To access the archived reviews, make your selection here:

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P-Q  R  S  T-U  V-W  X-Z  V/A  Video/DVD

Bands are listed alphabetically, with individuals listed by last name.

Review Archive: Video / DVD

Band concerts / video clips / etc:

ACID DRINKERS - 15 Screwed Years · Metal Mind / MVD
I had apparently missed out on all 15 years of the ACID DRINKERS so far, and while I’m not crying about that, the band’s sort of goofy take on Thrash (maybe like DESTRUCTION if they were just joking around) isn’t terrible. And you do get a lot here, with two complete shows from 1998 and 1995, including covers of METALLICA ("Seek and Destroy"), DEEP PURPLE ("Smoke on the Water"), MOTÖRHEAD ("Ace of Spades" which they absolutely butcher), CCR ("Proud Mary"), and... umm... Monty Python’s "Always Look at the Bright Side of Life." I think that you can get a lot of information about the band from their choice of songs to cover... Additionally, there are also six video clips, oddly enough two of which are also cover songs ("Proud Mary" again, and "(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction"), plus two interviews and more. I question how much appeal this DVD will have here in the US, but if you like the band, well, here you go. - 7 - <Ray>

BEHEMOTH - Live - The Art of Rebellion · MVD
How cool is it to hear the mighty Black Metal onslaught of BEHEMOTH in 5.1 surround sound? Hell yeah! And if an entire live show isn't enough for you, this DVD also offers two videos ("Decade of Therion," and "Chant for Eschaton 2000"), interviews, bonus audio tracks, and a lot more. Like all live albums, this is for fans only, and probably won't be winning any new converts, but fortunately there is a lot here to keep us busy. - 8.75 - <Ray>

CANNIBAL CORPSE - Monolith of Death Tour '96/'97 · Metal Blade
The one thing that I don't like about this otherwise deadly video is that it's not one live show, but rather songs from different shows - all live though. Well, except for the video for "Devoured By Vermin," that ends this sickness-fest. It's cool to hear and see live versions of some of my favorite CANNIBAL songs, such as "Pulverized," "A Skull Full of Maggots," "Stripped, Raped and Strangled," and their "big hit," "Hammer Smashed Face." Too bad the pornographic video for that song wasn't included... - 9 - <Ray> **MC11**

CARNAL FORGE - Destory Live · Metal Mind / Century Media / MVD
At almost two-and-a-half hours all told, you get a lot for your money with this disc. The main live show, which is wide-screen, is from February 2004, and at 20 songs is plenty long by itself, and then you also get two bonus, shorter, shows both from 2003 (New York and Tokyo). Unfortunately the bonus shows are not up the same very impressive audio/video quality of the main show, but they’re more than acceptable, and really more like what you might expect from any band further underground than SLIPKNOT or whoever. Additionally, the packaging is supremely nice, with an actual booklet in the DVD case, and of course you get all the DVD bonus stuff such as an interview, band biography, and so on. CARNAL FORGE wasn’t really on my A-list of bands that I wanted to see perform live, but this DVD is very impressive, and should more than satisfy all the band’s fans. - 8.25 - <Ray>

CARPATHIAN FOREST - We're Going to Hollywood for This - Live Perversions · MVD / Metal Mind
If you like Black Metal, read no further and go immediately find this DVD! I have no idea what to even say is the coolest part about this disc... It's wide-screen (for the main concert, at least), region 0, has Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, and clocks in at three and a half hours. But, that's just the boring technical stuff. The real good (I mean, evil) shit starts even before the singer, Nattefrost, begins the show with "Good evening. Are you ready for some Norwegian Black Metal?" as the band and gargantuan "Carpathian dancers" are introduced, with the corpulent girls' massive (and naked) jugs swinging all over the place between the titanic stage banners reading "FUCK YOU ALL!!!!" In addition to the 15 songs making up the main show, you also get another 8-song set from the Wacken Open Air 2003 festival, live bootleg (camcorder) videos, in the studio documentary footage from the Defending the Throne of Evil sessions, demo songs (audio only), and the standard Metal Mind treatment of interview, discography, photos, and so on. This is as complete a DVD as you’re likely to ever see, and an absolute must for Metal fans of all varieties. - 9.5 - <Ray>

CORRUPTION - Hellectrify Yourself · MVD / Metal Mind
I haven’t heard anything from these guys since 1996’s Ecstasy, and I don’t remember liking it too much. This live DVD has done nothing to change my mind about this band and its stoner/groove "Metal," even though this does look and sound great, in wide-screen and 5.1 Dolby audio, etc... It’s the standard Metal Mind treatment, which is to say that it’s technically very impressive, and has plenty of bonus stuff. But when the band sucks, who cares? - 3 - <Ray>

DANZIG - Archive de la Morte · MVD
I’ve been a Danzig fan since the days the original Misfits, so I was very happy to discover that someone was finally smart enough to release these video clips on DVD. Of course I have the old VHS tapes with some of the early videos, but I think that I can speak for all fans of the band when I say that we want all the videos on DVD. And that’s really the only flaw with this disc: it’s missing some key videos! Okay, there are three versions of "Dirty Black Summer," two of "How the Gods Kill," only one for "Sistinas," but right back to multiple versions for "Bodies" (two), and "It’s Coming Down" (three), plus a live version (from 1993) of "Mother." But where the hell are such classics as "She Rides," "Killer Wolf," "Cantspeak," "Her Black Wings" and so on?!? Perhaps it was not possible to get the rights to some of these from the band’s former label, American Recordings, but if so then American should get off its ass and re-release those old tapes on DVD! As far as this DVD is concerned, I don’t know that I needed the extra versions of some of the videos, since they primarily consist of unused footage of the band playing, but it’s truly great to at least have some DANZIG videos on a more permanent format than tape. If only it had all the band’s vids this would have been an easy ten. - 9 - <Ray>

