AFTER FOREVER- Equally Destructive (DVD single)
“Equally Destructive” is a limited edition DVD single. The title track opens with a three and a half minute live video in black and white. The song is catchy and has got a very groovy drive. Next on is “Discord”, which sounds much more extreme, heavy, more bombastic and quite colourful. There is quite a lot of energy unleashed in this four and a half minute video clip. Undoubtedly, this is AFTER FOREVER at their very best. The third video shows us AFTER FOREVER at Lowlands 2007. Backstage material, live footage, this time all in full colour. This joyful part last for about five minutes, which brings the total playing time of this DVD single to about thirteen minutes. A nice bonus for the fans of this Dutch gothic metal band.
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
The DVD in this CD/DVD package contains the video footage, that is part of the new masterpiece of Arjen Lucassen. Again Arjen was helped out by many different musicians. A lot of them are female singers like Floor Jansen (AFTER FOREVER), Simone Simons (EPICA), Liselotte Hegt (DIAL), Anneke van Giersbergen (AGUA DE ANNIQUE), Marjan Welman (AUTUMN) and Magali Luyten (VIRUS IV). Quite an impressive list, if I may say so. And I haven't even mentioned guitar player Lori Linstruth (STREAM OF PASSION) here. No wonder, this album breathes magic. The DVD shows how Arjen chose his guest musicians and singers. You can see them at work, while recordign their vocal tracks and there is some great ‘behind the scene’ footage to be seen here as well. The introduction to all these fine musicians takes about fifty minutes. Then there is a beautiful animation clip for the song "Beneath The Waves". The DVD also contains some audio material, like a six track demo with songs from "01011001" in a very pure version. All songs contain vocal parts by Arjen himself. I guess, this is the material that he send to the different singers and musicians to let them hear, what the new AYREON album is all about. Another nice audio part on the DVD are the musical bloopers. Even professional musicians make mistakes sometimes. But these musicians aren't afraid to admit this and they are even willing to share these hilarious moments with their fans here. GOREFEST drummer Ed Warby gets the honour to drum on "01011001". His sessions are captured on a ten minute DVD part. The DVD closes with a trailer about this new CD. A CD, that captures the best of what we have in our country. We can be damn proud of what AYREON has accomplished over the years. And this DVD gives us a nice overview of what happened before a masterpiece like "01011001" hits the stores.
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
The limited edition two disc version of Jennifer Batten’s new album “Whatever” contains a bonus DVD with a lot of goodies. So you’d better get ready for some action. The DVD contains ten video clips. Animations with a hidden, deeper meaning, lots of humour, or sometimes just colourful landscapes fill your TV screen. While the blonde guitar wizard pulls the most weird sounds out of her instrument. The video clips are very funny to watch. But to me, the ultimate wet dream are the old, more heavy clips of “Flight Of The Bumble Bee”, “Ya Ain’t Nothing Like A Fast Car” and “Respect” (ARETHA FRANKLIN). Watch the lady with the big blonde hair touch her G-string. Is it my imagination or is it getting real hot in here? This is just so damn cool to watch! If you don’t fancy them video clips, you can also learn to play the guitar just like Jennifer and watch the ‘Geek Guitar Lessons’ on this DVD. WARNING: If you are an amateur guitar player, who is ready to pull the strings for the first time, please don’t even go there. You might end up in an hospital for mental diseased people, who became suicidal because their dream has been blown away by this blonde killer bee. Things may look very easy, when Jennifer shows all her “tricks”, but you’ll soon end up with your fingers broken or knotted together. However, if you’re more interested in the artist behind the makers of the different video clips, then you’ll have a good time watching the interview section. Here you can see the artists, that made all these amazing video clips. Very interesting indeed, but maybe not the most exciting part on this DVD for the average music fan. Now you must prepare yourself to get ready to play the video clips one more time, only this time with the audio comments of Jennifer turned ‘on’, instead of ‘off’. You’ll hear some more background information about these video clips from the lady herself. It really adds something special to the material, that you’ve seen already. After all, these are clips made for instrumental songs. The comments are not meant to replace the singing, but they are definitely worth listening to, especially because the great deal of humour in it. Jennifer tells some wonderful stories here. So we have great stories, great video clips, background information, guitar lessons, what more can we ask for? This DVD is really a ‘must have’ for every guitar nerd out there, because this lady is steaming hot!
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
The live shows of BLACKMORE’S NIGHT are a real treat to their fans. The band is very experienced live and they are much more relaxed than on their studio albums. They are so spontaneous on stage and a lot rawer, too. This DVD shows a live show reorded at The Olympia in Paris, France. The band is in good shape and we get to see a show, in which Ritchie plays various instruments. Also Candice plays the flute regularly. The setlist contains a good overview of their albums so far, including songs like “Soldiers Of Fortune” (DEEP PURPLE) and “Ariel” (RAINBOW), which fit very well to the sound of this band. Highlights for me are “Past Times With Good Friends”, “Under A Violet Moon”, Home Again”, “The Clock Ticks On” and “Renaissance Faire”. And sometimes we even get to see a glimpse of the good old days of the guitar maestro himself. Next to the screaming guitar parts though, you can also see Ritchie play the hurdy-gurdy. Now that’s what I call variation! Because of the sometimes very humorous footage, this has become an honest and joyful reflection of what a BLACKMORE’S NIGHT gig is all about. Especially Candice develops herself as a very humorous person, who can describe Ritchie’s strange behaviour in one sentence at times. This adds a special meaning to the already joyful DVD, that the band recorded from this show. A video clip and an interview are represented in the bonus footage. The package also contains a live CD with eleven songs of this concert. You can find a review in our CD section. BLACKMORE’S NIGHT consists of Candice Night on vocals, penny whistle and tambourine, Ritchie Blackmore on guitars, manolin, mandola and hurdy-gurdy, Sir Robert of Normandie on bass and rhythm guitar, Bard David Of Larchmont on keyboards and vocals, Squire Malcolm Of Lumley on drums and percussion, Lady Madeline and Lady Nancy on background vocals and Thomas Roth and Albert Donnenmann of DIE GEYERS on horns.
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
After more than a decade of fronting the seminal Dutch band THE GATHERING, lead vocalist Anneke van Giersbergen decided to leave the band to focus on her new project AGUA DE ANNIQUE. This special two disc DVD set features THE GATHERING in all of their live glory from Santiago, Chile on their "Home" tour in 2007.The first disc is the entire Santiago concert. It is a good overview of the bands career and features nineteen songs and over two hours worth of music. The live DVD begins with "Shortest Day" from the very underrated "Home" CD, followed by "In Between", which is also from "Home". "Liberty Bell" and "Probably Built In The Fifties", both from "How To Measure A Planet?" follow. "Even The Spirits Are Afraid" from "Souvenirs" is next. The first half of the live DVD focus more on "How To Measure A Planet?" and later, while the second half is primarily made up of "Mandylion" and "Nighttime Birds" era material. I don't know if this is by design or that's just how the set-list fell, but it is definitely nice to see the band show some attention to the '95-'97 period. The band rip through some great classics, like "Leaves", "Eleanor", "In Motion Part I", "On Most Surfaces", "Adrenaline", "Third Chance", but when guitarist Rene Rutten launches into that memorable (and awesome) riff for "Strange Machines", the house really comes down. It's obvious, that the capacity crowd in Chile are loving every minute of it. The thing that has always been great about Anneke is, that she always looks like she is enjoying herself on stage, and this live performance is no different. The duo of "Black Light District" from the EP of the same name and "Travel" close the show and the live portion of the DVD. It looks like everyone - the band and fans alike - enjoyed a very memorable evening of music. Switching over to the second DVD, the listener/viewer is treated to some really cool extras. The first of which is the one hour documentary "Homemade", that follows the band through the recording process of the "Home" CD. Next is a four minute mini-documentary, that chronicles the making of this DVD. Then there is a two minute "thank you"video, THE GATHERING made for their Edison award winning "A Sound Relief" DVD. After that, we have three different fan-made videos for the song "Alone", that was part of a contest, that was run by the band. These were the winners. Three very different and eclectic clips are shown here. Next is the promo video for "Forgotten". Two animated video clips for "Box" and "Waking Hour" bring the second DVD to a close. I have to admit, that THE GATHERING will always hold a special place in my heart. One thing you can say about this band is, that they never played it safe. One thing is for certain, on "A Noise Severe" you get a great overview of the strength of THE GATHERING's material and how strong they stand up in a live setting. No doubt Anneke van Giersbergen will be missed, but I'm sure THE GATHERING will soldier on and continue to make great music. This is a perfect ending to the Anneke era, as a new chapter is about to begin.
Reviewed by: Tony Cannella
“Dreamboat Annie” is the very first HEART album. Man, do we have some good memories about that one! Two sisters entered the world of hard rock music and astonished all the fans by their musical talent. More than thirty years later, the band is still going strong. On this DVD, the magic of the debut album relives during a live performance of this legendary album. Before the band plugs in, we see a ten minute introduction interview with Ann and Nancy Wilson. The two female pioneers in heavy rock music. Ann, the dark haired lady with the golden throat. And Nancy, the blonde haired lady with the golden fingers. Both good looking, like they never grow any older. The concert on the DVD was recorded live at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Los Angeles on April 17th, 2007. “Magic Man” opens this magic event, followed by the whole “Dreamboat Annie” album. An album, that contains many classics like “Soul Of The Sea”, “Crazy On You” and of course title track “Dreamboat Annie”. After the regualr set and a short break, the band returns to play some great cover versions of “Goodbye Blue Sky” (PINK FLOYD), “Black Dog” and “Misty Mountain Hop” (LED ZEPPELIN), and “Love, Reign O’er Me” (THE WHO). The band grows after each song. The bonus features include a photo gallery and a short piece, where fans referred to as ‘Heartmongers’ explain why they like HEART so much. Plus we see “Mistral Winds” and “Straight On”, recorded at the L.A. Country Fair. Ann still has got the golden voice and Nancy still has got the magic grips and the beautiful looks. This band can go on for ages, if they stay in shape, which they are now. Third female member in the band, Debbie Shair, who plays the keyboards, has got a permanent place in today’s line up. She even has a leading role in the opening of “Love Reign O’er Me”. Besides Ann, Nancy and Debbie, HEART consists of Ben Smith on drums, Craig Bartock on guitar and Rick Markmann on bass.
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
“Live At Godiva’s” is an official live DVD of HYDROGYN. And I must say, that it surprised me in a very positive way. Who expects to see a regular concert registration needs to think it over. Godiva’s is an American stripclub with a neon lit catwalk, including equipment for pole dancers. The live show of HYDROGYN is made around heavy rock, but the female dancers, who are dressed up in their most sexy lingery, are a nice extra. While HYDROGYN frontlady Julie constantly changes her sexy outfit after each song, which makes their show highly enjoyable, too. The live set contains eight songs plus an intro. Besides that, we get to see the “Breaking Me Down” video clip, two short commercials and a slide show. The only negative thing I can think of right now is, that this thirty-five minute DVD runs much too short. It’s over, before you know it! The last song is the instrumental track “King Of Gunndore”, where a male person is being rubbed in with some bloody hot wax. This is very similar to a S.M. act, you would expect at a GENITORTURERS show. Instead, it’s another exclusive look at the ero(ck)tic show of HYDROGYN. The band will tour with GREAT WHITE later on this year. This band was banned at many clubs, because of a firework accident a couple of years ago, where a few people died. I do hope, that HYDROGYN won’t be banned, because of the erotic aspect in their shows. The bombshell is stripping ‘em blind tonight, and you can watch it all on this migthy fine DVD.
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
MT-TV, or ‘Empty TV’ is a continuation of ROCKBITCH. Now I have your attention, I guess. The review of their latest CD “North South” can be read in our CD section. This DVD is called “West East”, a well-thought-of name. On the DVD, we see some video clips, that the band has made. We start with the alternative, grungy, gothic metal song “Cry Me”. Women, wearing heavy make up, now humiliate the bastard, who once humiliated them. A good example of women emancipation. While “Evermore” is much darker and slower and filmed in the beautiful nature. Very sphereful music, topped by a heavy beat. “Hear Me” is the absolute highlight for me. This ‘live’ clip does remind me of the Italian horror metal band DEATH SS in a way, because of the show effects here and there. The song is a bit more uptempo and contains much more power than “Cry Me” for example. The DVD closes with the making of “Cry Me”, a three and a half minute peak behind the scene, which is quite amusing. In closing, we get a part called ‘On The Road’ filmed in 2005, which lasts about fourteen minutes. Alltogether, this is worthy of about thirty minutes of girl power. Can’t wait to see what more will happen to the school bus, that these ladies transformed into a tour bus. Some hilarious moments are on this DVD already. People, who buy this DVD for some shocking sex moments will have to grab back to the old ROCKBITCH material instead. MT-TV focus much more on their musical abilities now and they have got nothing to do with ROCKBITCH whatsoever. These days have all gone!
