screen, we want detail not little shots crammed in together. That doesn't help the viewing experience at all. Still this is a great show and the band shows they still have a lot to give. The main feature on the second disc is an 88 minute documentary called "Behind the beast". This shows all the background work that goes into getting ready for the tour and in keeping the shows going. We see a lot of the unsung heroes that help these shows get ready and keep them going. I found it quite interesting to learn all the details and preparation that goes into a production this size. They talk to roadies, sound people and more. I think this documentary shows the dedication of Maiden and their crew towards in giving the best show they can. The documentary covers the preparation for travel through the filming of this show to the end of the tour and several shows along the way. The pacing and all the different aspects they cover help it to be interesting. The second disc also includes the video and making of for "Satellite 15/The final Frontier" plus a world tour show introduction.Live Maiden releases are frequent, but the great audiences and extras like "Behind the beast" make this is essential for Maiden fans.

Raymond did it

R Squared Films Inc.
2011

Raymond did it is an independent film that was directed, produced and written by Travis Legge.
The plot revolves around mentally challenged Raymond. Raymond is getting picked on and his brother Bryce tries to protect him. Bad girl Paige shoves Bryce and he ends up getting killed. Paige quickly invents a story to blame it on Raymond. Three others in the group go along with that idea. Only Tammy shows some compassion for Raymond. Fast forward six years and Raymond has been locked away for years and the rest of the group have kept the secret to themselves. As you can probably guess Raymond escapes and goes after all those responsible for causing him to be locked away. Obviously this film was influenced by the liked of Halloween and Prom Night. Even the score sounds kind of like Halloween. When I first saw the part when the characters as young teens I thought the acting was quite horrible. Fortunately their older counterparts are better with the acting ranging from acceptable to good. Lindsay Felton (Scream Queens) as Tammy is probably the top stand out as she is troubled by what happened and still feels sympathy for Raymond. Kyle Hoskins plays Raymond and even though he doesn't have many lines he handles his roll well enough plus and at six foot five and sporting a bulky frame he makes an imposing figure. The body count is fairly low and you get a few simple almost cheap killings, but some strange ones too. Raymond manages to turn a lawn mower, a washing machine, a bong and a shower curtain rod (yikes) all into lethal weapons. The effects and make-up on the more brutal killings is pretty well done. So the characters who set up Raymond all at one time or another drink, do drugs and have sex so traditional horror movie lets us know they'll get theirs soon. One aspect of the film I liked was that when the group finds out Raymond has escaped they don't panic too much. Instead lead by the always evil and selfish Paige, three of them plus Paige's dope head boyfriend decide prepare for Raymond and get him before he gets them. I liked the is aspect because it made me dislike them even more because they never felt remorse and they were going to put Raymond away for good. That plan almost works except of course they never make sure he's dead before tossing the body away and Raymond comes back angrier than before. So there are plenty of good points to this film, but there are some holes too. While the action parts and characters are generally good the dialog and pacing has some problems. A lot of the parts in between the action just felt like throwaway dribble that very little. There were times where characters rattle on while they sit on the couch. These parts don't advance the story nor do they add to the characters, but instead I got the impression that filmmaker Legge realized he needed to stretch the film some to get it to feature length. So even though he may have been chomping at the bit to bring Raymond in, Legge needed to pad the film some so he quickly scribbled how some nonsense and had the already unlikable characters chew on those lines for a while. My other major complaint *spoiler alert* involved the final confrontation between Raymond and Paige. Given that Raymond knew she was the leader behind framing him and how brutal the killings were on the others involved I expected Raymond to get his revenge in grand form. Instead Paige throws a fit, jumps Raymond and he breaks her neck in a not so believable fashion. That part could and should have been much better. Overall a decent film though. The ending leaves things open for a sequel so we'll see if that ever comes about. The DVD also includes a making , a trailer and Raymond's song.