DEAD KENNEDYS - DMPO's on Braodway · Cherry Red Films / MVD
I've had a sort of shoddy videotape of this performance for about as long as I can remember, so it's great to finally see and hear it a bit more clearly. And what a show this was! The "infamous" 1984 last gig at DMPO's (for the place, not the band) saw American Punk Rock pioneers DK possibly at their peak, with such standouts as "Religious Vomit," "Moral Majority" and "Life Sentence." Fourteen songs in all, and Jello's now-dated, yet still relevant, sociopolitical rants between them. And that crazy guy at the end who just wanted to sing... Truly a classic video, now forever free of tape wear in this new digital format. This review seems almost unnecessary, since all DVD-equipped DK fans will buy this as a matter of course. And non-fans (if such an animal could exist) should probably hurry up and start with the Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death CD. - 9.25 - <Ray>

DEAD KENNEDYS - The Early Years Live · Target Video / MVD
As with the above reviewed DVD, I've had a tape of this for a long, long time. This digital version offers somewhat improved sound and video quality as well as short features on the band members and the band itself. And those are interesting, but probably unnecessary to anyone who would buy this. As the title indicates, these live clips are from early on in this seminal Punk band's career (from 1979 - '81), and include such classics as "California Über Alles," "Kill the Poor," "The Man With the Dogs" (which is one of my all times faves), "Holiday in Cambodia," their cover of "Viva Los Vegas," a news report on Jello from when he was running for mayor of San Francisco, and more cool stuff. Obviously, this is a necessity! - 9 - <Ray>

DEE VISION · MVD
I'm a big fan of Dee Snider, even though I haven't exactly worshipped 100% of all the music he has recorded or been involved with. This disc, a somewhat updated version of the '97 videocassette, is a great biography of Dee and features many guest appearances (Lemmy!) and a ton of live footage of Dee's TWISTED SISTER cover band, SMF. It's really cool to hear all these old TS classics live, and all the interviews, with Dee himself and others, give an interesting history. Dee's had quite a life, but I don't know how interesting his story would be to non-fans, though. But for me, this kicked ass. - 8.75 - <Ray>

EMPEROR - Emperial Live Ceremony · Candlelight / MVD
Not much to report here except that no EMPEROR fan should be without this video / DVD. Great sound, great production, and a decent directing job. Recorded at a gig in London, there is nothing too visually stunning other than five guys with a good stage presence playing their hearts out. There are nine songs spanning all their albums, and a healthy portion of the classics are here. It puzzles me how Ishahn can master singing and playing guitar (even soloing) at the same time so effectively, or how effortlessly the drummer seems to blast away. These guys are definitely pros, as this video showcases their immaculate playing ability. The coolest thing about this: I learned the slow part in "I Am the Black Wizards" by watching Ishahn. This also includes the cult video for "The Loss and Curse of Reverence." - 9.5 - <Jack>

ENSLAVED - Live Retaliation · Metal Mind / MVD
I certainly like ENSLAVED’s Viking Black Metal, and have since I first heard their seminal split CD with EMPEROR, but I was surprised to see that they have a DVD. And this thing is ultra-pro all the way, with Satan-knows-how-many cameras, and Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. It looks like Live After Death, for fuck’s sake! I’ve watched it several times, and at nearly two hours, that’s saying something, and I’m still just stunned as I sit here. Normally I would think that only fans of a band would really care about a live video, but I really must suggest that anyone into Metal (and that’s probably everyone reading this) check this disc out immediately. In addition to the very impressive live show, there are six bonus rare audo tracks, an interview, and the standard assortment of screen savers, band bio, discography, and so on. Truly a must-buy situation if there ever was one. - 9.75 - <Ray>

THE EXPLOITED - Beat ‘em All · MVD/Dream Catcher
THE EXPLOITED live is intensity defined, and this DVD does an amazing job of capturing that. In a way, it seems almost strange that this seminal Punk band would even agree to this DVD release, with its fancy 5.1 Dolby sound and wide-screen video, and so on. I don’t know how "Punk" that is, but I’m not about to argue with Wattie and company! Filmed in 2003, the live show, not surprisingly, is just devastating from the beginning, starting with "Fuck the System," on through "The Massacre" and "Troops of Tomorrow," all the way to the last seconds of set-closer "Sex and Violence." It’s about 75 minutes of severity all told, and most of the classics are here, although, as with all live albums, I suppose that more would have been better. Speaking of "more," this disc also has the standard bonus features, such as discography, biography, photo gallery, and a very interesting interview wherein Wattie trashes pretty much everything under the sun. - 9 - <Ray>

FISHBONE - Critical Times: FISHBONE’s Hen House Sessions · MVD
I like FISHBONE, but this is just weird, even for them. This DVD contains a documentary of the band recording at a free studio. I sure wish that there were such things as "free studios" around here! It’s interesting, I guess, to see behind the sceens of this band’s recording process, but this is for only the most hardcore of FISHBONE fans. - 7.5 - <Ray>

THE GREAT KAT - Dominatrix · TPR
This video has Kat running around in various leather outfits, whipping, beating and generally abusing her slaves. I really prefer Kat’s renditions of Classical songs over her own compositions, but I guess that when you get to see her half naked it sort of helps to make it cooler. I’m not sure how much this "video single" costs, but for Kat slaves no price would be too high. - 7.75 - <Ray> **MC11**