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
With the addition of Annette Ohlzon, NIGHTWISH starts to sound a bit more like AFTER FOREVER. They kinda loose their very own, remarkable sound, that they created over the years. “Amaranth” is a video/audio DVD. The video part shows the clip for “Amaranth” in 5.1 and 2.0 sound quality. It’s a mix of the band performing live and on location, combined with a short story. The other video clip is “While Your Lips Are Still Red”. This song was recorded as a theme song for the movie “Lieska”, when the band was still searching for a new female singer. That’s why we have Marco Hietala on vocals here. Inbetween these two video clips, there is a forty-five minute documentary of the making of “Amaranth”. For those, who haven’t got a clue how much work it is to make a good video clip, should watch this part closely. In order to get four minutes of video, you need many different shoots, the gear must be set up and the place must be decorated the right way. Another shoot, different light settings, refurnishing the decoration, another light setting, make up that needs to be redone, and so on, and so on. And in the meantime, you will hear the sound of the song “Amaranth” over and over again. Outside somewhere, the ‘play part’ of the video clip is shot. We meet some characters of the video clip. They meet the band in person, too. Then you can see that people from a heavy metal band are living in a totally different world than the people, who figurate in this heavy metal video clip. Later on that day, the crew shoots the special effects and another video clip is born. A nice DVD with a nice peak in the kitchen of video clip making.
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
The career of THE PLASMATICS started with a giant bang in 1978. Shock rock was still in its elementary days and only existed, because of bands like ALICE COOPER, THE TUBES and KISS. But what this band showed on stage, went beyond that and I mean far beyond it all. KISS and ALICE COOPER worked with a good balanced show, including giant pyros, some bloodspitting, a live boa constrictor on stage and the beheading of Alice by the guillotine, but everybody could see that it was all a big show. THE TUBES was an organized mess, that looked like a circus with a freakshow and some nude female dancers. But it was only a gimmick. The show effects of THE PLASMATICS really shocked people. It all started out with a guitar, that was slashed into two parts with a chainsaw. After that, a TV was blown to pieces. And later on, the band did some stunts, that had never been done before. Not even by experienced stunt people. Leading lady, and most eye-catching member of THE PLASMATICS was WENDY O’ WILLIAMS. Okay, a six feet tall guitar player (Ritchie Stotts) dressed up in a tutu is also not someone you will meet every day. But Wendy was controversial and ready to attack every single minute. And when the press lost attention and the camera was tending to look the other way, she came up with another idea and everybody was focussed on her and the band again. Performing live was not enough for her. She just needed to shock people and that’s why she decided to perform topless every now and then. That would raise some eyebrows. People get used to controversial behaviour, but this was not an issue for Ms. O’Williams. She shaved her head and grew a mohawk. In 2008, nobody will even look up, when they see somebody with a mohawk. Not even, when this certain person is a lady. But it is the late seventies and a lady with a mohawk is even bigger news than an earthquake or a tsunami. The press and the local governement looked constantly over Wendy’s shoulder. They watched every single move of the band and a lot of their shows were banned. Also in Holland, where freedom is the most natural thing, their show was forbidden. And when the band got permission to blow up another police car during their supernatural shock rock show, they still caused another riot by people, who were against the whole show. Wendy got arrested at times and the fans of the band simply worshipped their controversial moves and shocking stage act. When THE PLASMATICS pulled the plug, Wendy decided to go solo. A great decision, because she had build up a great reputation in this scene. People watched every move she made and backed up by a solid band, she was ready to attack every hall in your neighbourhood. And when you think, that Wendy would cut down a little on the show effects, you are ever so wrong. Maybe she did pull out some show effects from her live shows, but the stunts in her video clips became even more extravagant and exciting. Wendy went from driving in a school bus through a wall of TV sets in the desert, to crawling out of a driving bus and climbing into a helicopter above her, letting the bus disappear into a deep valley. You may know the stories from the pictures in magazines like Kerrang. And her musical career got a nice boost from all this attention as well. She was also nominated for a Grammy and received full score rewards for her solo albums, which went from punk rock mixed with noisy sounds to pure heavy metal over the years. She even formed a team with KISS boss Gene Simmons as a songwriter. Can you imagine that? Okay, did you get the whole story? Then it’s time to insert this three hour plus DVD into your player and see the whole story on your TV screen. Hear the complete story of former band members, roadies, managers and other people close to the band. See all these amazing video clips, that the band has shot. See the live footage of the band, and get goosebumps all over. If there ever was a band, that excited, shocked, overwhelmed and pleased their fans, it must have been THE PLASMATICS. Misunderstood by all these short-sighted people in local governements and media. Adored and worshipepd by the true fans. Their literally smashing controversial career lasted for ten long years. This memory will remain for decades and decades. Wendy is sadly missed, but man did she leave her mark on the whole heavy metal and shock rock scene! This DVD is an ultimate tribute to the mohawked, topless lady with the chainsaw. Successors, if there were any, didn’t even come close to the success, the impact nor the sound of THE PALSMATICS and W.O.W. It’s 2008 and the band nor their DVD will be banned anymore. All these magical moments are captured on one silver disc now, and is ready to be viewed by everybody, who wants to with their mouth open wide. The DVD tells us the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. And Wendy sits on her own cloud up in the sky. And when she is fed up with things, she swings around with Thor’s hammer and makes it thunder on earth. I bet, she laughs her ass off up there seeing us silly people here below. Thanks for all these magical moments Wendy, we love you for that. And if I ever get struck by lightning, I know it’s you that hit me so hard…..again.Website: http://www.plasmatics.com.
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
The long talked about reunion of SHOW YA finally became reality in 2006. This two hour DVD shows their reunion gig at the Shibuya C.C. Lemon Hall, recorded on Oct. 20th, 2006. From the first moment on, there is magic in the air. Five beautiful metal queens enter the stage. Miki Nakamura on keyboards, Satomi Senba on bass, Miki ‘Mittan’ Tsunodai on drums, Miki ‘Sun-Go’ Igarashi on guitar and Keiko Terada on vocals. True metal heroes for the connoisseurs of heavy metal. Just look at the freshness, when they open their show with “Out Of Limits”. Taking you back to the mid-eighties, it’s like time has stood still and the band has actually never disappeared from the scene at all! We see a well-oiled machine, working at full blast. Raw, pure, loud and bad to the bone. Besides their magnificent live show, including solo spots from all the different band members, we also get to see studio parts and footage from the band on the road from Kobe to Tokyo and inbetween. While in the solo spots it’s crystal clear, that we are dealing with some real professionals in SHOW YA. The keyboard solo is heavily influenced by Jon Lord of DEEP PURPLE, while the drum solo, based upon a techno version of the “Carmina Burana” by Carl Orff, is influenced by the late Cozy Powell and Bobby Rondinelli in his RAINBOW days. This is really cult material! Miki shows, that she can still play some mean guitar riffs, even after pouring half a bottle of Jack Daniels whiskey down her throat. For a moment, we hear the well-known riff of AC/DC’s “Whole Lotta Rosie”, a song they played on one of their seven inches.“Lovers” remains the biggest highlight of all, which closes with some spectacular explosions. What more can I say about this awesome and BEST all-female heavy metal band from the land of the rising sun? I can only reward this DVD with the full score. Which is the best way to do, because otherwise Keiko will use me as her sparring partner during her kick boxing sessions. And we really don’t want that to happen, do we?
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
VANADIS mixes gothic metal with symphonic rock, which is something that hasn’t been done that much before. This DVD is packed together with their four track demo CD, which is reviewed in our CD section. The DVD has a playing time of forty minutes and contains a live show recorded at P60 in Amstelveen on 07-07-07. A magic date! The recordings may not have a superb sound and vision quality, but it’s the idea that counts. It’s a good way of profiling yourself to a bigger audience. Let’s focus on the content of the DVD now. The female vocals of Manalys sometimes form a duet with keyboard player Ruben Marrenga, like in “Ad Midjum”. Despite the magic date, the band is suffering from technical problems in DVD opener of “Mortal Prison”.The song however shows the remarkable mix between gothic metal, a bit progressive rock and a load of symphonic rock. VANADIS consists of Manalys on vocals, Ruben Marrenga on keyboards and vocals and David Macro on bass and flute. Daniel Zonneveld still plays the drums on this DVD, but he has been replaced by Sascha Grutterink in the meantime. One of the highlights on the DVD is a song called “Fooled”, which was also the outstanding track on the CD for me. Although the sound quality may not be perfect, we see a very hard working band, that proves that they come up with some very nice musical ideas. Another highlight I’d like to mention here is the song “Ancient War”, which has an enormous power, especially in the beginning of the song. While set closer “March Of Storms” sounds just awesome and is definitely one of my favorites as well. See the enthusiasm by this young band. Watch the band grow, during the gig. Although VANADIS is still in the early stages of their career, you can tell, that they have the potential to become huge.
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
This is the third volume in the great “Beautiful Voices” DVD series. I suppose, on this day and age of You Tube, it is possible to see to see virtually anything your heart desires. Still, there is nothing like popping in the DVD and having it all right there, plus the quality is better. So, I was eager to check out volume III, as I have already been a fan of the first two parts. This DVD is stacked with great videos from some of the best female fronted bands around. Of the nineteen videos on this collection, they run the gamut from some of the more well-known, established acts to some lesser known acts, that may be a surprise to some. The NIGHTWISH video for "Bye Bye Beautiful" is an appropriate opener, what with having 'Beautiful' in its title and all. I think, this is such a great song, that showcases the strong vocals of Annette Olzon and her great stage presence. Next is Italy's LACUNA COIL with "Within Me". Their videos are always entertaining and visually interesting, and this one is no different. XANDRIA is the real wild card here. I am not at all familiar with this band, but I found myself going back to their "Save My Life” video for multiple viewings. I was very impressed. The song is so beautifully dramatic and the video is a perfect compliment. Holland's AFTER FOREVER is up next with their clip for "Energize Me" and this is a definite highlight for me. AFTER FOREVER is one of my favorite bands and I think vocalist Floor Jansen is one the greatest talents in metal. If there is one complaint for me on this collection - it is a small one - why did they put the TRISTANIA video for "Equilibrium" on this, since it was also on Volume I? Don't get me wrong, I love TRISTANIA, but surely, they could have found something else to put in its place. Okay, I'm done complaining. Having said all that, I really like this video and love the song. Next is SIRENIA with "The Other Side". A cool video, that almost has a fairy tale like feel to it. Bands like IN THIS MOMENT ("Prayers") and Canada's THE AGONIST ("Buisness Suits & Combat Boots") provide a healthy dose of heaviness with their respective clips. The metal queen DORO checks in with a live video of her track "Strangers Yesterday". Holland's EPICA closes things out with their stunning video for their great track "Never Enough". A lot of great bands are respresented: DELAIN, AUTUMN, DELIGHT, BIF NAKED, LEAVES' EYES, STREAM OF PASSION and FIREWIND. Thank god for the good people at Nuclear Blast for putting this collection out. This series is an essential must have for anyone, who loves female fronted bands or just plain good music. Male or female, it doesn't matter there is just plenty of great music and videos on this collection. Bring on Volume IV.
Reviewed by: Tony Cannella
NO REMORSE is some kind of a ‘school of rock’, where all-female rock and metal bands, in the age of thirteen to twenty-four, can present themselves to a bigger audience. It’s a Swedish initiation, and so we get to see only all-female Swedish rock and metal bands here. Are you kidding? No, I’m deadly serious here. There are six bands presenting their music on video. The DVD opens with the raunchy rock of BITCHSLAP and “Left Out And Ashamed”. BITCHSLAP is a five piece alternative rock band, that sounds like a heavy version of AVRIL LAVIGNE. Their singer also shows some similarity with this American rock star. “Left Out And Ashamed” is a strong opener, maybe not too heavy, but very catchy indeed. We continue with the band OBSTINATE and their song “Wake Up”. OBSTINATE is a four piece outfit that sounds darker and a bit more alternative than BITCHSLAP. Their grungy style could very well be compared to HOLE, only with less aggressive vocals. VISION rocks on with “Rocking Tonight”. They look very flashing and sound really great, like a good mix between JUDAS PRIEST and MÖTLEY CRUE. Leather, lace, flashbombs and a good rocking sound. So far, it’s definitely the highlight for me. SCANDALUX continues with “Think Twice”. Again I hear loud guitars and I see four ladies, that like to rock out loud. I hear the sound of THE CULT from their “Electric” era, only this time with a Debbie Harry-lookalike on vocals. A powerful combination, that sounds remarkably well. On we go to the next band, YOU AND ME BOB and a song called “Little Boy”. And with this band we’ve returned to a more alternative sound of the latter version of L7 or SLEATER KINNEY. The guitars sound more rock and roll than metal on “Little Boy”. Last but not least, we have BAD SURPRISE and the song “Awoken”. The band has got a very retro sound, which reminds me of a heavy, spooky version of THE KINKS or JEFFERSON AIRPLANE. VISION and SCANDALUX really stand out on this mini video presentation. But that’s not all there is to enjoy on this DVD. Can somebody please help me out, because my Swedish is not that good at the moment. It certainly helps, if you can speak or read the Swedish language, to enjoy this DVD at its fullest. I just continue to watch a new chapter, called “Kattvakten”. Let’s see, which other surprises are there? After fourteen minutes it’s clear, that this is a short movie from the No Remorse Film Grupp 2007. Interesting for people, who speak Swedish, but nothing in this short film is related to music whatsoever. Last but not least, there’s a documentary, called “Dokumentär 2007”. This is a great and very interesting item, including some behind the scene footage, rehearsals and live performances. “Wild Thing”, “T.N.T”, “You Really Got Me”, “Shout At The Devil”, “Lick It Up”, “Rainbow In The Dark”. These are all songs, that are played here. Well, partly then. Very cool footage of some young girls, that really want to rock their audience. This part lasts about ten minutes. A great DVD closer. No Remorse gives film and music talent a chance to show their skills to a bigger audience. A great initiation, which can only come from Sweden, where these kind of activities are subsidised by the government. Nonetheless, this DVD, which comes with a bonus CD of all six songs represented here, gives us a good idea of which talented all-female rock bands are preparing themselves for a major breakthrough. For this years edition, I bet my money on VISION and SCANDALUX. The CD of this CD/DVD package is reviewed in the CD section.