Death-Live in Japan 1995

XXL Media
DVD
2010


This concert was filmed in Tokyo for television back in 1995. Chuck Schuldiner's band was touring in support of their outstanding "Symbolic" album and they present 13 tracks. The visual quality isn't the greatest as the band often just wrapped in fuzzy hues of various colors. The camera angles are limited, but steady. I guess I have to take their word for it that this show is filmed in Tokyo because we never get to see the crowd except the backs of some heads in the dark. The sound quality however is quite decent and consistent. Schuldiner himself comes across as rather between songs and he keeps the banter to a minimum mostly just saying thank you and announcing song titles. Then when the songs begin he goes through a Jekyll and Hyde transformation as he becomes this seething, growling metal monster. The band as a whole are extremely tight, but Schuldiner is undoubtedly the center of attention as his hands are all over his guitar as he rips and tears out chunky riffs while belting out some beastly vocals. Death were not just one of the originators of the death metal sound because unlike a number of bands Death progressed over the years. They not only defined the death metal sound, but pushed the boundaries of the genre as well. This show is a testament to that fact as they knock out simple straight forward killers and more complex musical assaults as well. Just a few of the highlights include Crystal Mountain, Flattening of emotions, Empty Words and Open Casket. Really all the songs are tremendous. Definitely a DVD worth checking out.

Primal Fear-All over the world

Frontiers
2010

For the most part live DVDs are normally hit or miss with me and I normally know what I am going to think about about the DVD fairly early in the show. Going by the above it didn't take long for me to realize that Primal Fear were just as good live as they are in the studio. In fact they are likely even better live. The main part of the DVD was recorded in Switzerland but there is more footage from shows in the USA, Japan and Brazil. Which explains why the DVD is called "All over the world", but live CD is called "In The USA" because it was all recorded in the states. The track listing on both are actually very similar with the DVD having three tracks not on the CD. Seeing them live on this show allows the band to state their case even more than on the recently released CD. They take the stage like a storm and never let up. Ralf Scheepers brings his Rob Halford style vocals to new heights and always seemed in control. His stage presence is undeniable as he has the crowd eating out of his hands the whole time. The music is loud as thunder and the band plows through tracks "Nuclear Fire", "Riding the eagle", "Metal is Forever" and more. The cameras focus on the action and catch reactions of the fans at the same time. The DVD also includes several videoclips, scenes from tours in the above mentioned countries and the making of 16.6. "All over the world" shows Primal Fear at their best and includes lots of material for fans to enjoy.

Blaze Bayley-The night that will not die

Blaze Bayley recordings
2009

I reviewed the CD version of this a few months ago and quite honestly I was blown away by that. The DVD was filmed on December 13, 2008 at Z7 in Pratteln, Switzerland. I never thought Blaze was a great fit in Iron Maiden, but that was as much the band as his was him. However it's very clear that he has written better material after Maiden than he did with them. He also found his own niche and recruited an absolutely fantastic band. This set consists mainly of Blaze's solo material although there are a few tunes from his brief stint in Maiden tossed as well. The venue looks packed and the fans are completely into what is going on here and no wonder because the band comes on like a storm and never lets up. The between songs banter is kept to a minimum with Bayley normally just saying the song title and then they rip into the next song. The exception being before the final song when he talks about fans needing to know how to use their own camera before taking a picture and stating that he will be in the back signing autographs and then off to the bar for drinks with anyone that wanted to go with him. The band is relentless and extremely tight as they just weave and pound their way through every song. I obviously missed out by not keeping up with all the solo albums from Blaze because the material is very heavy and catchy. Bayley himself sounds great and it is remarkable to think that this was recording no long after his wife's death. However he kept marching on doing what he started which his credit. The sound and visual quality are rich and exactly what they should be. This live DVD and the recently released CD have certainly made a believer out of me and I am looking forward to Blaze's next outing.