THE GREAT KAT - Live at the Expo of the Extreme! · TPR
Since I was in attendance at the Expo, I got to see Kat’s performance first hand, and was really wondering why TPR would want to release a video of it, since the crowd wasn’t exactly on her side for most of the show. She probably played for 30-40 minutes, and that has wisely been edited down to about 5 for this video. The editing job is brilliant and cleverly hides the negative crowd reactions, but if you’re expecting to see an entire live show, you’ll not find it here. If you want to see Kat mistreating her "slaves," this is great, but if you have any desire to hear kick-ass music, or think that you’ll get to see Kat play some Classical stuff live, you’ll be disappointed, ‘cause nothing like that happens. Upped a little due to the genius of the editing. - 7.5 - <Ray> **MC11**

GREEN CARNATION - Alive and Well... In Krakow · Metal Mind / MVD
As with all of the Metal Mind DVDs, this is totally pro in every way (wide-screen, Dolby Digital 5.1, etc...), right down to the packaging with one of the biggest booklets I’ve ever seen in a DVD case. In addition to the eight long live songs, there are also a couple extra "bootleg" videos, seven bonus audio tracks, and the full assortment of band biography, interview, discography, and so on. If only I actually liked GREEN CARNATION, this would really be cool. The production and packaging are flawless to be sure, and fans of the band should not hesitate to pick this up. I, however, am left wondering why and how this has made its way to DVD before such classic home videos as IRON MAIDEN’s Live After Death, VENOM’s Alive in 85 (or Live ’90 for that matter!), SLAYER’s Live Intrusion, or the now-ancient Ultimate Revenge tour video with SLAYER, VENOM and EXODUS. That’s just how lame the world is, I guess. - 6 - <Ray>

GWAR - Rendezvous With Ragnarok · Metal Blade
The best way to experience GWAR is live. A video isn’t bad, though. Less messy anyway. And considering that their recent albums haven’t been as good as their early stuff, a video gives you a sort of "greatest hits" collection, plus you get to actually see all the crazy antics of these goofs. I would have appreciated it more had they played some older material, but I suppose that’s why they have other videos. - 8 - <Ray> **MC11**

GWAR - Phallus in Wonderland · MVD
Ahh, the DVD release of this classic video from 1992. There isn't much in the way of extras: You can jump right to the song you want, and check out stills of the cast, and that's pretty much it. But, this is the concept video that brought GWAR to the world, I guess, and it certainly sees them at a point in their career that was a lot better musically and comedically than they are currently. The plot that ties everyting together centers around Gwar's fight against the dick-stealing Morality Squad. That'll make more sense once you've seen this, which I'd certaily recommend unless you just insist on taking everything too seriously. - 8.5 - <Ray>

HATE - The Litanies of Satan · MVD / Metal Mind
Those familiar with the extreme Black/Death Metal of HATE will be very happy to know about this DVD, which features a live show (shot in 2004) of about 75 minutes, in wide-screen and 5.1 Dolby Surround sound, as one would expect from Metal Mind. Plus all the usual bonus features, such as a band biography, photo gallery, interview, and so on. It’s very impressive all around. So much so, in fact, that it might well convert some new fans to the HATE cause, which is difficult for a live recording to do. - 9.25 - <Ray>

MAYHEM - European Legions - Live in Marseille 2000 · Season of Mist
Despite the title, this was recorded in September of 1999. That odd bit of trivia aside, this is an impressive disc, if for no other reason than to see a human being play drums at the insane speeds and precision of Hellhammer. I would have preferred seeing a show from a lot earlier in this band’s career, but then I’d be looking at a one camcorder shot with laughable mono audio, and not this multi-camera, 5.1 surround sound masterwork. And, although Dead and Euronymous won’t be forgotten, the current line up is great, and of course they rip through all the old classics like "Deathcrush," Chainsaw Gutsfuck," and "Pure Fucking Armageddon," so there isn’t much to complain about. Even the songs from Grand Declaration of War sound better live. The bonus features aren’t much to speak of, but the blasphemers do apparently really want blood, as thy cut up the arm of some poor female fan in the "backstage footage." - 8.75 - <Ray>

MOTÖRHEAD - 25 & Alive - Boneshaker · SPV / Steamhammer
My brain almost exploded when I opened the package containing this DVD! Released in Europe about a year ago (in 2001, in case you're reading this in 2163 or something), I had been waiting, very impatiently, for an American version, since although the Euro DVD is region-free (and don't get me started on those fucking region-codes!) my DVD player (like all US players) won't play discs using the PAL video format (we have the inferior NTSC format here). Complicated enough so far? Fucking DVDs. Too bad they're so awesome otherwise. Anyway, this disc contains MOTÖRHEAD's 25th anniversary show, from October 22, 2000, live at the Brixton Academy, in London, England. It's recorded in glorious Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound! As you should know, it's an awesome show, with plenty of guest stars, and the guys reach all the way through their back catalog. By itself that would make this DVD an easy ten. But there's more! Interviews, extra live songs (from Wacken), the videos for their cover of "God Save the Queen" and "Sacrifice," some multi-angle footage, and more... This is not only flawless, but it's the best music DVD in existence! But how could it not be? It's MOTÖRHEAD! Buy (or steal) a DVD player if you have to, but get this disc. - 10 - <Ray>