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
THE DONNAS- Desert Moon Official Bootleg (DVD)
We didn’t hear that much about THE DONNAS these past few months. They’ve been working very hard on a new CD, which will be released any day now. In the meantime, an official bootleg DVD of their fan club show saw the light, which was recorded on Sept. 17, 2005 in Pioneertown, CA. It’s strickly for fans of THE DONNAS. The four ladies play a very tight set. The show is devided into two parts and we’re treated on twenty-six songs. Before we start this review, we have some bad news for you, too. Unfortunately, the sound quality of the DVD isn’t very good. It’s quite messy and sometimes it’s difficult to distinguish all the instruments. The footage is quite nice though. Perhaps a bit dark at times and most of the time you’ll see the audience before the stage rather than some nice band close-ups, but I still had a good time watching this DVD. The band sounds great, is very enthusiastic and these songs are a good mix of all their albums. Like a ‘best-of’ set, in a way. Frontlady Brett slowly developped into a perfect performer, who interacts with her audience in a great way. She is the one, who oversees everything and makes sure every show runs smoothly. Leaving some time for the jokes of Maya and conducting the audience to sing-along to some of their biggest hits. The bonus material consists of some pictures and rehearsal footage, Alltogether, this fanclub release is a nice document for every fan of this all-female rock band.
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
DORO has unleashed a new DVD upon us. It is titled "20 Years A Warrior Soul" and for her fans this is the best present you could ask for. It is a 2-disc set that has plenty of metal mayhem that only DORO could bring. The first disc features the movie "Warrior Soul - On The Road", which brings fans on tour with DORO, band and crew. It is a ninety minute behind the scenes documentary that follows the band from Hamburg to Madrid to Russia and other places on their European "Warrior Soul" jaunt. Oh yeah, there is also some fierce live footage, which shows the band doing what they doing best: tearing it up on stage. Older classic like "Earthshaker Rock", "True As Steel" and "Fur Immer" are mixed in with newer faves like "Haunted Heart", "Warrior Soul" and "Strangers Yesterday". One funny moment is provided by bass player Nick Douglas as he unveils his new character Metal Man. Also on disc one is a ninety minutes documentary of DORO’s big 20th anniversary show a few years ago. You’ll see what went on behind the scenes of this monumental event. The segment provides interviews and live tracks features the shows many guest stars, people like Lemmy & Mikkey Dee from MOTORHEAD, Jean Beuvoir, Udo Dirkschneider, Blaze Bailey, SAXON and many more. Of course there are also killer live clips from the gig included. Disc 2 presents the whole three hour 20th anniversary show. It shows what an amazing and comprehensive set list that was performed. It covered most of DORO’s career and seeing the many guest stars that wanted to lend their talents is cool as well. It is a testament to the woman when 20+ years of a stellar career you can’t find anyone who will say a bad word about her personally and that is evident by the many stars who wanted to help her celebrate twenty years on stage. And this DVD package is a big "thank you" to her fans. Once again she has given her fans tremendous value with this set. Sit back, watch, enjoy.
Reviewed by: Tony Cannella
The new sensation in the shock rock scene is called LORDI. And from the day they won the Eurovision Song Contest for Finland, they are part of the premier league. Can they compete with names like GWAR, KISS or ALICE COOPER?!? I definitely think they can. They are capable of writing catchy metal songs and they provide their fans a great show. How long will the LORDI hype last? As long as they keep on writing great songs, they can last a lifetime. This DVD contains some really nice stuff, not only musically. First, there is a six track live show, recorded on the market sqare on May 26th, 2006 in Helsinki. Their music sounds like a mix between ACCEPT, KISS and ALICE COOPER. The show contains a lot of pyrotechnics and a hysterical mass of fans showing their dedication to the band. A huge crowd welcomes the band as true heroes. In the ballad “It Snows In Hell”, guitarist Amen shows his skills. And female keyboardplayer Awa has decorated her keyboard with candles. While Mr. Lordi walks around the stage with circle saws and skulls, and wears a funny hat every now and then. In “Would You Love A Monsterman”, the crowd is going mad and sings along loudly. The apocalypse is near, when keyboardplayer Awa introduces “Hard Rock Hallelujah”, the LORDI classic we all want to hear! The guitars spit fire, Mr. Lordi spreads his gigantic wings and sways with an axe and in the background we hear and see a guest vocalist. The pyros, the band uses at the end of the show, are enough to burn the whole city of Helsinki down! And this is only the beginning on this DVD. The band also likes to look back at their adventures at the Eurvision Song Contest in Athens. We see some footage of the band winning the semi-finals and the finals in Finland. And we see the band’s victory in Greece. The decadency of the whole Song Contest gets a whole new dimension with LORDI. The next chapter is filled with five videoclips. The clip for “Would You Love A Monsterman” looks very exciting and it’s definitely one of my faves. “The Kin Movie” is another bonus on this DVD. It’s an approx. half an hour horror movie around the band LORDI (featuring former keyboardplayer Enary) starring a leading role. These animals sure know how to mix horror with catchy songs. The fact that the band won the Eurovision Song Contest proves that this formula really works.
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
Remember ROCKBITCH? If you ever wondered what happened to the ladies of this shock porn band, you’ll have to check out this DVD of MT-TV. This is the continuation of what once was ROCKBITCH. A lot has changed since their ‘ fistfuck’ and other adventurous pranks. Actually, the band is still a bit excentric, alternative and extreme, but musically they’ve matured a lot and it’s a real treat hearing the new songs, that sound very fresh indeed. “Lie” sounds like a mix of styles of THE WHO, THE CULT and THE CURE. The videoclip was done very well, and it shows a very tight band. While “Sinners” captures the band in full motion. An excellent song! Vocalist Krow sounds like a heavy version of LENA LOVICH, and especially drummer Jo knows to impress me with her heavy beats. I love the clip, they recorded for “Sucker”. It’s dark, melodramatic and creates a certain gothic vamparistic atmosphere. The dark make-up, that messes up the face of singer Krow, is just that finishing touch in this video. It might be a bit over the top, but it really accentuates the dark atmosphere here. The guitars play a leading role in “Hear Me”. The castle or dungeon, where this video was filmed, radiates a very medieval atmosphere, but the music is definitely of today. MT-TV kick some serious ass in this one! So, there you have it: four great songs by this all-female band, that sure knows to rock hard and shoot a great videoclip. The DVD is completed with a mini documentary, which shows the (she)volution of the band. Their musical changes, the band moving to America and their life on the road. I really hope, this road will be full of success and happiness, because they have a lot of talent, as we can see on this DVD. Yes, these ladies are still very sexy, no doubt about it. But they have discovered a whole new world. A world, where music is much more important than an image or lifestyle. And to be honest with you, I like that approach much more. Go to their offical website at: http://www.mt-tv.com/pages/mt-tvhomepage.html or their My Space page at: http://www.myspace.com/mttvband for more information about these rock bitches, who started a real shevolution and became MT-TV. Ultracool stuff!!!
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
ARCH ENEMY- Live Apocalypse (DVD)
This two disc DVD set is only meant for die-hard fans and definitely not the faint-hearted. ARCH ENEMY is a brutal well-oiled live machine, that comes close to perfection. Their melodic death metal is not only consisting of bone hard pounding rhythms and loud screams. There’s much more to this band. The guitar sound comes close to the tantem guitarwork of Adrian Smith and Dave Murray (IRON MAIDEN) or KK Downing and Glenn Tipton (JUDAS PRIEST). While the riffing and some of the solo parts matches the flashing axework of Kerry King or Jeff Haneman of SLAYER very well. The first disc shows us a full live concert, recorded at the London Forum on December 17, 2004, while the bonus footage was taken from the Academy 2 show in Manchester, recorded on December 13, 2005. These live shots are such a giant boost of adrenaline, that you’ll have to decide first whether to take the full dose or go through it step by step. Fact is, there is no one who can stop frontwoman Angela Gossow, unless you pull the plug. It’s hard to imagine the amount of power coming from this ‘little’ lady. Disc one gives you a very good idea of what an ARCH ENEMY live show is all about. The second disc is very interesting, too. It’s a massive look behind the scenes of the whole ARCH ENEMY circus. First of all, there are the four official video clips, the band has shot so far. There’s even a section, in which Daniel Erlandsson (drums) and Michael Amott (guitar) show us their gear and explain some technical details. Very interesting for the musicians amongst us. Website: www.archenemy.com.