Blue Cheer-Rocks Europe

Rainman
2009

If I had to describe Blue Cheer in one word it would likely be "volume". That's the first word that comes to mind when I think about this band because their straight ahead sound always hinged on assaulting one's ears by just being so overwhelmingly loud. Of course a lot has changed over the last forty some years for both this band and heavy music. Whether they intended to or not, this San Francisco trio certainly played a major part in shaping what would become heavy metal. With their simple yet massive riffs, pounding beats and thumping bass lines they transforming heavy music while other bands were still trying to figure which direction to head to. These guys are still rolling on as they released "What doesn't kill you" back in 2007. It wasn't perfect, but they certainly showed enough of the old firepower. This DVD was recorded in Bonn, Germany back in April of 2008. At this point in their career there isn't a lot of moving around or between tracks banter, but instead it's really just the band, their instruments and the fans. That's enough because it doesn't take long to realize that this band still has enough of the magic in their blood to make this exciting. Blue Cheer always had that love for basic blues rock in many of their songs, but it's easy to forget that just do the layers of heaviness that they pile on top. The band gets better with each song and you can hear them becoming more comfortable as the set goes on. This band deserves to be called legendary due to their contributions, but you wouldn't know from their attitude. It's still just three guys playing the kind of music they and letting the fans soak it in. The show comes to a head on the final two songs on "Doctor Please" and even more on "Hunter". They just start peeling and tossing out beats and crazy riffs all over the place all the while making it look easy. The sound quality of the show certainly does the band justice as they managed to capture all the textures and loudness of the band. Now it did seem that they capture too many of the same camera angles and they flashed faster than needed at times. I also wished they had showed more of the fans than just the backs of their heads. The disc also includes commentary and an interview with Dickie Peterson plus a slide show and other special features. Really a fine disc that lets us know that Blue Cheer are not only still kicking, but still capable knocking out a show of massive proportions.

Iron Maiden-Flight 666

Universal
DVD
2009

We all age unfortunately, but some age better than others. Iron Maiden’s prime was back in the 1980’s going on that great run of the first seven albums. The 90’s was a far more inconsistent decade for this band, but “Brave new world” in 2000 showed some life. The last two releases have seen the band not only come back to form, but actually re-establish themselves. Even now almost thirty years after their debut there is something about this band that makes seem very genuine, but at the same time we are in awe of them because of all that they represent. This two disc set documents their “Somewhere back in time tour” that took place back in early 2008. The first disc documents the journey itself and the second disc is a performance with each song being filmed in a different city on the tour. At this point in my life a film about the behind the scenes part of a band’s tour would not interest me much at all. However, this is Maiden and even something that may be dull or routine with other bands is bound to be extraordinary with them. This film is no exception. This film isn’t just about the band, it’s also about their music, the fans and the impact the band has had upon their fans. That is as it should because all of these elements are part of what makes this band great. Maiden’s source of transportation is their plane piloted of course by Bruce Dickinson. The image of this machine in flight with the mummified Eddie on the tail fin is astounding. The band seem much more mortal now than they did twenty years ago. I mean we know they have aged, but we get to see the fatigue set in with different members during this grueling tour. It’s not a weakness though, but instead it makes them even greater when we see them work through their problems. Even when they are tired or banged up like when Nicko receives a huge bruise on his wrist from a stray golf ball, they still get fired up and charge out there like it was 1985 all over again. We knew all that though. Where this film really succeeds is in showing the fans. We see the piles of screaming fans at every stop. Then we get the individual fan stories like the young fan in Costa Rica who talked about Maiden's stop being "the thing" and the fan in Colombia who says Maiden's visit was every metal fan's dream or the guy in Japan who says that the great thing is that the band has never lost their spirit. All of these show the passion and respect that the fans have. The band is just as charged as they ever were and the fans are equally fired up no matter where the band goes. Maiden never fell into acting or thinking they were rock stars because they were too busy concentrating on the music and the tours. That's a large part of what has made them so great. Steve Harris sums it up late in the film when he says "It's all about the music and I think the people know that". Indeed we do know that and seeing them go through 23 shows in six and a half weeks and still sound great just adds to their legacy.
Disc two is Maiden live with 16 tracks plus the Churchhill's Speech introduction. The venues vary from arenas to outdoor stadiums. Always the fans are bouncing, screaming and singing along to "Powerslave", "Moonchild", "Heaven can wait" and all of the other selections. The band are just as excited as their fans. Comparing this to last year's re-issue of the fantastic "Live after death" is interesting. Almost 25 years later and Bruce is still running all over the place, Harris plays the bass without looking, the guitarists are amazing while making it look easy and Nicko look like an octopus with arms swinging everywhere. Just flat out fantastic performers who keep going at it with everything they have. I didn't need to see this stunning two disc set to know that Iron Maiden are the best metal band of all time, but it's still a must see for all fans.

