Black Label Society -- 'Skullage' CD/DVD [review]

Black Label Society - Skullage
Eagle Records (4/21/09)
Metal

Skullage is the much-warranted career retrospective for one of metal’s living guitar gods, Zakk Wylde. The set offers up a glimpse of 12 years of recording; from the once-obscure Pride and Glory days (Wylde’s first band which recorded its only album in 1994) all the way through to BLS’s 2006 release Shot to Hell, there’s a little bit of everything on here.

Presented in chronological order, the album is a compendium of riffs, metal anthems and melancholic bliss. It opens with Pride and Glory’s “Machine Gun Man” and immediately shifts gears into “Dead As Yesterday” (off Wylde’s solo offering Book of Shadows, which featured material much different from the usual BLS fair).

It’s a good set, to be sure, though it does seem to lean a little heavily on the later, more popular releases—three songs from The Blessed Hellride (“Doomsday Jesus”, “Stillborn” and “Won’t Find it Here”) and Mafia (“In This River”, “Fire it Up” and “Suicide Messiah”)—and only touches on the oft-overlooked 1919 Eternal (“Bleed for Me”) or the lesser-received Shot to Hell (“New Religion”). Skipped entirely is the acoustic Hangover Music, Vol. 6 and the BLS debut Sonic Brew. However, the acoustic set “Slightly Amped”, recorded back on the Blessed Hellride promotional tour, is on here, and it does feature a killer version of “Spoke in the Wheel” (off the aforementioned Sonic Brew) so... perhaps that was a two-birds-one-stone type of deal.

Skullage is also available with a DVD set, which features a bunch of live footage, a handful of music videos, the aforementioned “Slightly Amped” set, and a half-hour piece with Wylde working out, goofing off, jamming and talking about the inspiration for some of his songs. Of note is an insane version of "Spoke in the Wheel" (which looks like it was recorded on the Mafia tour), the "In This River" video and some fun footage of Wylde messing around with the late Dimebag Darrell (talking about the "In This River" video and inspiration during an interview).

The set, on the whole, is killer, and metal fans really can’t miss with Wylde, but die-hards will miss a couple of things. With what was presented on the accompanying DVD, it would have been easy to omit songs like “Fire it Up” or “Won’t Find it Here” to include stuff like “Battering Ram”, Wylde’s sick version of “America the Beautiful”, his insane cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “I Never Dreamed” or another track off of Book of Shadows for the CD side of things.

Nonetheless, Skullage is a must-have for BLS fans and metal-heads in general.

Nickelback -- 'Live at Sturgis' [DVD review]

Nickelback - Live at Sturgis [DVD]
Roadrunner Records (11/28/08)
Unrated
90 minutes

Love the band or hate it, Nickelback has become one of the biggest rock acts of the new millennium, and the group’s new DVD effort, Live at Sturgis, aims to show audiences, fans and non-fans alike, exactly why that is.

Recorded live at the Sturgis bike rally in 2006, Nickelback’s performance is part of the Rockin’ the Rally show. The set was recorded with a plethora of high-definition cameras and offers up a fair chunk of hits, but there are a few issues preventing this from being a perfect release.

The show

Arguably all of the band’s biggest hits are on here, but they stick to three of their five (at the time) albums: Silver Side Up, The Long Road and All the Right Reasons. From the ballads (“Far Away” and “Someday”) to the power-rockers (“Side of a Bullet” and “Animals”) to the biggest hits (“Photograph”, “Too Bad” and “How You Remind Me”), it’s all on here. Longtime fans will miss some of the better, more obscure content off those albums, or even something like “Leader of Men” (off The State). This becomes a more glaring issue when the concert really clocks in at slightly over an hour, and the band only does a single-song encore.

Presentation

The concert footage looks fantastic, presented in high-definition with amazing direction. This is probably one of the best-taped shows, in terms of visuals, that I’ve ever seen. The sound defaults to a 2-channel surround (?!) but is also offered in various 5.1 mixes (CircleSurround, multichannel and DTS). I watched the show in DTS and it sounded pretty solid—the band is spread across the speakers with the crowd noise pushed low in the overall mix. The only complaint, and it’s a small one, is that there are a couple of occasions where the distorted mic for the backing vocals kicks way too high into the mix, actually overpowering Chad Kroeger.

Bonus material

In addition to the concert, there’s a short behind-the-scenes documentary on the band featuring a lot of footage from another concert from the tour; there’s a “photo gallery” that looks more like screen caps from the main show; there’s a short infomercial on Sturgis and Nickelback; and there’s a video for “Rockstar” (how was this song not on the main set list?).