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
I’ve been waiting a very long time for this release. A live DVD of one of the very best Dutch live bands I’ve ever seen. And although it only lasts for about seventy minutes, I did have the time of my life watching it. The DVD opens with four songs from the ‘Sesjun’ recordings. The band plays live with ALBERT COLLINS, who played for the first time outside the USA. It’s 1978, and the band is still very young, yet they already have got that magic touch. Especially Tineke shows, that she is a natural born talent and the band plays their music straight from the heart. This enthusiasm reflects in a natural way to the audience. Then we make a little jump forward in time and we land in 1981. This one song was recorded live in Hamburg and it’s called “Only A Fool”. When you hear the progression Tineke’s voice has made in such a short time, it is absolutely amazing! The band is joined by Hans Dulfer on the saxophone. Then we move forward to 1998. This song is called “Hard Time Killing Floor” and was recorded for the well-known ‘Twee Meter Sessies’ together with Mongolian String Orchestra ALTAI HANGAI. What a surprisingly combination of two such different bands and two completely different cultures. Prove is given here, that music has no borders, and speaks every language. It’s a totally different thing, than what we’re used to hear from this band. But it’s also a huge compliment, that they dared to take this confrontation, and made it work so well. An unique recording of an even more unique combination. The DVD closes with an unplugged (or acoustic, if you like) session. The band opens at high speed with “The Other Side”. They continue with the gospel-like “Remember Me”, which is absolutely one of my favorites in this set. “Parting Glass” sounds a bit like DEEP PURPLE’s “You Keep On Moving”, only a bit more modest. Jan Willem Sligting switches to the accordion in this one. After that, he switches over to the double bass in “Worrying You Of My Mind”. In “Far East”, an instrumental track, Tineke playes the ukelele. It’s just like one big happy musical family is playing some songs together, and to me it’s always a big joy to see this band play. Even acousticly, they sure know to astonish me. No further comments are appropriate. We’d like to give this the full score, because it is very well deserved. All the live parts have different faces. Experimental, jamming, live and acoustic, it’s all there, and it all sound truly brilliant. Great material! Website: www.barrelhouse.nl
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
Our interview with SHOW-YA was very well planned. Keiko Terada proudly announced their reunion and upcoming shows. Right now, we have the privelege to present you the DVD of their reunion show of their 20th anniversary, recorded live in Tokyo, Japan on October 23rd, 2005. For seventy minutes, we are treated to twelve songs and a marvellous live show. Maybe one of the best in their whole career. Man, oh man, what a stunning performance! What great musicians and what a great enthusiasm! Keiko Terada is still the perfect frontlady with a beautiful voice. In the ballad (songtitle is in Japanse, which I don’t speak unfortunately), she even gets a little emotional, while tears appear in her eyes. She sings the song while kneeling down in front of the audience. The band sounds very tight and there is even a solo spot for drummer Miki ‘Mittan’ Tsunoda. She sounds like being inspired by Bobby Rondinelli during his ‘Live Between The Eyes’ tour. Guitarist Mik ‘Sun Go’ Igarashi has got the power of ten tons of dynamite. She creates a very thick guitarsound all by herself. While other bands sometimes have two guitarists and still can’t produce a sound like this. The keyboards of Miki Nakamura complete this thick sound, together with the bashing bass sound of Satomi Senba. At the end of the show, the band thank their audience. One question still remains after seeing this beautiful footage. How the hell is it possible that nobody over here in Europe ever tried to get the band over for a couple of shows? This looks like the perfect metal show to me. Played by a group of five perfect musicians. The bonus footage consists of a backstage interview, which is only interesting when you know the Japanese language, by the way. Some rehearsal footage can be seen too. All in all, this reunion DVD has become a must to every SHOW-YA fan and every other heavy metal fan as well. This is a seventy minutes master class in heavy metal, brought to you by the teachers of one of the best all-female bands in the whole freaking galaxy: SHOW-YA. Website: www.show-ya.jp/
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
We already came to the conclusion, that this is a great initative of Nuclear Blast to put all these videoclips on one DVD. Twenty clips in a row with the greatest variety of possible music styles. The DVD kicks off with “Sleeping Sun” by NIGHTWISH, taken from their album “Highest Hopes Of Nightwish”. It’s a clip, which was shot at the fields of war. The only question that remains is, who will win this war. Is it Tarja, who’s pursuing a solo career? Or is it NIGHTWISH with their new singer Anette Olzon? Only time will tell, I guess. L’AME IMMORTELLE follows with “Fallen Angel”. The red-haired vocalist, Sonja Kraushofer, creates a beautiful contrast with the other footage, that is mainly shot in black and white or almost colorless. Their gothic sound matches very well with the clip. Everybody knows that “Nothing Else Matters” was a giant hitsingle for the band METALLICA. BIF NAKED has made her own version and video clip for this song. Musically, she stayed very close to the original though. The clip mainly consists of live footage. Great stuff! ANGELZOOM takes us to “Fairyland”. They tell some fairytales here, which are translated in a more mature way. I don’t know who came up with the idea first, ANGELZOOM or L’AME IMMORTELLE, but the haircolor of their singer was also highlighted against the black and white background in the videoclip. From those fairytales, we go back to the real world and tell you the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth with a song by LACUNA COIL, called “Our Truth”. Turn the ball upside down and you’ll see the band play in a landscape, in which the snow comes falling down. AFTER FOREVER has chosen to shoot their video for “Being Everyone” in Brazil. It’s a mix of live footage and a vision of the different aspects of a big city like Rio de Janeiro. Next is another Dutch band. EPICA sinks down in the deep coal mines in “Quietus (Silent Reverie)”. Sometimes, their sound reminded me of BLACKMORE’S NIGHT, but with a much more heavy guitarsound. German band XANDRIA continues with “Eversleeping”. It’s a very romantic rock song, ready for radio ariplay. Again the red hair of leadvocalist Lisa plays a prominent role in this video. Liv Kristine has blonde hair and she’s the leadsinger of LEAVES EYES in the clip of “Elegy”. The story was based upon the vikings sailing the oceans. You’ll see the name of the band pass by in a wink of an eye, if you look very closely. “Libre” might be the very last video clip of TRISTANIA with Vibeke Stene. It’s a rather creepy video of one of the better songs on the new album. VISIONS OF ATLANTIS is on next with “Lost”. The voice of singer Nicole Bogner (who has been replaced by Melissa Ferlaak in the meantime) shows some similarity to the voice of Tarja Turunen in a way and the guitars sound really excellent. Another band from Italy, next to LACUNA COIL, is MANDRAGORA SCREAM. The clip for “Dark Lantern” is quite spooky and creepy and therefore just perfect for those who are into the horror genre. The band also has a female bassplayer. The guitarist reminds me of Reeves Gabrels (BOWIE/ TIN MACHINE) in a way. I had never heard of QNTAL before and let’s leave it that way . The band comes from Germany and their clip “Flamma” is on next. I still wonder why they’re on this compilation, because this has got absolutely nothing at all to do with rock or metal!!Let’s move fast forward to EXILIA, also from Germany, and their video for “Stop Playing God”. The band looks somewhat like CRISIS , but they sound much different and less raw. Mix the brutalness of KITTIE with the catchiness of GUANO APES and EXILIA is what you will get. The video shows a lot of aggressiveness and power though. LAB was also new to us. “When Heaven Gets Dirty” is their contribution here. Their blonde singer looks like an angel, but behind your back she would destroy your car with a sledgehammer. I bet, she’ll never get to heaven! A good warning comes from LULLACRY. “Don’t Touch The Flames” shows some behind the scenes and live footage of this band from Finland. Blast riffs, riffs at one hundred and twenty miles per hour and the female voice of singer Tanja, who probably drinks half a bottle of hydrochloric acid before going on stage. OK, let’s continue and make room for the highlights on this DVD compilation; ARCH ENEMY and “Nemesis” and the only all-female outfit here, CRUCIFIED BARBARA. Their song is called “Losing The Game”, but in our game, they’re definite winners and that’s a fact!!! Nice color of lipstick, by the way! It has been very quiet around SINERGY these past few years. What’s going on with the band and their new upcoming album, which has been postponed several times. Why are we waiting so long? I don’t know, so I’d better enjoy the “Midnight Madness” of Metal Queen Kimberly Goss here. DORO closes this DVD with “Warrior Soul”. Who said that women don’t rock? Shame on you. Play it again, Sam!!
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
ANOUK- Is Alive (DVD)
ANOUK played a few very special shows for her fans in December 2005. And she sold out the Ahoy in Rotterdam several times. The stage was designed in the shape of a triangle, situated in the middle of a giant hall. They call this an ‘in the round’ gig. And this is commonly, only done by the biggest artists around, like DEF LEPPARD or BON JOVI or any other million selling band. In Holland, ANOUK has gained the same status as all these million sellers. The gig of December 17 is now released as a double DVD. ANOUK enters the hall on some kind of a catwalk, while singing “Love”. It will remember you of Rocky entering the club, when he has to go into the ring for another fight. A real winner going to her working place! When ANOUK enters the stage, she explodes and nothing can stop her from putting on a marvellous show. The lady is boiling full with energy, and the band maybe even more. Sometimes they create a long instrumental ending or a jamming like part, to make sure that ANOUK can load up her batteries again for a couple of moments. While at other times, the blonde superstar uses these breaks to change her outfit. On big screens, the audience is able to watch the show and there’s even some footage to be seen, matching the songs they play. In “Sacrifice”, ANOUK plays the role of a victim. She lies on the stage, and there are lines that mark the contour of her body. While lying on stage, she sings the song. This show element was also used in MADONNA’s latest show. These are just minor details, showing you that ANOUK is not delivering any half done work here. Only the very best is good enough for her fans. During “Home Is In My Head”, ANOUK introduces her band to the audience. Then it’s time to raise the roof with her biggest hitsingle ever; “Girl”. After “Lost”, ANOUK leaves the stage, and the band follows her example, right down this catwalk and out through the entrance, the show is all over now. However, the DVD isn’t finished yet. You can have a look at the videoclips for “Girl”, “Lost”, “One Word” and “Jerusalem”. And in the bonus backstage footage, we even get a glimpse behind the scenes and meet the people, who were reponsible for organising this whole festivity. Did you know for example, that famous Dutch tattoo artist Henk Schiffmacher was responsible for the colourful cover art on the CD and DVD box? And that this cover art was also painted on the giant curtain, covering the triangle shaped stage, before the show starts? And that this colourful piece of art is an almost exact copy of the tattoo, that covers ANOUK’s right arm? You didn’t know that, did you? Well, there are more interesting details on this DVD. Better check it out fast, because there simply ain’t nothing better avaiable than this in Holland. ANOUK is alive, and prove is given here on two silver discs. An essential buy, ladies and gentlemen! Website: http://www.anouk.nl.
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
This DVD tells you the story of BETTY BLOWTORCH the band, and bandleader Bianca Butthole in particular. And if you didn’t know that this whole story actually happened for real, you wouldn’t believe a single second of it. You can’t come up with a story like this, as it really goes beyond ones imagination at some point. It’s as pure as life itself. BETTY BLOWTORCH started out as BUTT TRUMPET, and after some line-up changes, the key members decide to form a new band and they baptise their new outfit BETTY BLOWTORCH. A band, that combines the strongest aspects of bands like NASHVILLE PUSSY, AC/DC, KISS, ROSE TATTOO and punk rock music. But when success slowly announces itself, and the band finally seems to get some result for all the hard work they have been doing over the years, another problem is destroying all their plans. People are leaving the band, friendships come to an end, and anything else, you can possibly think of, happens with these hard working ladies. The filmmaker gives you a perfect overview of all the trouble and dark side of being in a band, and also the bright sunny successful side of an all-female metal rock band is filmed in this documentary. The end of the whole story is the biggest tragedy of all. After a show in New Orleans, Bianca dies in a terrible car accident. A girls dream to become a rock star gets rudely disturbed by one moment of not paying attention. Maybe a fraction of a second was enough to end the life of Bianca. But they continued filming after this whole tragedy happened. And that’s what makes this whole documentary film so special. The bonus footage makes this whole overview complete. See the pictures, watch a big part of the speech of Bianca’s father at the funeral (and actually feel the tears well up in your eyes after hearing all these warm, loving, and sometimes even funny words!), see the videoclips the band made and witness what the ex-members of BUTT TRUMPET and BETTY BLOWTORCH are doing nowadays. Can you put together something more complete than this? I think, the answer is NO. After seeing this all, you will realise, that the world will surely miss one of the most promising rock bands on this whole planet. Anthony Scarpa did a wonderful thing, filming this all. In the bonus features, he also tells you what moved him to create this beautiful masterpiece, about a band that deserved to become huge. But became a band with a life adventure, in which more happened than a filmmaker could ever think of. This is a ‘must have’ for each Metal Maidens reader, and it gets the full score without any doubt. Oh, and of course you can enjoy a lot of great music of BETTY BLOWTORCH and BUTT TRUMPET. We would almost forget, that this band also played some great ass kicking music!
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
Lana and Erik throw in a party in Japan, for their tenth anniversary. And on this party, they surprise their fans with a great set of progressive masterpieces. They even play some songs, which they’ve never played live before, which is a real treat of course. The songs we hear on this DVD range from balladesque love songs to ballsy rockers pushing the pedal to the metal. And they don’t fear to play some real heavy stuff here, I can tell you that much! It’s nice to see this great combination of well-talented musicians working things out together here. It also shows, that they really enjoy playing live on stage. Drummer Ernst van Ee is constantly juggling with his drumsticks. To me, he surely is the Dutch equivalent of COZY POWELL (R.I.P.). While guitarplayer Mark McCrite is an almost invisible force, who cannot be missed in the overall sound of the band though. Same goes for bassplayer Kristopher Gildenlow. He’s another well-talented musician on board of the LANA LANE ship. You can rely on his talents at any time, while attacking his four steel threads with the preciseness of a bookkeeper in a million selling company. Erik Norlander likes to hide himself behind a giant set of keyboards. Like a wise wizard, who locks himself up in a castle tower, to be sure he will not be disturbed when he’s inventing new magic spells. Guitarplayer Peer Verschuren profiles himself as the Dutch version of MICHAEL SCHENKER. He provides Lana’s music with raw edges and many dirty faces.. And to me, he even plays better than the mad axeman himself. No offense to the master of course, but it all sounds a bit meaner and fresher to my ears. And Lana hits her notes just in the right place as always. Notes, that are impossible for others, she hits right on the head pretty easily, so it seems. The band is not showing off in long instrumental parts, and no other gimmicks are needed to make this concert a very special one. On the contrary, Lana and her band let the music do the talking, which turns out fantastic! It’s a great way to celebrate a party like this. The cream on top of this cake, in shape of a DVD, is the video tour diary containing some nice footage of Sweden Rock and even a short glimpse at real “Brabantse kippen”. Thank you for reading this review, but now it’s time to pull the cork of the champagne bottle here too, because we’ve got something to celebrate here, after all. Cheers, here’s to the next ten years, Lana and Erik. Our gift for this great anniversary party is the full score for this great DVD.
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
This nine track live uncut and unedited DVD was recorded on their eight weeks “Mafia” tour in 2005 supporting Zakk Wylde’s BLACK LABEL SOCIETY. This gig was recorded on May 5th, 2005 in Los Angeles on the last day of the American part of the tour, just before they invaded Europe. I really like the music of MELDRUM and I’ve compared their sound to headliners BLS already quite often, so these two bands match very well together in my opinion. Michelle Meldrum developped to a true guitar hero these past few years, who plays some fabulous guitarsolos. She’s no ego tripper, but always plays her solos in duty of the songs. No long, freaking parts, just cool, flashing solo parts. Her solos are outstanding and that's why she's constantly in the picture. Mia Holmsten is a good frontlady, and the rhythm section consisting of Frida Stahl on bass and Fredrik Haake on drums is as solid as a rock. On the setlist you can enjoy “Kiss Me When I’m Gone”, which is co-written by MOTORHEAD boss Lemmy. “Down Your Throat” is one of the highlights for me, because of the mean guitar licks. And of course set closer “Walk”, which is a respectful tribute to Dimebag Darrell of PANTERA. After forty-five minutes, it’s all over. No bonus footage or whatever. That’s the only disappointment of this nice release, that gives you a good and honest reflection of what MELDRUM is all about! Check it out! You can order a copy for US$14.99 through their website shop at: http://www.meldrum.nu.