NAPALM DEATH - Live Corruption · Fotodisk/ Strand V.C.I.
They say that if you could review one video, review one that has power and intensity! If you don’t own this video, you should be shot directly in the head! The footage is excellent and puts a new meaning to the word live. Watch the stagedivers go! This video opens up with the grim looking dude (logo) and jumps right into the song "Control." HOLY SHIT!! That’s all I will say, because that song rules. They jump back and forth from their new album to their first two albums, which presents older material in newer forms. The vocalist, "Barney" Greenway, rules! It’s as simple as that: he rules the world with his voice. The band jumps around between showing clips of an interview and them stomping away on stage. The song that kills on this is "Scum." That song and "From Enslavement to Obliteration" rule! I keep watching this video just to see how great this band is. I am sure a lot of you know all about NAPALM DEATH and the passion they have for side projects (UNSEEN TERROR, DEFECATION, etc.). Well, it’s kind of explained in this video. - 9.5 - <Pete>
{One of Pete’s first reviews... This video was out of print for quite a long time, but has been reissued within the last year or so.} **MC4**

NECROPHAGIA - Through Eyes of the Dead Uncut · Season of Mist / MVD
Okay, that was weird. Knowing that one of the ladies from PANTERA is in this band, I figured that this DVD would be pretty lame, but was hoping that maybe, just maybe, there would be enough good zombie action and interesting gore special effects to save it from total gayness. I couldn't have been more wrong. The main feature consists of shots of the band playing, interspersed with various odd scenes, such as a fat guy jerking off (including a money shot, which is pretty surprising, but it does say "uncut," I guess), a naked guy being tortured (with plenty of shots of his cock, because apparently the band likes that sort of thing), f/x that look as if I'd done them in my kitchen with some finger-paints and strawberry Jell-O, and a couple boob shots of some nasty whore with hairy armpits. Admittedly, I couldn't sit though 2 hours of this crap, so I had to watch it at 20x normal speed, and occasionally drop it back to normal speed for 3 seconds or so to check out the audio track, which always sucked. I haven't even mentioned the ridiculous, fat Santa-Claus-looking fuck who introduces this mess, or the bonus videos, or the still image gallery, or anything else, because even without that stuff dragging it down further, this was already at the lowest possible rating the instant that I realized they'd show guys totally naked, but the women only topless. How could anyone get things that wrong? - 1 - <Ray>

NOCTURNUS - A Farewell to Planet Earth · MVD / Chaos Theory
Strangely, the menu on this disc is fucked up and/or bullshit. Be warned that pressing "enter/OK" on your remote does nothing, and neither does trying the "play" button. At least on the DVD player that I use for reviews (the only one I tried), I had to press the "next chapter" button to start the video. Speaking of video, we do get three live shows (from 1991, ’93 and ’97), but they’re all shot on home video cameras, and there are no chapter stops, with each show being one of the three chapters on the disc. And then we get to the audio.... Yikes. Five-point-one channels of mud is just more dirt. That’s all very disappointing to me, but I’m such a huge NOCTURNUS fan that I would want this DVD anyway. If this were a bootleg videotape that I bought at a record show for $5, I’d know what to expect and wouldn’t be mad about it, but I just count on more quality from a DVD, and I can only recommend this bootleg-level disc to the most hardcore of NOCTURNUS fans, which is a shame because a band this awesome really deserves better. - 6.75 - <Ray>

QUIET RIOT - ’89 Live in Japan · MVD
Not only do I despise QUIET RIOT, and all pop "Rock" bands like them, but even fans (sadly, I know that they exist, or at least did at some point) would be likely to hate this version, as it features not Kevin DuBrow on vocals, but some other living abortion who is both infinitely gayer and an immeasurably worse singer than Kevin. I would have bet that wasn’t possible, and yet I saw and heard it myself, for as long as I could stand it. When a band’s claim to fame is losing a good guitarist (Randy Rhoads) and doing SLADE covers, suicide is a good alternative. And, not that I give a damn, but without DuBrow, this bunch is little more than a QUIET RIOT cover band, and I don’t think that things could get a lot more stupid than that. - 1 - <Ray>

ROTTING CHRIST - In Domine Sathana · Metal Mind / Century Media / MVD
At last! ROTTING CHRIST live! If this DVD only had one live show, it would have immediately received a 10, but this is just above and beyond all hopes and dreams. The main show (shot in 2002) seems like it was filmed with about 666 cameras, and is as absolutely professional looking and sounding (Dolby Digital 5.1) as any video I’ve ever seen from anyone. I wasn’t really expecting OzzFest sound and video quality from a Greek Black Metal band, but here it is! And that’s not even close to being all. There are two other, shorter, shows from 1996 and 2003, and they’re not as perfect as the main 2002 show, but it’s still very cool to see them. It’s not enough to keep this from perfection, of course, but I do wish that the guys had played "Forest of N’Gai" at one of the three included shows... But, as with any band I really like, RC would have to pretty much play all of their songs live for me to not miss one. It’s almost too much to even believe, but there is yet more in on this DVD: a very nice (and in English, thankfully) video interview, plus band biography, photos, and all kinds of other kick-ass stuff. I don’t have any idea how a video could possibly be any cooler than this one is. - 10 - <Ray>

SAMHAIN - Live 1984 Stardust Ballroom · MVD / Evillive
A highly abbreviated history: Glenn Danzig formed the awesome horror Punk band THE MISFITS, and when things went south, he transitioned into the somewhat weirder SAMHAIN, and then finally into the ever-evolving band DANZIG. Eventually, THE MISFITS would reform without Danzig, but I digress. I am a huge fan of Glenn’s musical work, so when I first discovered a previously unheard live SAMHAIN DVD coming out, I thought that I might be able to die happy. No such luck, of course. I didn’t expect the video and audio on this to be very good. After all, the recording is about two decades old. Five-point-one Dolby Digital and 16x9 video with 13 cameras never even entered my mind. But I did think that it would be better than this. As an aside, the title of the disc indicates that this show was recorded in 1984, but at the beginning of the video itself, it says November 21^st, 1985. Somehow that date mix-up foreshadowed the general half-assedness to come. This is really nothing more than an "official" bootleg video on DVD. Shot on videotape, apparently using two cameras, the video, poor as it may be, is really the least of the problems. The audio is abysmal, with the sound completely dropping out in places, while overloading and just disintegrating in others. I have heard a hell of a lot of bootleg audience recordings, and this is among the worst. And that is really disappointing. Any bonus material at all would have helped. Maybe an interview with Glenn about this show or the transition from THE MISFITS to SAMHAIN. Or why he felt the need to release this DVD. Anything, really. I wanted this to be great, but I would honestly be hard pressed to recommend it to even the most die-hard fans. - 5 - <Ray>