Censorship

This is a rock show at a biker rally. No one should be surprised that, between songs, a couple of choice words are thrown out there. For some reason these words are either dropped off the mix or overtly bleeped out. It’s especially disappointing when it’s done during “Woke Up This Morning”.

The decision was also made to digitally cloth topless women in the crowd during the many audience pans (there are more than a few moments when the cameraman zooms in and focuses particularly on females). I’m not saying topless women would make or break the show, but given the number of cameras filming the proceedings, it’s pretty certain a version of this show, sans nudity, could have easily been stitched together.

It’s especially troublesome when the band takes a brief break and Kroeger compliments the females in the crowd, with the accompanying camera pans, and the women and language needs to be censored. Why even include the exchange at that point? It was a moment that could have been easily cut.

It’s a rock show at a biker rally... what did you expect?

In closing

This is one hell of a show and, albeit a little too short, is both visually and sonically impressive. The bonus features don’t really add too much to this collection, but fans of the band will absolutely love this. All of the radio hits are on here, so even partial fans will have a good time. And parents can feel safe their kids' minds won’t be warped by nudity or bad language, though the censorship might tick off a good chunk of diehard fans.

Twisted Sister -- 'Live at the Astoria' CD/DVD [review]

Twisted Sister - Live at the Astoria [CD/DVD]
Demolition Records (11/18/08)
Hard rock / Metal (Glam)

While never the most prolific metal band out there, Twisted Sister has somehow become one of those bands from the '80s that is regarded as somewhat legendary on the strength of a handful of popular tracks.

Live at the Astoria plays out as a greatest-hits collection, with a solid sampling from the group's back catalogue. The recording is fairly crisp, with hardly any crowd interference (which you'll either like or dislike depending on what you're looking for in a live album).

And for the fans, there's little missing from this set. The band cranks out particularly rousing versions of "The Price", "Ride to Live (Live to Ride)" and "Under the Blade", closing out the festivities with a killer version of "I Wanna Rock" before a somewhat lackluster encore. Ending things with "S.M.F." is one thing, but the two-song set starts with the questionable "Come Out and Play" purely in an attempt to get the crowd to chant along with the Warriors-inspired "Twisted Sister ... Come out and play!", which, judging from the crowd noise, never quite takes off as the band might have hoped.

The rest of the set is pretty straight-forward. "The Fire Still Burns" ... "Like a Knife in the Back" ... "The Kids are Back" ... "Shoot ‘Em Down" ... the hits keep coming hard and heavy. The biggest surprise is that the band seems to sleepwalk through its biggest hit, "We're Not Gonna Take It", which lacks that certain spark that you'd expect from a live version.

This package includes a DVD of the same performance that, except for possible nuances, is pretty much a video translation of the concert—I say nuances because at least during "We're Not Gonna Take It" the band stops mid-song as Dee Snider goes off on a rant about an "unnamed" record executive that dismissed the song after it was recorded and prior to release. Post-rant, the band kicks back into the song for another minute for a crowd sing-along. You could appreciate the sentiment, except the audio is badly chopped (read: censored) to protect the identity of said executive Snider refers to by name. This entire exchange is happily missing from the CD.

The show was recorded back in 2004, but there's no clear reason as to the four-year delay in release since there are no bells and/or whistles to accompany the show. So, what you ultimately have is a bare-bones glimpse at a rock band doing what it does best—more than 20 years since its inception—rocking an audience into a frenzy.

Various Artists -- 'Gigantour 2' [DVD review]

Gigantour 2 [DVD]
Image Entertainment (4/22/08)
Unrated
66 minutes

"Gigantour is the spirit of heavy metal captured in a festival. It was about people going there, and the musicians being treated with respect, and an audience feeling like they’ve been treated with respect. And everybody walking away—the entertainers and the entertained all in agreement that it was a great environment.”
—Dave Mustaine

With Ozzfest down to one show this year, Gigantour seems a worthy successor to be the summer festival to carry the torch of metal to the masses. While on face value there appears little difference between the two tours, Ozzfest tried to pack a lot of bang for the buck, shoehorning more than a dozen bands into the course of a single head-banging day. Many a year it seemed quantity ruled over quality, though with so many bands from which to choose, concertgoers still got their money's worth in the end.

Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble -- 'Pride and Joy' [DVD review]

Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - Pride and Joy [DVD]
Epic Records (11/06/07)
Unrated
70 minutes



Originally released just after his untimely passing, Pride and Joy acted as the definite Stevie Ray Vaughan video collection. Now, recently re-released in an expanded DVD set, the collection is still a fantastic look back at one of the guitar greats from the 20th century.

Vaughan was a master when it came to blues/rock riffs. This set features videos for hits like "Superstition", "I'm Leaving You," "Cold Shot," "Love Struck Baby" and a blistering version of "The House is Rockin'" (all on the original video release).