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
It’s strange to have a look at the very last NIGHTWISH show with singer Tarja Turunen. The DVD shows you the gig they played, before Tarja got her letter of resignation, in which she was kindly asked to leave the band. The overall part of this DVD consists of this last concert, which kicks off with “Dark Chest Of Wonders”. You can tell, that this is something special, and not just a regular show. In almost every song, you will see tonz of pyrotechnic explode and after each introduction of a new song, you’ll see the very emotional faces of all the people in the audience. Some of them are even crying. During “”High Hopes” - the PINK FLOYD cover - we hear NIGHTWISH perform with bass player Marco Hietala on vocals. Is this what the band will sound like, when Tarja is gone? Is he taking over her place or will they continue with another female vocalist? Only time will tell... One of the highlights is a stunning version of “The Phantom Of The Opera”, which is a duet between Marco and Tarja. When the GARY MOORE cover “Over The Hills And Far Away” is announced, the end of the show is approaching. If you look very carefully at the faces of the different bandmembers, it’s clear that they realised, that these were the last moments of NIGHTWISH in this line-up. “Wish I Had An Angel” is the very last song before everything is over. When the lights go down and the crowd is gone, Tarja will read that she’s no longer a member of this very successful Finnish band. On this DVD, you will also see a tour report of the last shows in South America and the preparation for that last gig in their homecountry. What striked me enormously was that Tarja travelled separately from the rest of the band. When the band is partying in the backstage area together, Tarja is all alone in her dressing room. The bonus footage lasts about fifty-five minutes, but it doesn’t really add anything to the whole story of the band nor this DVD. The only thing that becomes reality, is that there were two camps in the band, which isn't a very healty situation. The total playing time of the DVD is about two hours and forty minutes. Minor detail of live footage is that the camera seems to switch every three seconds. There is no time for good close-up camerawork and steady shots here. It made me a bit nervous, but all the fans of Tarja and NIGHTWISH will surely love this wonderful last gift, I think. I did enjoy this a lot too, despite the aforementioned remarks. What will happen next is still unclear, but I think we will definately hear more from both camps in the near future. Website: http://www.nightwish.com.
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
The friends of Erik Norlander on this DVD are Kelly Keeling on bass and vocals, Peer Verschuren on guitars, Ernst van Ee on drums and Lana Lane on vocals. Don’t think that this is just another LANA LANE live concert, because you’re terribly wrong here. “Live In St. Petersburg” is more Erik’s thing. It sounds very progressive and at times, you may even call it psychedelic. I hear a mix of EMERSON LAKE AND PALMER, KING CRIMSON and PINK FLOYD and on the other hand a louder mix of bands like DEEP PURPLE, DREAM THEATER and URIAH HEEP. Erik oversees the whole operation from behind his giant set of keyboards. He is the conductor of this evening's show. At the same time, he makes sure that his musical buddies get enough attention, time and space to express themselves. For example, we can enjoy a wonderful version of “Mariner”, followed by the even more exciting PROCOL HARUM classic "A Salty Dog". Both songs are perfectly sung by Kelly Keeling, who is really a marvellous performer. Dutch axeman Peer rushes over his strings and provides the music some raw edges here and there. While Ernst attacks his drumkit like it's his worst enemy. Later on, the band is completed with Lana Lane on vocals. A very special show, as not too many bands have crossed the border of this magnificent country before. The documentary on this DVD tells you the story of the long trip to St. Petersburg. Told by Erik himself, it starts somewhere in 2004, before closing with the actual gig and the trip to Russia. The documentary also contains live footage of the 2004 California Prog Festival, The European tour 2004 and a video of the studio version of the James Bond classic “From Russia With Love”. The complete DVD runs for almost two and a half hour, and you’ll get the audio CD as a bonus with almost eighty minutes of some of the finest prog rock by ERIK NORLANDER AND FRIENDS.
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
The DVD part of this set contains ten videoclips, worthy of forty-five minutes of Japanese cult metal classics. The clips go slowly back in time, so they really saved the best for last. And at the end of this DVD, I sat with my fist in the air, mouth wide open, hot, wet and dripping with sweat. SHOW-YA has always been one of the most underrated metal bands from Japan. And even the more melodic songs sounds like pure magic. Some people say, this is just an ordinary collection of videoclips, but they must admit these clips were done in a very professionally way. Add to this, the perfect sound these ladies come up with and you may start wondering why they never reached the status of superstars or a million seller band, outside Japan. This DVD certainly is a great addition to the ‘Best of’ CD, found in the same package. Another aspect is, that you won't find these videoclips on any of the so-called music channels, because the stuff you can see here is too rare and too exotic. There is also a DVD available of their reunion gig, but we haven’t found it yet. We will keep on searching, especially after seeing this great collection of videoclips again. A must have for each SHOW-YA fan out there, or a nice introduction to this great Japanese all-female heavy metal outfit.
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
Did you happen to be one of the lucky ones, that showed up at the Lucky venue in Rijssen, NL to see STREAM OF PASSION, featuring AYREON? If you were, you can relive these magical moments again on DVD. If you couldn’t make it for whatever reason, then you can see the band play a fantastic show here. Did you already like what you heard on the double CD? Well, if you see the band play live, things get even better. The band plays a fantastic show and sounds a lot louder than on their debut album. You are able to witness the great enthusiasm the band reflects on stage and passes on to their audience. The gig in Rijssen was somewhere at the end of the whole tour. The band plays like a well-oiled machine, but is still very hungry to deliver a good show. Marcela Bovio is the eye-catcher of the band. She sounds like a mix between Candice Night (BN) and Anneke van Giersbergen (THE GATHERING). Diana, her sister, is vocally almost as good and it’s a shame that she has to perform her lines in the background so much. Lori Linstruth is the new guitar goddess. I hope, that she can make a huge return to the stages after these marvellous gigs. She really pulls the best out of herself and gives even more than the full hundred percent. At the end of the show, we are treated to some AYREON songs as well. And support act DAMIAN WILSON shows up to sing a few songs. “When The Levee Breaks” of LED ZEPPELIN is a nice surprise for everybody and with “Day Eleven: Love” we have come to the end of the show. But hey wait, there’s more. You can see a nice photo gallery, the videoclip of “Out In The Real World” and the making of the clip. The tour diary is very comprehensive and interesting indeed. Last but not least, there’s also a ‘Behind the scenes’ section, in which the band takes you along the whole tour. I really enjoyed the whole DVD, which runs for almost two and a half hours. It would be a damn shame, if this would be a 'once-only' happening. I really hope, that STREAM OF PASSION will continue making CDs and playing live shows, because the world needs more bands that put so much love and passion in their music. With or without 'dancing bananas act', this show is well-worth checking out on DVD. Website: http://www.streamofpassion.com. At this moment, Lori LInstruth seems to work together with Swedish mastermind Janne Stark (OVERDRIVE, LOCOMOTIVE BREATH).
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
WITHIN TEMPTATION really knows to make a good and interesting DVD. We already witnessed these results on the “Mother Earth Tour” package. “The Silent Force Tour” might be even better. The location of the main concert is Java Island in Amsterdam, where they prepared a very special concert for all their fans. They were supported by DE HEIDEROOSJES and ORPHANAGE, and you can definitely say that they gave their best shot to make this night a very special one. It’s already slowly getting dark, when the band opens their set with “Deceiver Of Fools”. I don’t need to explain, that the fans are singing all the lyrics to the songs, word after word, during the whole show. Sharon has got thousands of people to chose a follow up from, when she wants to have a day off or two. The band gives two hundred percent. And vocalist Sharon adds another two hundred to that. She’s the link between the band and the audience, and I can’t think of a better frontwoman than her. She’s simply one of the guys. And to be quite honest with you: (no offense to the guys in the band) she looks best in the spotlights of all members, don’t you agree? “Caged” is one of the highlights of the whole show. Sharon is literally caged and she is slowly lifted up from under the giant stage. Of course, the show ends with their biggest hitsingles, “Mother Earth” and “Ice Queen”, beautifully decorated with tonz of fireworks. International acts could take this show as an example of how things should be done. Besides the Java Island gig, there is an awful lot of other stuff to enjoy on this DVD as well. The menu is so packed, there's just too much to mention. Name it and it's there. Three years of backstage stuff, sometimes hilarious and ultra funny. Live stuff from loads of different shows from open air forrest theater Kersouwe to Dubaï. Various TV appearances, interviews, photogalleries, videoclips, the making of the album, the making of the videoclip, the making of the making of the videoclip, and the bloopers of the making of the making of the videoclip. And if you still haven’t seen enough WITHIN TEMPTATION after this, you can go to the bands website at http://www.withintemptation.com and play the live CD, while watching the pictures in the photo diary, that comes with this package too. You can also push the ‘repeat’ button and watch all this stuff once again. Or you can dial 911 and ask for help, because if you haven’t seen enough after this, something is terribly wrong with you. This set is a must have for all the fans of the band, who only deliver the very best to everyone who likes their music. And they really did a perfect job! Three thumbs up, if I had them. Total playing time of all the stuff available on this DVD is about six hours. Have fun and enjoy!
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
ARMOR OF GOD-Live (DVD)
Dearly beloved, for what you are about to see here, may the Lord be with you. What more can I say about this fifty-five minutes live DVD of the Christian metal band ARMOR OF GOD? I like the music of this band very much. Their rock and metal contains a lot of power. And it’s a good thing to send some positive vibes to this doomed planet once in a while, so I don’t have any trouble at all with the Christian message the band carries out in their songs. Despite these positive remarks, there are also some negative things about this DVD. The footage is quite unclear, and it is shot from the balcony of the hall (or church), where the gig took place. Meaning that you’re watching a show, performed by small puppets on a stage that is far, far away from the camera eye. The camera work is not steady and sometimes it is focussed too much on the praising fans, instead of the band on stage. There is also a slight ‘hallelujah’ vibe going on in the sound of the band, but this is not disturbing, and the band easily convinced me of their strength. With a much clearer sound, ARMOR OF GOD would have done better to release this as a live CD instead. Considering the weak sound, poor camera work and footage filmed from this far distance, it is definitely not the DVD, that I hoped it would be. Eight points for the music, but a very low rating for the DVD footage, without any bonus stuff. Sorry folks, but this band deserves much better!
A couple of weeks after I wrote this review, a message from the band reached us saying that they didn’t even know about this DVD or who recorded it, which was shot in Huntsville, Alabama, somewhere in July or August 1998. They were also shocked by the poor quality. All the more reason to give this release a low rating.
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
This is the live DVD of ANA POPOVIC, recorded at the Melkweg, Amsterdam (Netherlands) on January 30th 2005. Ana’s band was recorded in one of the most elemetary settings imaginable, meaning that we only have a drummer, a keyboard player, a bass player and a beautiful looking guitar player on stage. Her influences range from STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN to JIMI HENDRIX, ROBERT CRAY, ROBERT JOHNSON and JOHNNY WINTER. Sometimes her sound is full of soul, sometimes it’s poppy, sometimes it’s bluesy, but it always comes with a lot of class and style. And the audience seems to love it, judging by their reactions.Ana enjoys playing live on stage and she shows this best in some of the highlights on this DVD for me, like “Sitting On Top Of The World” and “Bigtown Playboy”. In both songs she plays a magnificent slide guitar solo, by the way. Another song, that I also would like to mention here would be “Jaco”, which is Ana’s tribute to legendary bass player Jaco Pastorius. The only thing I missed on this DVD maybe was a real slow blues. You know, the kind that contains a twelve minute guitar solo. But this doesn’t change my positive opinion about this DVD though. The bonus features consist of a slide show, two acoustic songs without audience, a fifteen minute interview with Ana, and the best part is called “EJ in Amsterdam”. Ana performing ELMORE JAMES songs on one of the many bridges over the canals in Amsterdam, on her twelve string acoustic guitar. This sounds so pure, it will give you goosebumps all over your body - at least to me it did. Ana is a very good looking lady. She has got the blues, she’s got soul, she’s got good taste in music, to go short: she’s got it all. And prove is given on this DVD.
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
BLACKMORE’S NIGHT-Castles And Dreams (DVD)
Let’s quit the whole discussion about what would be best for Ritchie Blackmore. Continuing with BLACKMORE’S NIGHT or stop with this nonsense and start playing with RAINBOW or DEEP PURPLE again. (There were already rumours that DEEP PURPLE Mark III would reunite, and it’s a fact, that Ritchie will work together with Joe Lynn Turner on the new BLACKMORE’S NIGHT CD!!). When I had a serious and good look at this double DVD, it was more than obvious to me. Mr. Blackmore belongs to Candice and to BLACKMORE’S NIGHT. Clearly, he is feeling better than ever by playing his renaissance music. The first DVD in this set of two discs, shows us the live gig they played at Burg Neuhaus (Germany) in 2004. If you ever thought for a minute, that this band plays dull tunes, then this DVD will definitely prove you wrong. Ritchie and Candice are very enthusiastic and they reflect that in their music, on the rest of the band, and also on their audience. Besides the well-known BLACKMORE’S NIGHT classics, like “Queen For A Day”, “Durch Den Wald Zum Bach Haus”, “Ghost Of A Rose”, “Under A Violet Moon” and “Home Again”, we are also treated on stunning versions of older PURPLE songs like “Soldier Of Fortune”, “Child In Time” and a rather heavy version of “Black Night”. There’s plenty of nice bonus material on the second DVD as well. We can enjoy video clips, acoustic sessions, documentaries, a slide show, a discography and two extensive biographies. And of course a lot of ‘behind the scenes’ stuff and interviews with the different band members. All together, it’s a good overview of everything you always wanted to know and see about BLACKMORE’S NIGHT. Highlight for me was the footage, where we see Ritchie on the back of a horse in a merry-go-round. Too hilarious for words. Some people will never grow up! Website: http://www.blackmoresnight.com.