SEPULTURA - Under Siege (Live in Barcelona) · Roadrunner
This starts off with a powerful intro and goes right into "Arise." Every song has a certain power and drive to it. After watching this video, it's clear that Igor Cavalera is one of the best drummers around today. Andreas' guitar playing continues to amaze me. Max's vocals are drastically better then when I first saw them on the Beneath the Remains tour. And without Paulo Jr. it just wouldn't be SEPULTURA. Also, in watching this video, you get to know each band member and learn a lot about Brazil. And just when you think it's all over, after the credits, is the video for "Arise." I feel this should be part of everyone's video collection. I only have two regrets: 1. They didn't play "Murder." And 2. I wasn't there to see them. - 9.75 - <Angie P> **MC7**

SUPERSUCKERS - From the Audio/Video Dept., Live in Anaheim · Mid-Fi / MVD
There have been SUPERSUCKERS songs here and there that I’ve liked ("Born with a Tail" springs to mind), but I didn’t really become a fan of these crazy Hellbillies until a few years ago when I saw them kick the asses of everyone in Fort Wayne, Indiana, while opening for the sacrosanct MOTÖRHEAD. They played an amazing cover of "Sex and Outrage" that night, which is unfortunately absent from both the DVD and CD (they’re different shows) that make up this set. And maybe it’s the weird effects that blanket the video, but it seems as if the band is not quite as explosive as I remember them... The DVD has a pretty cool interview wherein ‘SUCKERS main man Eddie Spaghetti asks everyone he can find (including himself) if they would rather have the power to turn invisible or to fly. I’m not 100% sure, but I might go with "invisible" on that one. - 8.25 - <Ray>

VADER - More Vision and the Voice · MVD
Holy shit is this awesome! In addition to the entire live gig (in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround!), this DVD also has the video clips for "Incarnated," "Kingdom," and "Cold Demons." Plus eight "bootleg" live tracks from the No Mercy Festival 2001. The video and audio quality on that part isn't quite as good as the "official" live material, but it's still not bad. Since you're reading Metal Curse, you must like real Metal, therefore, you must like VADER, so you'd better get this disc! And if you don't have a DVD player, go buy one, you cheap fuck. - 9 - <Ray>

VADER - Night of the Apocalypse · MVD / Metal Mind
Fuck! Everything that is touched by VADER becomes gold. Here we have three shows (2002, ’03 and ’04), two of which are widescreen (and the full-screen one is totally pro-shot), all Dolby Digital 5.1, plus interviews, photo galleries, and all the usual Metal Mind goodies. It’s almost three hours of VADER’s patented Death Metal assault, which has never looked or sounded better, making this one of the coolest Metal concert DVDs that I have ever experienced. Do yourself a favor and track this down. - 9.5 - <Ray>

VENOM - Live ’90 · Fotodisk/ Strand V.C.I.
I was not a big VENOM fan until this live video came out. This video contains tunes that make me forget (for a short time) my passion for older Heavy Metal. The Demolition Man’s voice has convinced me that he leads a hell of a band. All of the songs are cool. Just to mention a few of the sixteen on this video: "Welcome to Hell," "Burstin’ Out," "Insane," "Black Metal," "Prime Evil" and one of my favorites, with a slow and confusing beginning which leads to an explosive work; "Countess Bathory." The only deficiency I can find is the Demolition Man’s average work on the bass guitar. - 9.25 - <Mars>
{This was the only official video I know of to feature the D-Man on vocals and bass. All detractors of post-Cronos VENOM (most of whom have probably never even heard any post-Cronos VENOM anyway) should be made to view this all-time classic video, and see what they think then!} **MC4**

VOIVOD - DVOD-1 · MVD
Truly a must for old bastards, such as myself, this DVD covers VOIVOD’s early days up until 1991, which is likely all you need anyway. The viewer is treated to live and in-studio footage, plus video clips for "Voivod," "Ripping Headaches," "Ravenous Medicine," "Tribal Convictions," "Psychic Vacuum," and, of course the band’s well-known cover of PINK FLOYD’s "Astronomy Domine." But, wait! That’s not all! Also included are the Morgoth Invasion and Spectrum live demos (1984 and 1987, respectively), the audio playing while the demo covers are on-screen. Plus, standard, but still cool, extras such as band photos and artwork. I would have liked an interview talking about the band’s evolution from the very raw beginnings to the almost Prog Metal of Nothingface, but there are a thousand magazines and websites for that, so no big deal, I guess. - 9 - <Ray>

YATTERING - Creative Chaos - The Art of the 20^th Century · Metal Mind / MVD
As with all of the Metal Mind DVDs, this looks and sounds absolutely beyond belief, with multiple cameras and Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. Obviously, fans of the band, and Death Metal in general, are going to want to find this as soon as possible. Not only does this disc feature about an hour-long live show (which is somewhat short compared to the other DVDs from Metal Mind), but also two promo video clips ("Anal Narcotic" and "Unnormally Zone"), two bonus audio tracks ("Annihilation of Fellow Creatures" and "The Species"), band bio, discography, and so on... - 8.75 - <Ray>