Hades-Bootlegged in Boston, 1988

Cruz Del Sur
2008

This is DVD contains a rather raw recording of Hades playing nine tracks live twenty years ago. The bootlegged part of the title is no lie as the sound and picture quality are at best rather crude. We are treated to the show as filmed by someone who close to the stage, but off to the left and with a bit of an orange haze hanging around the picture for most of the show. Diehard fans are going to love it because it captures the band playing at their peak. Hades played a style of metal that was caught between classic metal like Maiden and the popular thrash of the times. They could play, but for me they really just decent at best. The talent was evident, but Hades just came across as a band who would have benefit ted from letting loose more often. They were one of those bands who were kind of on the brink of being really good, but they didn't push enough. Still this show back to a time when metal like this was still thriving as the band and the audience are feeding off of one another. Of course being a bootleg it's the view the whole time which gets a little old because I kept wanting to be able to see the band from the front, but that wasn't going to happen. The disc also includes a documentary that was far more interesting to me than the concert. They go back to 1978 when the band originated and work their way trough time telling of the significant events in their history. The tale they weave is one of a band who had high hopes for success, but eventually they gave up when the realization hit them that is going to more difficult than they thought. The band played various reunion shows in the 90's and then a reformed for a series of albums. Band members have also been in various other projects over the years. This package is much more for the very dedicated fans only.

Rush-Snakes and arrows live DVD

ZOE/Rounder
2008



Let's see, I guess I should preface this review with a couple admissions on my part so you know where I stand. I am a long time Rush fan, but it's also been a long time since I have been very thrilled with their studio efforts. Last year's Snakes and arrows was no exception as I anticipated it's release and it had some moments, but it was quickly filed away on the back shelves on my collection and it has not seen the light of day in some time. Their playing is still there, but they were once so vibrant and loose and now everything seems far more stiff and even stodgy. Like they have gotten old (okay, they have) and they have taken their sound and us with them. However here is their chance to redeem themselves to some extent in this massive DVD set taken from two performances in Rotterdam, Holland back in October of 2007. The stage for this performance was huge and the crowd are about ready to burst as the show starts. The band does not disappoint, they seem to rise to the occasion and layers of dust seem to have been shaken off. The skill, the energy and the obvious joy they have in playing this music is still very much evident. Admittedly it took me a little time to come around, but they are still masters of their trade or at least they are on stage. Some older bands seem to wander around or be swallowed by such a large stage, but Rush come across like kids who have been inside for far too long being set free to play outside on a sunny day. They make the most of the space and time and pull the crowd along for the ride. Now I would have liked to have heard them perform some more older material as my favorite time in their career was 1975-1981. Still we get some at least some tracks out of the later part of that period sprinkled throughout. Obviously they still have the charm and the touch to their music as they once again work their magic. Some parts are just slightly smoothed out some, but I guess that's just a result of such a large production. The camerawork on this DVD is extraordinary as they manage to take in everything, but also they avoid the fast cuts that too many other live DVDs include. This is certainly a must have for Rush fans as there is much here to enjoy.