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
CETI-Living Shadow Of The Angel (DVD)
CETI is by far one of the most interesting bands from Poland for me. Not the least because of their charismatic frontman Grzegorz Kupczyck, but their music is also of a very high standard. Of course you may hear some influences of bands like HELLOWEEN, EDGUY and IRON MAIDEN. Most of the time though, I hear a band that creates a good melodic metal sound of their own. The older songs are slightly progressive sometimes and the longer instrumental parts are really breathtaking. This DVD is the live registration of the double live CD “Living Angel” from 2004. In about hundred minutes, we see a fascinating live show of a band, that sounds like a well-oiled machine. It was also the very last gig of guitarplayer Przemek “Burza” Burzynski with CETI. The band is completed with Bartek Urbaniak on bass, Mucek on drums and female member Marihuana on keyboards and backing vocals. This lady is a very essential part of the band. Many songs are introduced by her keyboard playing and many times you can see her singing behind her set of boards. The band has a lot of contact with their audience and the whole show is very well filmed. There is an almost touchable good atmosphere, which is shown very well by means of the many shots of the audience. Towards the closing of the show, the crowd looks like one huge family get together. The show was filmed at the Eskulap in Poznan, Poland on February 15, 2004. The bonus features on this great DVD consist of a complete discography, a biography of each band member, some behind the scene footage, the live video clip of “I Know”, an interview with the band, a photo gallery and some bonus concert footage. VADER might be the most successful band from Poland, but CETI rules all the way for me and they prove that on this very nice DVD. Well done!!!
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
THE GATHERING-A Sound Relief (DVD)
Remember when THE GATHERING were a metal band? It seems like another lifetime ago. With their brand-new DVD "A Sound Relief", the band leaves their metal past even further behind. This is a two DVD set, that features on disc 1 an eighty minute concert filmed at the Paradiso in Amsterdam on the 23rd of May 2005. This gig features a set list of songs taken mostly from their last three albums. The band take to the stage with "The Big Sleep" from "How To Measure A Planet?", And from there perform fourteen songs, such as "Broken Glass" "Rescue Me", "Alone", "Amity" and "Souvenirs". "In Motion II" is the lone representation from the fabulous "Mandylion" opus. "Life Fountains" from "Almost A Dance" is a nice surprise, but it is very disappointing that the band decided to omit some of their classics like "Strange Machines", "Leaves" and Nighttime Birds". The band - which is joined by new bassist Marjolein Kooijman - play great and Anneke’s vocals are as awesome as ever. The band however, show little to no movement on stage and aren’t very exciting to watch these days. Disc 2 features behind the scenes footage of their 2004 world tour and two TV specials: one from Holland and the other from Italy, which prove to be very interesting and fun to watch. Closing out the second disc are animated music clips of six songs. Like it or not, this is where the GATHERING are headed in 2005, 2006 and beyond. If you are a fan of the newer GATHERING material, you’ll love this. If you pine for the ‘old days’, I suggest you check out the "In Motion" DVD.
Reviewed by: Tony Cannella
GIRLSCHOOL-Live From London (DVD)
A lot of old video stuff has been released on DVD these days. Next in line are the ‘Live in London” series, including shows of CHERRY BOMBZ, DI’ANNO, IQ, PALLAS, MAGNUM, TWELFTH NIGHT, WRATHCHILD, VENOM, TOKYO BLADE and GIRLSCHOOL, to name the most important ones. The GIRLSCHOOL DVD contains a gig by this all-female NWOBHM band, recorded at the Camden Palace Theatre in London on December 7th, 1984 (a.k.a. as the “Play Dirty Live” video from 1984). Let me be quite honest with you here. This was certainly not the best GIRLSCHOOL line-up ever, indicating the halfheartedly response by the audience, who are only going wild at the end of the show (“Emergency 999”). At the time this show was filmed and recorded, their album “Running Wild” was about to being released and the band consisted of Denise Dufort (drums), Kim McAuliffe (guitar/vocals), Gil Westin (bass), Cris Bonacci (lead guitar) and Jackie Bodimead (vocals/keyboards). It’s their most melodic and balladesque era. And after seeing GIRLSCHOOL a few times last summer, twenty years later, you’ll realize how different (read: much better!) the band sounds today. As a bonus, you’ll find some pictures of this live concert. However, they made one mistake: if you look very carefully at this fast moving slideshow, you will recognize Dee O’Malley (bassplayer of ROCK GODDESS) on one of the pictures, instead of Gil Weston. Not very smart, but I guess nobody would notice anyway. Money talks and I don’t believe that the people who released this DVD are really huge GIRLSCHOOL fans. True GIRLSCHOOL fans will have the footage already, but this is still a very fine release though.
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
BETH HART-Live At Paradiso (DVD)
BETH HART’s show at the Amsterdam’ Paradiso was filmed and released on CD and DVD. On CD, she sounds pretty powerful already. But if you watch the live footage on this DVD, you realize that this must have been one hell of a performance! You can almost feel the excitement, when Beth gives all she has got. The spirit of JANIS JOPLIN wandering around all the time. Beth’s voice, her moves, the way she rocks and plays the piano, it’s all influences by the grandmother of rock and roll. See Beth start her show with only her piano in front of her. Later on, she will be accompanied by her band, that slowly turn up the volume for her. Beth gives the audience more than a hundred percent and doesn’t seem to have any boundaries. She lies on the floor in ecstasy, while singing her songs. And when she decides to hold a sit-in in front of the stage, the whole audience follows her example. She slowly becomes one with the audience and can’t do anything wrong. She’s a sexy show animal, who makes music which comes straight from her heart. And she likes her rock loud, as we can see in covers like “Whole Lotta Love” (LED ZEPPELIN) and “I Don’t Need No Doctor” (WASP, HUMBLE PIE). On the bonus footage, we see the video clip for “World Without You” containing lots of footage from this show, “I Don’t Need No Doctor” from the same show and a thirty-five minute ‘peak behind the scene’ documentary, where we see Beth play the piano and watch her and the band backstage. Of course there are some interviews and a photo gallery as well. All in all, this DVD contains more than two hours of the purest rock available, captured by one of the hottest female musicians of today. Warning: when you push the ‘play’ button, better beware to keep a dry shirt within reach, because this DVD drips with sweat and pure rock!!!!
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
YEAH YEAH YEAHS-Tell Me What Rockers To Swallow (DVD)
The YEAH YEAH YEAH’s are slowly gaining a cult status. Their music is heavy, excentric and can hardly be compared to any other name in this scene. They are much more heavy than THE WHITE STRIPES and more experimental than BABES IN TOYLAND or KATASTROPHY WIFE, for that matter. The drummer and guitarist make sure that the music keeps floating along during the live footage, that we can see on this DVD, which was shot at the Fillmore East in San Francisco, CA, USA. However, the main show elements come from frontlady Karen O. She steals the show with her wild moves and screaming vocals and other vocal outings. She pleases her fans without getting in contact with them. And inbetween her singing, she covers the stage with grapes, crips and spitting. While everybody watches her uncontrolled moves, the band keeps torturing their instruments. Witness the pureness and intensity the band plays their power punk anthems. Can someone tame Karen O.? When THE WHITE STRIPES are too modest for you, then I’d suggest to watch this DVD. You’ll love it! The bonus footage on this disc is great, too. Have a look behind the scenes during their visit to Japan. See the videos for “Maps”, “Date With The Night”, “Y-Control” and “Pin”, and watch the band perform at the MTV Movie awards. Last but not least, you can also see some interviews with the band. Check it out!!!
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
VARIOUS ARTISTS-Beautfil Voices (DVD)
The positive thing about compilation discs is, that you finally get to see all the stuff, that isn't viewed on music channels, like The Box, TMF, MTV or VH-1. The DVD part of this set contains twenty-one video clips and has a running time of about two and a half hours. This release is called “Beautiful Voices” and all of these bands have one thing in common: they have a female frontlady handling the vocals. And so this package becomes a real must for all the readers of Metal Maidens out there. NIGHTWISH and GUANO APES start off with a rather heavy sound. Although sometimes, you must be very open-minded to like all the bands, that we see on this DVD. ANGELZOOM for example, sounds like a mix between classical music, techno, gothic rock and pop music. They sing in the German language, and if you put these facts together, you can only conclude, that they sound a bit different from the rest. But this may probably broaden the musical views of our readers. DIE HAPPY sound as heavy as chartbusters KELLY CLARKSON, AVRIL LAVIGNE or PINK. And also L’ ÂME IMMORTELLE does not sound ultraheavy, and is comparable to for example NINA HAGEN and LACRIMOSA. Their beautiful video clip is well worth checking out though. EXILIA is much heavier, and sounds a bit like SKUNK ANANSIE. In their videoclip, they tell the story of a female guitarplayer. LACUNA COIL is not new in the gothic scene of course, and their rendition of “Swamped”may not be missed on this compilation. I’ve always liked the sound of TRISTANIA, but without the input of Morten Veland, it seems to be extremely difficult for this band to maintain their popularity. This despite the beautiful voice of Vibeke Stene. XANDRIA sounds very much like a mix between WITHIN TEMPTATION, AFTER FOREVER and EPICA, but they are certainly less bombastic than their Dutch collegues. The mysterious clip looks great though. It was rather surprising seeing NINA HAGEN on this DVD. She’s doing the guest vocals on “Seeman” of APOCALYPTICA. The punkrock diva with the hoarse voice sounds a lot like Marlène Dietrich on this song. A nice guest role maybe, but it’s deriving too much from what heavy metal is all about in my dictionairy. LIV KRISTINE looks absolutely fabulous in the videoclip for “Into Your Light” of her band LEAVES EYES. She has got a great voice too, but sometimes it’s a bit too sweet maybe, to be called real heavy metal. Although you may call this ‘on the edge’ for some reasons, the clip is still highly enjoyable. When BLUTENGEL would have appeared on MTV in the early eighties, I would have switched to another channel right away. Gothic rock with beautiful voices (like the DVD suggests) which sounds a bit like LACRIMOSA. I warned you to be very open-minded, before you watch the whole DVD! EPICA makes great music, but it’s a bit of a shame maybe, that they used a ballad like “Solitary Ground” for this compilation. AFTER FOREVER will keep you awake, because they add some extra decibels to their sound in “Digital Deceit”. However, IMPERIA’s input is acoustic again. Next, LIV KRISTINE appears again, now with her former band THEATRE OF TRAGEDY. “Image” is a techno-pop song, and the video clip is filmed in black and white to create the right atmosphere, I guess. ELIS brings a mix of loud guitars and keyboards, with female vocals on top of this. The butterfly, that we can see on the front cover of their album “Dark Clouds In Perfect Sky” also appears in this clip, together with a lot of brothers and sisters. MORTAL LOVE adds a clip with an happy ending. Their music is quite nice and very suitable for radio airplay. And again I must think about names like AVRIL LAVIGNE and KELLY CLARKSON here. DORO is next with “Let Love Rain On me”, a beautiful clip, filmed in an old castle. The loudest bands are saved for last. First we have Kimberly Goss with SINERGY, performing “Suicide By My Side”. What a marvellous band! I can’t wait to check out their new album. The DVD ends with “We Will Rise” by ARCH ENEMY. Talk about a beautiful woman with a beautiful voice here! Definitely the loudest track here. And while the last notes of the Amott brothers slowly fade away, I also rise……to push the ‘repeat’ button.
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
THE GREAT KAT – Extreme Guitar Shred (DVD)
Okay, one more time, so no one will forget it. If you ever doubted about the talents of THE GREAT KAT, then let this DVD take away all your doubts for always and forever. She’s simply the meanest, fastest, coolest and sexiest violin and guitar shredder in the entire galaxy. And not only her music is ultrafast and ultraloud. But her videos beat them all. It’s cult, it’s freaking insane, it’s ART! The six violent video clips show us your most extreme and wildest fantasies in full colour on your TV screen. “Zapateado” is mean, ultrafast and KAT even offered one of her violins in this clip. “Torture Chamber” is the favorite room in the house for KAT. Here she can abuse and torture the people, who don’t believe in her qualities. In “Castration”, THE GREAT KAT shows you how to cut off a man’s penis. You won’t see this in any Walt Disney Production, I think! “Live In Chicago” is just what the title suggests it is. It’s live footage of a KAT live show, where KAT is worshipped by her fans, who lick her feet, while she’s playing her guitar at breakneck speed. “Dominatrix” demonstrates you how you can show KAT your appreciation. Bow for her, lick her feet, while she can beat the shit out of you. You simply can’t escape her claws, the only thing that you can do to save your life is kneel down for her and be humble and quiet. (And scream for joy maybe!) “War” proves us that you’d better not cross the path of KAT as a warrior. She’ll kill you, torture you and make you scream for mercy, and then tear you apart like you were a small puppet. She’s afraid of no one, and the authentical footage of the holocaust proves us that KAT is at full war strengh all the time. Don’t make her angry! Add to this whole KAT’s great music, based upon original classical anthems of composers like Vivaldi, Liszt, Sarasate and Wagner, and you have the wildest DVD of twelve minutes in the whole history of music DVDs. And you can eat poison on this statement! http://www.greatkat.com.