ZEKE - The DVD · Dead Teenager
"This is not a made for film DVD, it’s a documentary of a rock band on tour, this was made on a mini and Hi-8 digital cameras." That said, this is probably best left to hardcore fans of the band, since the video and audio are not exactly stellar, with interview and/or candid footage interspersed between performance shots. Generally speaking the band is energetic live, and perhaps the full-frame (4:3), single camera presentation is appropriate for them, stylistically. Bonus features include some admittedly low-budget video clips. - 7 - <Ray>

Bleeding Feces Video Zine #2
Call me crazy, but I think reviewing zines is taking things too far. I mean, criticism of criticism?! What's next? Reviews of zine reviews? Flyer reviews? However, this is more like a live video compilation, so I guess I can participate. Bands featured here are GODSTOMPER (sucks), WESLEY WILLIS (sucks), BURN THE PRIEST (Average), EXHUMED (excellent), DYING FETUS (awesome), TORTURED (decent), TODAY IS THE DAY (sucks), KRISIUN (cult), and SEVEN FOOT SPLEEN (blows). This is a pretty good idea, but I did spend quite a bit of time with my finger on the fast-forward button, and asking $13 for a bootleg level video takes balls. Still, worth it for the good bands, I suppose. - 8 - <Jack>

Various Artists - Death is Just the Beginning 6 · Nuclear Blast
What a fucking joke this label has become! Compare the line up on this video to the D.I.J.T.B. 2 roster and try to comprehend what happened to one of the leaders in underground music representation. Roadrunner has better bands these days! Let's start with the easy targets: the Ass Metal losers. STRATOVARIUS, HAMMERFALL, and PRIMAL FEAR. Look for these three names to be headlining bar mitzvahs and graduation parties in 2015. Next up: media whore sellouts. I can't believe how far THEATRE OF TRAGEDY have fallen! They have gone from MY DYING BRIDE to C&C MUSIC FACTORY meets Christina Aguilera - Gothic version. IN FLAMES and DANZIG are nowhere near what they were either. I was able to stomach CREMATORY, CHILDREN OF BODOM, and PRO-PAIN mildly, and S.O.D. were a nice comic relief on a comp that is funny in a different way. I don't even know how to categorize TO/DIE/FOR, SINERGY, THE BLACK LEAGUE, or DIE TOTEN HOSEN other than to say it's way beyond my cup of tea. Then, just to mock my existence, they include four "bonus" videos from KATAKLYSM, DISMEMBER, BENEDICTION, and HYPOCRISY - all classics from their respective primes and a painful reminder of just how things change. At this rate, the next installment in this series will feature Ricky Martin, THE BAJA MEN, Faith Hill, LINKIN PARK, and STAIND. - 5.75 - <Jack>

Various Artists - A Declaration of Independence · Century Media
Like most comps., this has both great and, let's say, not so great videos on it. The supreme: SAMAEL - "Jupiterian Vibe," EMPEROR - "The Loss and Curse of Reverence," MORGOTH - "Last Laugh," & SATYRICON - "Mother Night." The rest are mostly still cool, but there are a few dogs (MERAUDER, TURMOIL, CHUM). This even comes with liner notes on each band, which is extremely cool. However, I would have really liked to see videos from UNLEASHED, ROTTING CHRIST and some others. Maybe on the next installment... - 8.25 - <Ray> **MC11**

Various Artists - Goth Box · MVD
I'm probably not the most qualified to review this DVD, since my non-Metal-related Goth knowledge is close to nil, but here goes: This is a collection of videos and, strangely enough, audio tracks (when an audio-only track is playing, you get to stare at the band and track name for the duration - at least give us the lyrics or something next time!). Some are good, a few great, and none really terrible. And MVD knows what to put first! SWITCHBLADE SYMPHONY not only had the best video, but also the best song. And what a pleasure it was to look at their singer. If only all the other videos were as well made or interesting to watch. But, I can also appreciate the lower-budget stuff. What was the most strange for me was to discover the range of styles on here. From CURE-worship, to (more or less) Punk Rock, to "New Wave," all the way to bands that want to be like DEAD CAN DANCE. This is just all over the place. But that kind of makes it an interesting thing to watch from beginning to end. And it did its job, too. Compilations like this are supposed to expose the listener or viewer to a bunch of bands at once, in the hope that he or she will like some of them, and then go out and buy some CDs. I'm on my way to look for something by SWITCHBLADE SYMPHONY as soon as I'm done typing this... - 7.75 - <Ray>

Various Artists - Hardcore Video · In Effect/ Relativity
This hour long video combines live performances by AGNOSTIC FRONT, GORILLA BISCUITS & SICK OF IT ALL, with interviews with these and other Hardcore bands. And all I have to say is that if you're a fan of Hardcore, then this vid is a must have. Even if you aren't into Hardcore that much, this video is still worth the money and is a good introduction to this branch of the underground. - 9.25 - <Ray> **MC6**