But it's the added material that really shines here.

First you have three tracks from Vaughan’s Unplugged appearance ("Rude Mood," "Pride and Joy" and "Testify"). Then there are two videos from The Vaughan Brothers release, "Tick Tock" (filmed after Stevie’s death and dedicated to the legend) and the so-so "Good Texan."

And the gem of the set, a classic video for Vaughan’s cover of "Little Wing," includes tons of great footage from guitar legends of the past, along with some nice spoken word overlaid on the track.

To wrap things up, we get vintage commercials for two of Vaughan's albums and an electronic press kit for The Vaughan Brothers which is only of interest since it's basically an extended interview with Stevie and his brother Jimmie.

There are no bells and whistles with this collection. It's presented, bare-bones, full frame with the sound mixed off the front channels in normal stereo. All the video looks clear, except for the live video for "I’m Leaving You" which is a little grainy given the source material.

My only gripe would be that the commercials and EPK are presented as chapters in the set instead of bonus material (which it obviously is). Add on, say, a handful of audio-only tracks (maybe mixed in surround sound) and this would be a must-have for everyone. As it stands, it's a must-have for any Stevie Ray Vaughan fans. Or, if you love the blues, you should buy this just for what it is—a look back at a legend of the genre.

Yes, Stevie Ray Vaughan is still missed.

AC/DC -- 'Plug Me In' [DVD review]

AC/DC - Plug Me In [2-DVD set; also available in 3-disc special ed.]
Columbia Records (10/16/07)
Unrated
300 minutes



Plug Me In isn't a documentary or biography, but it does offer a glimpse into the history of one of the world's most notorious heavy metal bands. The DVD set is an anthology of live performances, organized chronologically and separated by AC/DC's two most notable eras: the Bon Scott years, and the band's current and longest line-up with Brian Johnson on vocals. And spanning almost 30 years of the band's touring, there's more than enough footage to keep fans entertained.

The first disc features performances from 1975 through 1979. Most of the video is clear, though there are more than a few grainy shots. The sound is always clear (if not always crisp), and there's a nice mix of classic songs sprinkled throughout.


The second disc, with footage from 1981 through 2003, is the longer of the two. The video progressively gets better in quality the closer the material gets to present time (which makes sense).

The beauty of this set is watching a band go from underground sensation to world-wide phenomenon. The growth of Scott as a frontman, the development of guitarist Angus Young into the face of the band, Johnson finding a place in the band and successfully filling Scott's role and making it his own in the process—it's all here in its gritty glory.


The bonus features aren't half-bad either. There's a handful of classic interviews that probably haven't seen the light of day since the '70s when they were first recorded (some great stuff with Young and Scott from the early years). There's a good interview with Young and Johnson addressing the latter's place with the band following Scott's death. There's a nice sound check of "Gone Shootin'" from the band's VH1 Studios performance in London from 1996. There's even a crazy clip of the band performing with the Rolling Stones from a 2003 tour, along with a Beavis & Butthead animated opening from the band's 1996 tour.

The video: Everything seems pretty clean, considering some of the source material. It isn't so polished that it looks out of place, but not so raw where it's hard to watch. Out of the 40-plus performances, only one stood out for particularly poor video. The best of the bunch might be a three-song set from the Entertainment Center in Sydney (1996) where the video is taken directly from the live screens at the venue (the footage broadcast above the stage for those in attendance). Everything is presented in full-frame (except possibly for two songs from Germany in 2003 that were letterboxed).

Sound: Nothing special as everything is forced through in stereo, but it all sounds great.

Extras: The set is designed with a video game theme, which looks pretty cool, especially the opening menus. Each disc features a sort-of scrapbook of old newspaper clippings and concert paraphernalia. The most interesting feature is the "create-your-own playlist" that lets you pick the order and amount of songs you want to view, and then watch your creation.

There's only a couple of problems with this set. Apart from a place and date, there's no way to know, at least from the information provided, why each set was selected for this collection. "T.N.T." comes from the band's notorious performance at St. Albans High School in Australia (pretty rare footage). The 1979 performance of "Highway to Hell" was the first time it was performed live in concert. The set from 1979 was one of Scott's last shows with the band. There are a couple of intros with the later material to set the stage for the performance (like the Moscow show). There's also a couple of times where the timing of a particular song's performance could be questioned (most notably the "Thunderstruck" performance from 2003; there had to be a better shot at this song from the early- or mid-'90s when Johnson's voice was a little more powerful).

