These video overviews were originally written for Metal Edge Magazine when I was a contributor to their DVD reviews section back in 2006. With the magazine wrapping up publication a few months ago, I decided to add them to the context of our PiercingMetal presentation. I felt that by doing this I would not only be raising the horns in remembrance of the magazine but to also showcase just how different writing for a major publication was when it all came down to it. These posts will feature several reviews each until we run out of them. The freelance writing tenure at Metal Edge Magazine was discussed on THIS LINK so please check that out when done. Here we go with another group of DVD Reviews.

Rainbow: ”Live In Munich 1977” (Eagle Vision/Eagle Rock Entertainment)

Ritchie Blackmore formed Rainbow after becoming unhappy as a member of Deep Purple. The band had a number of lineup changes but gave us some amazing Hard Rock and showcased the talents of Ronnie James Dio and Cozy Powell. The DVD features the only known footage of this roster in 1977 as ilm finds the band supporting their new release “Long Live Rock And Roll” and the albums preceding it. Running a only eight songs there are excellent jams and guitar displays by Blackmore. The audio and visual quality holds up great for its 29 year age and should appeal to all ranges of fans. The DVD comes with bonus footage and includes a miniature tourbook from their European visit.

Sentenced: “Buried Alive” (Century Media Records)

My dear friends we are gathered here on this sad day October 1, 2005 to pay well-deserved tribute to the band Sentenced who tragically and not too quietly ended their life in the same manner that they lived it – on the concert stage among their most ardent and supportive fans. Yes, the DVD release that bears the same name as the CD concert gives the viewers the final live performance ever of the band Sentenced; a band who decided to call it a career with their release Funeral Album, a powerful Gothic Metal CD issued in early 2005. This “suicide” came after sixteen years as a group and essentially at the mass decision that all they could do in this band having been done. It was filmed in their native Finland, at the club Teatria and with over two hours of concert material and also a heaping amount of bonus features. You get an excellent concert and one that features a strong selection from the band’s final album and their singer Ville Laihiala (who has since gone on to focus his efforts with Poisonblack). The years with Ville as front man found the band more Gothic Metal than their original sound of Melodic Death Metal when they were fronted by Taneli Jarva. It was this Gothic Metal sound that ended up inspiring the likes of HIM and The Rasmus. Their fans from the beginning will enjoy the fact that Jarva returns to the stage with the band during this show and performs five numbers from the time that he was a member of the group. His was a darker, rougher voice and more along the lines of the growlers of today’s Black Metal scene. The bonus inclusions give all of the bands videos on the second DVD along with interviews that while in Finnish, do come with sub-titles for the rest of us to enjoy. There is a cryptic segment which finds the band walking through the town with a casket as they take their funeral procession. It leads into a behind the scenes look at the video for “Ever Frost”. With all this material to enjoy it is hard to find yourself not coming to some sense of sadness as a band chooses to close the book on their existence in such a dramatic fashion. Their impact was definitely felt in this aspect of the Metal genre – May they rest in peace.
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