Various Artists - Metalmania 2003 · Metal Mind / MVD
What would you say if I told you that you could get a DVD with live performances from OPETH, GOD DETHRONED, MARDUK, THE EXPLOITED, ANATHEMA, SAMAEL, VADER LOST SOUL, DELIGHT, ENTER CHAOS, and SAXON? Okay, you might ask, "What was SAXON doing on that bill?" And if you knew that almost all the bands on the DVD have two or three songs featured, you might also inquire, "Why the fuck does OPETH only get one song?!?" I don’t have answers for those questions, but what I can tell you is that, going by what’s on this disc, which was filmed at the Metalmania Festival 2003, in Poland, it sure looks like the Metalfests in Europe are a lot better than what we get here! Of course you have all the expected DVD bonus features, such as information on the bands and history of the Metalmania festival, and naturally the entire thing is in 5.1 Dolby Digital, and sounds just as amazing as it looks, which, by the way, is 16x9! Yes, underground Metal has gone wide-screen! As if that were not enough, a bonus CD is also included with live tracks from all the "second stage" bands: ELYSIUM, CRIONICS, DOMINIUM, ANAL STENCH, MISTERIA, STROMMOUSSHELD, NEVER, VESANIA, PARRICIDE, and DEMISE.
Any further questions? - 9.5 - <Ray>

Various Artists - Metalmania 2004 · Metal Mind/MVD
Proving once again that Poland is the place for Metal festivals, Metal Mind delivers another amazing DVD. As usual, the anamorphic widescreen video is impressive, and looks like it was shot with about a thousand cameras. The sound (5.1 Dolby Digital Surround) is fairly stunning, too. One flaw is the band lineup. Heavy hitters such as Trauma, Krisiun, and Enslaved never fail to kick ass, but some of the others I could live without. Esqarial, MSG, TSA, and Soulfly are all as good as they can be, I’m sure, but I just can’t bring myself to care. Tiamat has only one song, "The Sleeping Beauty," which was okay if not great. I’m not sure why they only got one song, when most of the others have three... Moonspell was better than I expected or remembered them to be, which was a pleasant surprise. I understand that a variety of styles is needed for a festival like this, but the approach works somewhat better live (since I can go do something else while TSA is onstage) than it does on video. Still, the "next chapter" button is easy to use, so it’s really not that much of an issue. What is really disappointing is that MORBID ANGEL and DECAPITATED were both also on the bill, but neither is represented here. I’m sure that TSA is popular in Poland and all, but I would have been happy to have never heard of them if it meant that I got to see "Chapel of Ghouls" and "Maze of Torment" live. The DVD also has the standard compliment of extra features, with photos and so on. Plus there is a bonus CD with songs from the "Side Stage" bands: SPINAL CORD, BRIGHT OPHIDIA, ASGAARD, ATROPHIA RED SUN, DEVILYN, MUTILATION, HEDFIRST, TENEBROSUS, IMMEMORIAL, THE CHAINSAW, LUNA AD NOCTUM, CENTURION, and NEOLITH. When you get this much bang for the buck, it’s hard to complain about not liking a band here and there. It’s enough to keep it from perfection, though. - 8 - <Ray>

Various Artists - Music Television Go To Hell! · Century Media
Labels spend thousands of dollars so their bands can make videos that never get shown in the USA, so this is about the only way American fans can ever see this stuff. Other labels should follow the lead of Century Media (and Metal Blade) and release home videos. Anyway, highlights include UNLEASHED's "The One Insane," & "Before the Creation of Time," SAMAEL's "Baphomet's Throne," GRAVE's "Soulless," and the pair from MORGOTH ("Sold Baptism," and "Under the Surface"). The other bands featured are: STUCK MOJO, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, TIAMAT, SENTENCED, NEVERMORE, MUCKY PUP, ONLY LIVING WITNESS and CRO-MAGS. A great video, with a wide variety of bands. - 9 - <Ray> **MC10**

Various Artists - Ultimate Revenge · Metal Mind / MVD
Let me get this out of the way first: for really old bastards such as myself, this is not the old Combat Records Ultimate Revenge video, with EXODUS, SLAYER, and VENOM. But, in its way, it really is just about as cool. Well, that’s an overstatement, since there’s not much that’s as cool as Cronos... but I digress.
What we have here is a compilation of video clips from Polish Black and Death Metal bands. You know, bands like VADER (x2), DECAPITATED, LUX OCCULTA, BEHEMOTH (x2), BELFGOR, DIES IRAE, YATTERING, CHRIST AGONY, THY DISEASE, SCEPTIC, TRAUMA, DOMINIUM, IMMEMORIAL, LUNA AS NOCTUM, HERMH, MOON, and DOMAIN. Did you buy this yet?! Just for the two VADER videos alone, this would pretty much be a must, and the other videos, plus the very comprehensive information on all the bands, really puts this over the top. Oh yeah, did I mention that it also comes with a compilation CD, featuring mostly lesser known, but still great, bands? Like you, you ask? Okay, how about ENTER CHAOS, ASGAARD, ESQARIAL, DISSENTER, AZARATH, LOST SOUL, PROFANUM, MESS AGE, DARZAMAT, THUNDERBOLT, PARRICIDE, WITCHMASTER, HELL-BORN, HORRORSCOPE, ELYSIUM, DEMISE, DAMNATION, MISTERIA, DEVILYN, HATE, and ANAL STENCH? I really wish that I could now tell you that all those songs are previously unreleased and just give this a ten, but unfortunately all of the tracks on the CD are available elsewhere. Still, it’s an excellent sampler, and well, it doesn’t add any to the DVD price after all, so it’s sort of free. I think that it’s safe to say that if you see a DVD from Metal Mind Productions, you should just go ahead and part with the cash for it. - 9 - <Ray>

Various Artists - Victory Video Collection · Victory
As you might guess this DVD is packed full of great Hardcore bands (HATEBREED, SNAPCASE, EARTH CRISIS, STRIFE, INTEGRITY, DOUGHNUTS, WARZONE, and more...), but for the most part, these videos are just live and/or performance shots. I know that videos are expensive to make, so I'm not sure what I expected... Anyway, it's cool to see this stuff, and one of the guys in ELECTRIC FRANKENSTEIN is wearing a MOTÖRHEAD shirt, which is always a plus. The DVD has some bonus stuff, including a video from HI-FI & THE ROADBURNERS that I think might have been in the vaults since 1954. Also included is bonus footage from a couple videos and the making of another. - 8 - <Ray>