Iron Maiden and the new wave of British Heavy Metal

Sexy Intellectual
2008

This documentary introduces the roots and origins in metal and then tells the story of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal from it’s start around the mid-1970’s up until around 1981. They rely largely on interviews with journalists, various insiders and musicians including former Iron Maiden members Paul Di’anno and Dennis Stratton, Brian Tatler of Diamdhead, Rob Weir of Tygers of Pan Tang and others from the scene. As the title indicates Iron Maiden get more focus than the other bands so you get a great deal of early history on the band plus various opinions on why the band was able to succeed. There is also a decent amount of time spent talking about other scene leaders Def Leppard and Saxon as well as second tier bands Tygers of Pan Tang, Samson, Diamond Head, Girlschool and Praying Mantis. There are a number of parts of live clips and stills shown in the film as well. What I liked about the film was that they allowed the participants to tell their stories and give their views no matter what instead of using clips to give one particular view. I like how they tied in the punk rock scene early on and some of the people interviewed expressed the theory that the punk rock scene may have delayed the NWOBHM scene but that it also empowered those bands because they saw the punk rock bands using a DIY style of promotion and followed that example. I also felt that most of the people here were honest and it was refreshing to hear views that it was a movement like any others in that there were good bands and there were second rate acts as well. Now it still didn’t help me to understand why people in the UK didn’t accept High –N- Dry or Pyromania, but they embraced Hysteria, but I guess that’s a question for another day. However being that I am from the states I enjoyed the views of this scene from people who lived in the area at the time. I have long realized the importance of this scene, but not having lived there I never thought of the community aspect of the movement at least during the early years. They didn’t cover some bands I love such as Raven and Venom, but perhaps it helped the film to be more concise by just focusing on a few bands. The only real downside is that is clocks in at two hours and thirty seven minutes which is fairly long for a music film with just a very limited amount of music. If you love the topic then you may easily sit through the whole thing, but others might have to take it over the course of a little at a time.

Hanoi Rocks-The Nottingham Tapes

Cherry Red
2008

This DVD is of a show that was recorded at the Palais in Nottingham, England on April 23, 1984. As this show documents I think these guys were at the peak of what would ultimately be an all too short first run. This was real glam largely influenced by 1970's acts like the New York Dolls, Alice Cooper and others. Hanoi were a blend of hard rock, pop, punk and other all tossed together plus they were far ahead of most of the other 80's acts who most people consider "glam". This DVD has two of the songs labeled incorrectly on the packaging for some reason, but it's a great show otherwise. Obviously the confidence and flair was over the top by this point and they burst on with "Back to mystery city". It's a rather tiny stage, but the band just attacks their near 60 minute set although they have to watch out not to bump into each other. They bring out all the hooks, shouts, bangs and quirkiness that made their albums so great plus the boys change things up a little as well. This was real rock and roll as it should be played which means it's highly charged, loud and extremely fun. They easily roll out rockers like "Motorvatin" and "Malibu Beach" plus off kilter slow songs like "Don't you ever leave me" and tracks like "Taxi driver" which was even a little odd by their standards. It's just a shame that the band's prime was cut short as I think these guys were about ready to explode. They could just take songs and twist them, warp them and through all kinds of oddness into the pot and it was come sounding a very natural progression if you were open to it. Very few bands could do that so easily and still make it so enjoyable. If you love Hanoi Rocks then you probably already have this on your to buy list. If you don't like them then you are certainly missing out and probably have not read this far in my review anyhow. If you have never heard them then this DVD is as good a place as any to start as it covers songs from several albums and gives you a good a view of just how great they were.

Gigantour 2 (DVD)

Image
2008

This is the companion piece to the CD of the same title although several tracks are different on the two. Here are my impressions of each band's performance here even though most of the acts only got a song or two. The Smashup opened and I just couldn't get into their brand of some type of metalcore. Nothing seemed very genuine about them and they just weren't that sharp. Sanctity were more to my liking as they had more of a thrash approach. Nothing new at all, but they were fairly tight and comfortable with what they doing. Oh, my poor ears and eyes as Into Eternity were up next their hokey vocals and thinly laced music. Yuck, if I had been there I would have gone to the bathroom during their set. It gets way better as thrash veterans Overkill rip into two songs. Despite the legion of guitarists and drummers this band has gone through they still rip into their songs and rule the stage. Arch Enemy follow and their music is pounding and even more coherent live yet I have never been very impressed by the vocals of Angela Gossow. She is very average as a singer and her performance just had me thinking that she just can't seem to get very energized.Opeth get a great amount of praise and the technical ability is there in large doses, but it just seems a stale to me. It's like metal for the slightly snooty, they replace and energy and aggression with layers and gobs of lots of long winding parts, but it's just a little too sterile. Okay, I'll admit it I have had trouble getting into Lamb of God not because I didn't like the music, but because they seem to be getting a lot of praise and they were not bringing anything new to the table. I still stand by that judgement as far their releases go, but the few clips here convinced me that they can bring much more live than on their studio recordings. Their presence and fire was undeniable on just the few songs on this DVD. Last up is Dave Mustaine and his latest version of Megadeth who perform three listed tracks and Peace Sells as a fourth bonus track. The sound is great and actually the sound for everyone on this disc is impressive. Megadeth were superbly tight in sound, but the energy I got from the band was merely decent. Maybe it's being a little older or maybe it's having a band of hired guns, but there was more standing around than I was expecting. Yet they sounded strong and the crowd ate it up. So all in all I liked this one for what it was.