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
That MOONSTONE is a fantastic French power metal band, they already proved on their great studio albums “Moonstone” and “The Second Rune”. How the band really sounds when doing a live show, can be seen on this live DVD, that plays for about a full hour. In nine songs, you can see a hard working band, that also knows to play a convinvcing and solid metal show on stage. The guitar sound is sometimes similar to early IRON MAIDEN stuff in the faster parts, while at other times the band shows their progressive side, too. One of the highlights of their live performance here for me is the fast “Sword In The Stone”. The DVD closes with the official video clip for the song “Moonstone”, whereas the band also had a female bass player in their ranks. The bonus material consists of a short personal introduction to each band member individually, and a short look in the recording studio. All together, this is a good DVD, showing you what MOONSTONE is all about. And that is playing powerful songs and their great musiciansship. A good introduction to a very promising band, without being pretentious. Like the band clearly states on the cover, this DVD is about their fans and for their fans! Website: http://www.moonstone.fr.st or Brennus Music: http://www.brennus-music.com.
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
Who said, that black people can’t play heavy metal? You ought to be ashamed of yourself for thinking that. Not only you still believe in fairy-tales, but you should know better. MOTHER’S FINEST are the darkest, meanest, loudest and heaviest motherf*ckers on this whole damn planet. Okay, there may have been some influences of disco and funk in their music as well, but they also play with so much power that we want to forgive them these little mistakes. I’ve always seen this band as one big happy family, who are playing music for fun. And they are responsible for some nice classic songs as well, like “Mickey’s Monkey”, “Give You All The Love”, “Baby Love”, “Hard Rock Lover” and “Piece Of The Rock”. The band is fronted by Joyce ‘Baby Jane’ Kennedy, a woman who is blessed with a very powerful and soulful voice and who can sing, scream and entertain people like a good frontlady should. For the heavier parts, she sends her husband Glen Murdock to the microphone to do his thing. This way you get a good balance of (funk) metal and pure hard rock, as shown in these two live concerts. The Rockpalast gigs, recorded at the Grugahalle, Essen and at Burg Satzvey in Germany, took place in 1978 and 2003. Twenty-five years of MOTHER’S FINEST is captured in two and a half hours of high quality metal. Joyce can be seen as one of the best singers in the world, still after all these years and if you’re not convinced by this review, better see it yourself on this great DVD. Who said, that black people can’t play heavy metal? Give me your opinion again after seeing this DVD, and better think twice before you start talking.
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
BABES IN TOYLAND & Kat Bjelland – The Best Of (DVD)
The DVD part of the BABES IN TOYLAND “Best Of” contains a lot of nice material. Not only from ‘the Babes’ themselves, but you can also watch seven live tracks and an interview by one of Kat’s first bands, THE VENARAYS. And there’s some footage available of KATASTROPHY WIFE, the band in which Kat is now playing. Besides the usual video clips of both BABES IN TOYLAND and KATASTROPHY WIFE, you can also see a lot of live footage taken from concerts in Utrecht, Hamburg (Germany) and the Roskilde Festival in Denmark. Maybe the nicest part are the short films by BABES IN TOYLAND and KATASTROPHY WIFE. They’ve even added a photo gallery with some nice pics, which are also to be seen in the CD booklet. All in all, the DVD is a very interesting item, if you are a fan of BABES IN TOYLAND and Kat Bjelland in particular. The footage is worthy of two hours of very good quality material from two very underrated bands, and of course it’s also very nice to see Kat at a very young age playing in a rock band. Her hair has got a different colour, but the guitar playing and the typical moves remained the same. And over the years she has become a lot wilder. Kat is a very nice, almost shy lady off stage, but when she’s got the spotlights on her, she turns from a shy Kat into a ‘wild Cat’! Prove is given on this very nice document.
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
Two songs are on this DVD. One is called “Darkness Falling”. It's longer than the album version. There's a bass bridge and another verse. The other is “One Night Stand”. It's from the point of view of a woman, who doesn't care if she has a long-term relationship. The DVD opens with the camera joining BOBBIE TRAP on stage. Most of it is shot from the audience. The pictures are from two performances edited together jumping back and forth from one performance to the other. It moves at a faster than usual speed. Maybe it's all too fast. One show is in black and white, while the other in sepia tone. The camera spends a lot of time on Kelly Hill. She struts around stage shouting out the words to the songs. The rest of the band appear once in a while. Those of you, who like tattoos will be able to see a couple of large works of art. With DVD's, you get to see what a band looks like, as you hear them. BOOBIE TRAP have the punk look down. There's enough rock and punk here for anyone. Website: http://www.boobietrap oc.com. Contact address: BOOBIE TRAP, 2269 Papaya Dr., Lahabra Hts, CA 90631, USA.
Reviewed by: Jack Little
Another DVD from Germany’s reigning metal queen and another rousing success. Say what you want about DORO, but one thing is perfectly clear: She sure knows how to take care of her fans. As with her previous DVD "Für Immer", with "Classic Diamonds - The DVD" you get some great value. The packaging looks great! It comes with a glossy booklet, that features lyrics and many cool photos. And of course there are the gigs. In 2004 Doro performed, toured and recorded with the Metal Classic Night Orchestra. This DVD is a documentation of those shows. The DVD begins with the Wacken Open Air performance. DORO is obviously having a great time at this gig and it shows. Guest appearances by SAVATAGE guitarist Chris Caffery and BLAZE BAYLEY add a great touch to the proceedings. Next we have a fifteen minute ‘behind the scenes’ look at the tour. It features backstage footage, interviews and live excerpts. After that there’s another gig. Recorded in Hamburg, Germany at the Docks - DORO, the band and orchestra once again tear up the stage with a passionate set of classics - old and new. This gig is about twenty minutes longer than the Wacken show and once again features a guest appearance by BLAZE BAYLEY on the IRON MAIDEN cover "Fear Of The Dark" (an interesting choice since Blaze did not originally sing this song for MAIDEN). After that there is a host of extras: The making of the video clip for "Let Love Rain On Me", the video for the song, which is a great looking video. Next, is live footage from the TV show Rockpalast and a tour documentary. All in all, this a great collection of material, that will be a joy for any DORO fan to witness. For over twenty years DORO has been a true metal warrior, she has a love for her music and her fans. This DVD puts that on display for all to see.
Reviewed by: Tony Cannella
The live CD of “Lucky” contains a bonus DVD. On the DVD you can see the full concert for the live CD on your TV screen. And I must say, that you can almost feel the happiness, Melissa plays these songs here. From opener “Lucky” to the fantastic set closer “Giant”, she breathes excitement on stage. The songs sound so fresh and energetic, that you don’t even miss the many hitsingles, that she always plays. Some of these songs, that were played here will probably become a classic of their own, in the future. The bonus features on this DVD are commentaries, an interview and ‘a day in the life’ documentary. “Lucky-Live” is a very nice release from a lady, who proves her status as a superstar once again. But she also knows that she is a superstar because of all her devoted fans, which a lot of other musicians tend to forget sometimes. Website: http://www.melissaetheridge.com.
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
VANILLA NINJA – Traces Of Sadness (DVD)
This band has a very well thought of planned career. Four great looking, young ladies, catchy songs, a few singles and accompanying video clips and then a debut album. And a quite successful album, because the next step for these ladies was to release a live DVD from a big show, they gave in their homecountry Estonia. The DVD contains fifteen live songs, including a drumsolo, and five video clips. The live footage was recorded in front of a young, but very enthusiastic public. The band VANILLA NINJA is backed up by a live band, who plays the main, musical parts here. The ladies themselves play some additional keyboard, rhythm guitar and bass guitar. But if their instruments are really plugged in, is not really clear to me. The bonus material consists of an interview, a photo gallery, a biography and a discography. During the drumsolo (done by a drummer, who already was with the band in their first video clip) the bald drummer uses his head to hit the cymbals, while great balls of fire, shoot up in the air. He also uses his hands in the solo, which reminds me of Tommy Aldridge of course. The solo spot is a moment for the girls to change clothes, and it all looks quite spectacular indeed. The back up band beefs up the sound by adding some fast and heavy guitarwork to the poppy rock songs of these four well-talented ladies. According to the reaction of the crowd, the world must get ready for a worldwide launch of this band. And if I am honest, these ladies really deserve a fair chance. Their catchy songs, good looks and the strategy, that they persue, are a good example of how you can become a good pop / rock star in no time. And their Dutch equals BAD CANDY could use this band as a good example, if you’d ask my opinion. The live show runs for a full hour and you can get more information about these four ninjas at: http://www.vanillaninja.de.
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
BLACKMORE'S NIGHT – Beyond The Sunset (DVD)
This bonus DVD of “Beyond The Sunset” was recorded in a cosy medieval ambiance, where Mr. Blackmore is feeling at his very best nowadays. Gone are the big concert halls and it’s back to the smaller venues. The rural medieval castle, that was used as a beautiful background, fits perfectly with the music of ‘the man in black’. I still have got my doubts with the music of BLACKMORE’S NIGHT, and you know why that is. Seeing the band perform these songs live, made me change my mind a bit. The atmosphere, in combination with the songs, is just perfect. And the joy, all musicians play the songs, really add a very positive vibe to this great, but far too short, DVD disc. However, I heard a full-length DVD is in the making right now, so we just have to wait a little longer to enjoy some more live footage by this band. The well-known guitar hero slowly turned himself into the medieval minstrell, that he perhaps always wanted to be… Who knows? Candice Night is a very beautiful looking lady. She shows so much joy in her singing, and she has got a great voice too, which make these songs highly enjoyable to watch. Still…..aaah!! I think you’ll catch my drift here. I cannot say anything about the quality of the music and the live footage, which is just great! But sometimes I really miss the little more power from the man, who used to destroy his white fake Fenders on stage, and constantly changed the line-up of his wonderful solo outfit RAINBOW. Those were the days!! Well, enjoy this DVD, because the stuff is great, but I’ve made my point now once and for all!
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
The bonus DVD of the live CD of EDENBRIDGE contains eleven songs, recorded in 2002, 2003 and 2004. The main program of the DVD consists of six tracks, that are recorded in a very professional way and very close up. We can see, that Lanvall is a very talented guitar player indeed. Sometimes he sounds a bit like YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, but this Austrian hero has got a much smaller ego than the Swedish viking. Sabines vocals are great too. Crystal clear, and perfectly matching with the entire sound of the band. The five other songs were recorded on tour in South Korea, Germany and Switzerland. The sound is not as good as on the previous six songs of the main menu. And the footage was shot a little bit further away. Nonetheless, it’s still very enjoyable to all the fans of this band. A band, that is working very hard to gain some recognition. And with the talent they have, they will surely come a long way, I guess. This disc is a nice overview of what this Austrian version of NIGHTWISH is all about on stage.
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
The much anticipated documentary on THE RUNAWAYS, produced and directed by ex-Runaway Victory Tischler Blue herself, is about to be finally unleashed on DVD in January 2005 after a run of several film festival showings in the USA and the UK (London). After much drama and threatened legal suits, it is a credit to Victory, that she persisted to get this film out. It's a raw and brutally honest depiction of life in a teenage all-girl rock band in the seventies and will have you laughing one minute then crying the next. Interviews with Lita Ford, Cherie Currie, Sandy West, Jackie Fox, Victory Tischler Blue, Kari Krome, Kim Fowley and various moms, cover the highlights and pitfalls of the bands all-too-brief existance including the inception of the band in their own words, 1977 Japan tour, Jackie's attempted suicide bid, departure of ‘Cherie Bomb’, the eventual demise of the band and the rammifications on some of the girls lives after the band. There are two live songs from the Japan tour showing the girls in full flight onstage, rehearsal and soundcheck footage never before seen along with the indepth exclusive interviews. Joan Jett (although she didn't co-operate with the making of the movie) does speak in various RUNAWAYS interviews from TV. It is a pity, she feels the need to hide from her RUNAWAYS days but the movie carries itself without her contribution while praising her throughout the film. It makes one wonder why she had such a problem with it. Maybe if you’re a JETT fan, who misses the point of her RUNAWAYS career (yes, such people exist) you will be disappointed, otherwise this incisive portrayal of how a group of talented young girls, trying to make their way in the male dominated world of rock and roll is a must for any fan of the band or female rockers.