Movies:

Backstage Sluts 3 · Zane
This porno is fucking mad lame! I give Matt Zane props for trying to do different things with the art of pornography, but him being a guy who gets laid all the time, he must not understand how fat, lonely, hairy-back mammals such as myself need porn to be at maximum masturbatory enjoyment. I just want to see continuous sex scenes. Is that too much to ask? I don't want to see interviews with wiggers and MARILYN MANSON wanna-bes in between the action, and there is absolutely no eroticism involved with the act of throwing lunchmeat at a beautiful girl. I spent about 80% of the time with my hand on the remote, which is not where your hand should be during masturbation. And what's up with the condoms and strobe-light camera maneuvering? If this is the best Zane can do, I'll use my imagination instead. - 5 - <Jack>

The Hardcore Collection: The Films of Richard Kern · MVD
I'd heard a lot about Richard Kern, but this was my first experience seeing his work. "Hardcore" (in the sense of porn) is probably the right word for this collection of short films. Kern and his cohorts (Lydia Lunch, Kembra Pfahler, and Henry Rollins to name a few) seem completely at ease showing pretty much anything that's shocking or disturbing. I'm not sure how "artistic" it was watching Kembra get her pussy sewn shut (in "The Sewing Circle"), but like much of the rest of what's on here, it kept me glued to the screen, and made its point clear. The video work is mostly very "artsy" in the sense of camera angels, cuts, grainy film and so on. To make sure that you buy the DVD (rather than the VHS), it adds a whole hour of bonus material, which translates into three extra films. An interesting release that will make me look further into the work of Richard Kern. - 9.25 - <Ray>

Hated: G.G. Allin and The Murder Junkies · MVD
What can even be said about G.G.? This documentary tells his story. The story of a man who had nothing to lose, except eventually his life. But even that was apparently one more degree of freedom for the fearless Allin. Man, I can practically smell the shit and piss as this DVD is playing. It seems almost insane that G.G. Allin, who owned virtually nothing when alive, is now available on a technologically advanced format such as DVD, but here it is, with almost an hour of bonus footage from his last live performance. With complete freedom and the sacrifices necessary to have achieved it, G.G. attacks the crowd and his own band, strips naked, shits, beats himself, shoves stuff up his ass - anything he feels like at the time with no thoughts at all as to what will happen next. Fans of Punk Rock might well want to check this out to see what real rebellion and really not giving a fuck is all about. So, does that make G.G. a visionary, a madman, or what? Who knows. But this documentary is a testament to living free, by no one's rules but your own, and in G.G.'s case, I'd think that he didn't have any. Sometimes it's painfully disgusting to watch, but it's always honest; brutally so. This ends, appropriately enough, with footage of G.G.'s funeral. How the Hell can I assign a rating to the story of this man's life? Focusing only on the film aspects, then. - 8 - <Ray>

House of Flesh II · Zane Entertainment
I haven’t seen the first installment of this series, but the premise here is based around an ambitious party thrown by our film’s director, Matt Zane. This flick opens with a blistering DP threesome scene, then breaks to fun in the sun backyard home video hyjinks. Ever been to a party early waiting for everyone to show? You’re watching it. But when things get going, it’s not half bad. A bondage demonstration, how nice! If you can sit through the live music, you might get to the cooler parts where a porn orgy freak fucks before the entire party of guests, but seriously gets busted by the L.A.P.D. before climax. This sets the stage for the final (actual) hardcore porn action, ala Kikki Morgan and Dee, with a handful of other pornsters in a jail cell. Snatches are slammed into submission, and no back door is left unbruised. But up to that point the video has been a tease. - 7.25 - <Bob> **MC12**

Inside the Tale of the Fox: The Eric Carr Story · MVD
I'm not much of a KISS fan, so when this DVD showed up to review, I wasn't sure how to go about this. It seems as if Eric must have been a pretty cool guy, and this documentary gets kind of interesting once it reaches the part where he joins KISS. Many of his Butt Rock pals are interviewed, and since I have no respect for them, those segmets are somewhat difficult to watch, but there are also interviews with a lot of other people, including his parents. Noticably absent are KISS main-men Gene and Paul, which I found to be kind of weird. I will say that my interest was more or less held through the duration, but I doubt I'd ever feel the need to watch this again. This is probably best suited for die-hard members of the KISS Army. - 7.75 - <Ray>

Sexual Society II · Zane Entertainment
From adult movie mogul Matt Zane comes unusual hybrid porn. The theme here revolves around the backstage behavior, and on the road antics, of a "rock star Metal band." Not surprising then the use of Zane's own band, SOCIETY 1, as the center. With all the bare sexual bawdiness revolving around the band's tour, it's usually entertaining to watch the documentary style footage, regardless whether it's contrived or not. But, if you can get used to that, placed throughout comes the hardcore, drawn out, porn-sex scenes to remind you that this actually is a porno, really. Blowjobs abound, as do trooper backstage sluts. Ron Jeremy makes an appearance, bringing deserts for the band, and not just ice cream. Speaking of food, a "random" chick gets bologna thrown at her, then supposedly gang fucked by the whole band, culminating in her covered in cum, but, "Not in the hair!" Finally, at tour's end, Zane throws a party with two hot lesbians on a double dong as entertainment. - 7.75 - <Bob> **MC12**