Other than that, there are plenty of classics on here: multiple versions of "Highway to Hell", "Whole Lotta Rosie", "Live Wire", "You Shook Me All Night Long", "Back in Black", "Stiff Upper Lip", "Hells Bells" and so on and so on. Add in some amazing Young solos, and more than enough bluesy rock 'n' roll to fill a jukebox, and you get an idea of what this set has to offer. Plug Me In is a great collection for longtime fans, or good for someone interested in seeing one of metal's strongest outfits proving its worth decade after decade after decade after decade

Kiss -- 'Kissology: The Ultimate Kiss Collection Vol. 2 - 1978-1991' [DVD review]

Kiss - Kissology: The Ultimate Kiss Collection Vol. 2 - 1978-1991 [4-DVD set]
VH1 Classic Records (7/14/07)
Unrated
407 minutes



Kiss's second Kissology DVD collection takes a look at what most people consider to be the band's most turbulent years. It acts as an almost-documentary of the band, but instead of interviews (though there are a couple on here), it tells a story though clips of TV appearances, news items, concerts and music videos. Through the three-disc set is told a story of a band on the edge. The trials that plagued Kiss from the late '70s through the early '90s -- multiple shifts in the line-up, career missteps and an image makeover -- would be enough to cripple any other band, but if this set shows nothing else, it shows a band that prides itself on consistency and professionalism, at least when it came to "the show."

By 1978, Kiss was on top of the world as the biggest and most recognizable rock band on the planet. It's doubtful anyone could have imaged what the next few years would bring. Disc one offers a set of interview excerpts: one from the Land of Hype and Glory in 1978, which featured a band at the top of its game; the other, from The Tomorrow Show with Tom Snyder in 1979, a band on the brink of collapse. The Snyder interview offered the first glimpse of the inner turmoil of the band, with guitarist Ace Frehley clearly inebriated and monopolizing the conversation, while Gene Simmons stewed in the corner and Paul Stanley attempted to take control (drummer Peter Criss seemed content to ride it out and have a good time).

These two interviews sandwich the meatiest portion of the whole set -- a cleaned up, widescreen version of Kiss in Attack of the Phantoms. The movie featured Kiss as superheroes holed up at an amusement park for the summer. Pitched to the band as a mix of The Beatles' A Hard Day's Night and Star Wars, well ... it's hard to imagine how anyone believed it would be a career booster. It does show the band at its hokey best, and is a must-have for any die-hard fan.

The second disc features a wealth of concert footage and TV performances starting with the 1980 video for "Shandi" and ending with an overexposed live performance of "I Love it Loud" from Top Pop in 1982. In this short span of time, the band would lose original drummer Criss, replace him with Eric Carr, drift further away from Frehley and record The Elder, widely considered the worst of the band's catalogue. It's not all a downer, as they also enjoyed a wildly successful tour of Australia. Of note on this disc is a snippet from a CNN interview with Criss right after he left the band, and a live set from the TV show Fridays featuring "The Oath", "A World Without Heroes" and "I", all off of the aforementioned Elder album.

By disc three, Frehley had left the band, replaced by Vinnie Vincent. The disc opens with a pretty impressive set off the '83 Creatures of the Night tour, followed by the notorious unmasking interview off MTV (the first time anyone in the band was seen without his makeup). After a couple of songs from a Portugal concert later that year, the set jumps all the way to '87 and the Crazy Crazy Nights tour, with Bruce Kullick now on guitar. There's an almost complete concert from the Forever tour, and things close out with an MTV news bulletin announcing the death of Carr and the music video for "God Gave Rock 'N' Roll to You II", Carr's last performance with the band.

This is far from a perfect collection. While all the back story is presented in this review, the details surrounding the departing band members are never addressed throughly in the actual DVDs (though the accompanying booklet, which features quotes from the band members to flush out the story, is helpful). So, rather than a documentary, this is more of a snapshot of a band from a certain window of time. There were a bunch of music videos from the Crazy Nights and Hot in the Shade albums, that could have made it on here, or at least some stuff from the Animalize release so the jump from '83 to '87 wasn't so drastic.

Still, for what it is, there are some great gems on here -- the various live versions of "Creatures of the Night", some stellar Carr drum solos, a particularly nasty Frehley solo and the "God Gave Rock ‘N' Roll To You" video in particular. The interview snippets are interesting, and the Australia tour footage is great, too.

Apart from the movie, everything is presented in full screen with a normal stereo sound. However, the concert footage is clear and the sound, while muffled at times, is more than adequate. In fact, the Top Pop performance is the only one that's difficult to watch.


If you're a huge Kiss fan, you already own this. If you're interested in getting your hands on some pretty decent live footage from the time period, this is for you. I'm not sure what this has to offer the casual fan, unless you really wanted that Kiss movie in your collection. For what it is, which seems to be an emptying of the vaults of sorts, this is a solid collection. It just lacks some of the later material (music videos, band interviews from the late '80s, etc.) to make it perfect.