Reviewed by: Debbie Jordan
Surprisingly enough, the band EPICA was invited to play at the “2 Meter Sessions” of Jan Douwe Kroeske after releasing just one album! Usually, this honour is stricktly reserved to the well-established artists in the music industry. The “2 Meter Sessions” comes as a separate DVD version as well as a CD package. Also, you can buy the DVD and CD in a limited deluxe ecobook package, which contains a forty pages book. The DVD includes six electric songs and an acoustic set of three songs. Nothing was too much trouble and they even hired a complete orchestra and a choir to make it sound more special. Singer Simone Simons looks a bit nervous at the beginning of the set, but the band is in perfect shape. Furthermore, the DVD contains “The Making Of….”, interviews with all band members and footage about the rehearsals. While the “Extra” features contain music videos of “The Phantom Agony” and “Feint” plus the “Making Of….” from both videos. Also, you can view a short documentary about “The Phantom Agony” choir and footage about the rehearsal. The DVD closes with a slide show, a band discography and a link to their website [http://www.epica.nl]. It gives a good impression of the band EPICA and their progression since the release of their debut album. Nice job!!!
Reviewed by: Marcel van Santen
This double live DVD shows us how successful the reunion of FLEETWOOD MAC actually is. It’s amazing and it’s like they’ve never been away. Their whole tour was constantly sold out, although they forgot to visit the Netherlands. Yes, the voice and keyboard playing of the second female member in the band, Christine McVie, is sadly missed. But besides that, nothing has changed. Every song on this two DVD set is a hit. And the new songs sound like they can become a hit every moment. I hear no big differences between the old songs and the new stuff, which proves that all the new songs have got that same ‘highest quality only’ label printed on them. John McVie on bass, is the invisible man in FLEETWOOD MAC. He’s there, and you can’t miss the rhythm parts he’s playing, but you will seldom find him up front the stage. Lyndsay Buckingham is a real animal on guitar. And if you don’t believe me, just check out this DVDand you’ll be astonished by his superb guitar playing. The solos go on forever, and his more sensitive side is shown in the acoustic parts. Mick Fleetwood is the clown behind the drums. He’s also an invisible man, but during his solo spot which is one of the many highlights during these footage, he shows us that he’s a showman pur sang. He is a great comedian and musical talent, and the music even comes out of his jacket, hilarious! He is definitely one of the most underrated musical talents on this earth! But the most recognisable sound comes from the absolutely beautiful voice of the blonde diva in FLEETWOOD MAC: Stevie Nicks. She is one of the best singers in the world for me. Her voice, her looks, her clothes, it all matches perfectly with each other, and gives me a warm feeling all over. There are no words to discribe so much perfection, so you can forget about what I’ve written in this review so far. I also can not describe the perfect sound of her voice. It’s inexpressible what it does to you, when you hear the sentiment, the feeling, the emotion, the passion, the warmth, the sexiness and the sensitivity, she sings in all these classic tunes. Stevie Nicks is the female equivalent of an angel to me or at least some higher spirit. I hope you catch my drift here, and you can realise how much this band meant to the rock music of the sixties, seventies, eighties, nineties and also in the new millennium. A good overview of the different styles and hit singles is captured on two DVD’s here. Although I must admit that I missed some of the Christine McVie and Peter Green classics maybe. But oh well, you will enjoy these two DVD’s without them too I guess, if it was only for watching and hearing the great voice of the ‘Gold Dust Woman’.
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
This is a very limited disc of the female fronted nu-metal legends OTEP. A lady, who can draw pictures, write poems and lyrics, sing, scream, shock, look sexy and who is not afraid to give you a look inside her deepest thoughts as well. She is also the one and only female screamer in the male dominated world of nu-metal bands, which is a huge achievement as well in my vision. The DVD shows you the enormous power of her live band, and the diversity of her talents. The stage in “Battle Ready” is decorated with the chopped of head of a hog. Shocking! Inbetween the different video clips and live footage of the band, we can see short interviews with the individual band members. See the band live on stage during one of the Ozzfest gigs, watch the sweat in front of their audiences. Is OTEP, the lady, insane? Or is she besides a great singer, also a very talented actress, and is this whole thing just her image? I would go for the third option imaginable. She is a f*cking genius. I really have no affection at all with the whole nu-metal scene, but she is simply the only exception to this golden rule. This is marvellous stuff. I don't know if this DVD will get an official release in the future. But if this is not the case, then I’d definitely suggest to search for a copy on the internet (try Ebay for example) or on one of the many record fairs, because OTEP is two hundred percent HOT! Website: http://www.otep.com.
Reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
SUZI QUATRO needs no introduction to the readers of MM as she is an icon worldwide and the original girl rocker, who inspired many male and females to pick up an instrument and sweat the small stuff onstage. Finally, an official live DVD showing Suzi playing her hits compiled from two shows from 2003 in Stuttgart and Australian tour. Classics like “Rock Hard”, “Can The Can”, “Devil Gate Drive” and “Stumblin' In” are all here with highlights in my opinion “48 Crash” and “Can't Give Me Love”. Produced by Victory Tischler Blue, the live vision of Suzi rockin' and smilin' away is mingled with welcome old video clip footage. A bonus video of “Why Do Rainbows Die’, a track released on the rare "Then And Now" double CD from a few years back and the last song Mickie Most produced for Suzi before he recently passed away, follows a touching dedication by Suzi to her former mentor. For many Suzi fans, who aren't fortunate enough to have Suzi tour their way, its a glimpse of what they are missing at her live shows. She is a true professional, who obviously still loves her music and performing. Otherwise if you are lucky enough to have Suzi play in your neck of the woods annually it will be a keepsake of memories of these nights when you see the queen of rock onstage playing the music of hers we love. Looking forward to the upcoming “Naked Under Leather” documentary - produced and directed by Victory Tischler-Blue (Sacred Dogs Entertainment) to be released in 2005 on Suzi Quatro's life story.
Reviewed by: Debbie Jordan
It’s a shame, that we’re not able to go to the Wacken Open Air festival anymore. The good thing is that they released a great DVD set of the 2003 edition of this cult festival. This two DVD package for example runs for over three hours and shows you a lot of the highlights of the 2003 edition of the largest heavy metal festival of the universe. It was the last edition, we attended, by the way, which included great female input by SUBWAY TO SALLY, HOLY MOSES (two songs) and LORDI this time. Besides the aforementioned bands and other highlights such as TESTAMENT, TWISTED SISTER, SAXON, VICTORY and DIAMOND HEAD, we get to see many impressions of the people in the audience, the whole organisation of the festival and some nice backstage footage as well. So we can talk of a great overview of this three days event in the northern part of Germany. The only missing name here are SLAYER. What the hell happened to this footage? Well, they did a rather disappointing show anyway… SUBWAY TO SALLY played very late in the evening. They’ve got a huge following, and their music is quite popular in Germany. Their mix of folk, rock and metal stands out well in “Falscher Heiland”, which is sung in their native tongue, making the folky side of their music sound even more authentic. HOLY MOSES on the other hand, had to get up very early in the morning, I recall. They were one of the openers on Sunday, and replaced SINISTER on the bill, who were not able to play that day. And even the guest appearance of singer Rachel was blown off in the very last minute. But Sabina and her HOLY MOSES don’t need them, as you can see in the footage on both DVD’s, like “World Chaos” on DVD I and “Nothing For My Mum” on DVD II of this package. HOLY MOSES is nothing for my mum either, but if
2007 (Nuclear Blast)
Rating: 8 points 
AYREON- 01011001 (DVD)
2008 (Inside Out)
Rating: 9 points 
JENNIFER BATTEN- Whatever (bonus DVD)
2008 (Lion Music)
Rating: 10 points 
BLACKMORE'S NIGHT- Paris Moon (DVD)
2007 (SPV)
Rating: 9 points 
THE GATHERING- A Noise Severe (DVD)
2007 (The End)
Rating: 8 points 
HEART- Dreamboat Annie Live (DVD)
2008 (Eagle Vision)
Rating: 10 points 
HYDROGYN- Live At Godiva's (DVD)
2007 (independent)
Rating: 9 points 
MT-TV- West East (DVD)
2007 (Korvid Inc./Blackwing Films)
Rating: 8 points 
NIGHTWISH- Amaranth (DVD single)
2007 (Nuclear Blast)
Rating: 8 points 
THE PLASMATICS/W.O.W.- Ten Years Of Revolutionary Rock And Roll (DVD)
2007 (MVD Visual)
Rating: 10 points 
SHOW-YA- Live 2006 (DVD)
2007 (Masterworks Corp./Balancing Rock)
Rating: 10 points 
VANADIS- vanadis (DVD)
2007 (independent)
Rating: 7 points 
V/A- Beautiful Voices III (DVD)
2007 (Nuclear Blast)
Rating: 10 points 
V/A- No Remorse Documentaire 2007 (DVD)
2007 (independent)
Rating: 9 points 
Autumn/Winter 2007:
2006 (independent)
Rating: 8 points 
DORO- 20 Years A Warrior Soul (DVD)
2006 (AFM Records)
Rating: 10 points 
LORDI- Market Square Massacre (DVD)
2006 (Sony BMG Music Entertainment/Drakkar)
Rating: 9 points 
MT-TV- Shevolution (DVD)
2006 (Korvid Inc./Blackwing Films)
Rating: 9 points 
Spring 2007:
2006 (Century Media)
Rating: 10 points 
BARRELHOUSE- Live Has Many Faces (DVD)
2006 (Munich Records)
Rating: 10 points 
SHOW-YA- 20th Anniversary Live (DVD)
2005 (Masterworks Corp./Balancing Rock Japan)
Rating: 10 points 
VARIOUS ARTISTS- Beautiful Voices II (DVD)
2006 (Nuclear Blast)
Rating: 10 points 
Summer 2006:
2006 (Dino Music)
Rating: 10 points 
BETTY BLOWTORCH- And Her Amazing True Life Adventures (DVD)
2006 (Cinema Libre Distribution)
Rating: 10 points 
LANA LANE- 10th Anniversary Concert (DVD)
2005 (Think Tank Media)
Rating: 10 points 
MELDRUM- Loaded Live (DVD)
2005 (independent)
Rating: 8 points 
NIGHTWISH- End Of An Era (DVD)
2006 (Nuclear Blast)
Rating: 9 points 
ERIK NORLANDER AND FRIENDS- Live In St. Petersburg (DVD)
2006 (Think Tank Media)
Rating: 9 points 
SHOW-YA- 20th Anniversary - The Best Sound & Vision (DVD)
2005 (Toshiba, JAP)
Rating: 9 points 
STREAM OF PASSION, FEATURING AYREON- Live In The Real World (DVD)
2006 (Inside Out)
Rating: 10 points 
WITHIN TEMPTATION- The Silent Force Tour (DVD)
2005 (GUN Records/Sony BMG)
Rating: 10 points 
Spring 2006:
2005 (CD Baby.com)
Rating: 2 points 
ANA POPOVIC-Ana (DVD)
2005 (Ruf Records)
Rating: 8 points 
November/December 2005:
2005 (Steamhammer/SPV)
Rating: 9 points 
2004 (OSKAR Productions Poland)
Rating: 9 points 
2005 (Psychonaut/The End)
Rating: 6 points 
2005 (Iguana)
Rating: 7 points 
2005 (Universal)
Rating: 10 points 
2004 (Polydor/Universal Music)
Rating: 9 points 
2005 (Nuclear Blast)
Rating: 8 points 
MM#40/Summer 2005:
2005 (TPR Music)
Rating: 10 points 
MOONSTONE – Par Les Fans, Pour Les Fans (DVD)
2005 (Brennus Records)
Rating: 8 points 
MOTHER’S FINEST – Mother’s Finest At Rockpalast (DVD)
2004 (Studio Hamburg Fernseh Allianz)
Rating: 10 points 
MM#39/March 2005:
2004 (Southern Records)
Rating: 9 points 
BOOBIE TRAP – Promotional DVD
2004 (independent)
Rating: 8 points
DORO – Classic Diamonds (DVD)
2004 (AFM)
Rating: 8 points 
MELISSA ETHERIDGE – Lucky Live (DVD)
2004 (Island Records)
Rating: 9 points 
2004 (Sony Music)
Rating: 9 points 
MM#38/December 2004:
2004 (SPV/Steamhammer)
Rating: 8 points 
EDENBRIDGE – A Lifetime In Eden (DVD)
2004 (Massacre Records)
Rating: 8 points 
EDGEPLAY – A Film About THE RUNAWAYS (DVD)
2005 (Sacred Dogs Entertainment)
Rating: 10 points 
EPICA – We Will Take You With Us (DVD)
2004 (Transmission Records)
Rating: 8 points 
FLEETWOOD MAC – Live In Boston (DVD)
2004 (Reprise Records)
Rating: 10 points 
OTEP – Abominations (DVD)
2004 (Capitol Records)
Rating: 10 points 
SUZI QUATRO – Leather Forever (DVD)
2004 (Sacred Dogs Entertainment)
Rating: 10 points 
VARIOUS – Armageddon Over Wacken (DVD)
2004 (Armageddon Music)
Rating: 9 points 