T.S.O.L.-The early years live

MVD Visual
2008

Punk band T.S.O.L were filmed live in 1983 although the location and specific date are not listed. The longest show is listed as the Flipside show and they are playing outside at what looks to be a college campus. The sound is decent for what it is and the time as is the picture quality. The major drawback is the lack of energy from the crowd and from vocalist Jack Graham. There are a quite few spectators for better lack of a term, but only a couple of people who seem to know or care who this band is. Most of the people there just look like college students who thought it was a pretty day and went outside and happened to stumble upon a tiny concert. So most of them just sit there and look with little understanding or appreciation. Vocalist Jack Grisham sounds alright, but he acts like it's a joke and gives very little effort towards creating a stage presence of giving off any kind of energy. He just kind of meanders around grinning and moving around like he is just there to hang out. The music is good enough, but when your singer treats a show like a rehearsal then it just doesn't click. I am not even sure die hard fans are going to find this show to be very satisfying. There is also what is listed as the Target show which is also from 1983. This is in a club in front of maybe 30 people if that. The sound quality is fuzzier than the previous show, but the energy of both the band and the crowd elevates the performance quite a bit. Unfortunately we only get three tracks from this show so it ends just as I was starting to get into it. The bonus materials include one live track from last year which is very good plus some interviews from the early 80's. The interviews with the band are interesting, but the views also show how young the members of the band were at the time. The running time is about an hour, but the amount of worthwhile material is well below that. If either the Target or the 2007 show had been the complete concert than this may have been a worthwhile disc. Unfortunately the bulk of this DVD is from a rather bland show that's not going to appeal to very many people.

Zebra-The DVD

Visionwork/Zebra
2008


For me Zebra have always been one of those bands that I like well enough when I hear them, but their music just doesn't stick with me that long. Sounding like Led Zeppelin and early Rush is good in that I like both of those bands, but if you sound too much like another artist then you inevitably get compared to them. Being as those acts are two of my favorite hard rocks acts of all time, it's hard to live up to them in comparison. Still Zebra have always been a fairly tight band and they play a fairly solid if unoriginal brand of classic hard rock. This DVD includes an anniversary show, the story of Zebra and some bonus material. The story of Zebra tells the story of the band from their inception in 1975 until the release of their debut. It includes interviews with all three band members and other people who worked with the band back then. It's fairly short and actually interesting when they were talking about their struggles to get signed in the late 1970's due to labels being more interested in new wave than in hard rock. In the interviews the band come across as being rather genuine and down to earth. The anniversary show was filmed at the House of blues in New Orleans. This was obviously a great choice for filming a show because they have an audience of what appears to be die-hard Zebra fans. It's also a good choice because the lighting is such that you actually get to see the crowd which is something I always like in a live DVD. Their set is solid and more than anything they really seem to be enjoying going through their songs for an audience that is obviously into everything that they are doing. The sound and visual quality is very high and the camerawork is competent, but the smaller venue probably helps with this as well. The bonus features includes more interviews and some additional footage. My favorite part in this section was a segment with bassist/keyboard player Felix Hanemann in his garage showing off his collection of Zebra tour shirts that he has collected over the years. I love vintage concert shirt so this this part certainly appealed to me. This was an entertaining look at a slightly overlooked band.