This new live DVD/CD from Germany’s finest thrash band, Kreator, is a re-package, re-edit and re-release of their 1990 VHS, Live in East Berlin. Included with the live show is the mini horror movie the band made for their Coma of Souls album titled Hallucinative Coma, a documentary type thing with interviews from around the time of the show and from some new ones of people who attended the show, and an audio CD version of the whole concert (a nice inclusion I must say).
The show itself must’ve been rather bad ass, as their set list included all the songs you would want to hear live at the time (from Endless Pain through Extreme Aggression), and their on stage energy is really high. Though is doesn’t come with a major downfall – the re-edit is fucked. I only watched it once (and most likely never will watch it again) as it made me feel like I was gonna have an epileptic seizure – none of the shots last more than 2.5 seconds, so you never really get to absorb what your watching – it just keeps hopping around from shot to shot and is truly headache inducing – at least the updated sound quality is really good.
Even though the concert is pretty much ruined by the edit job, the bonus material is what makes this package a worthy purchase. The documentary section is a great history lesson for thrash (and metal in general) for Eastern Europe at the time – this concert was the first major metal show played behind the Iron Curtain after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Hearing some of these people talk about how they obtained music during the rise of thrash among other things is really intriguing, and makes you think just how lucky some of us have always had it.
Also a nice bonus, the mini horror movie is entertaining, if nothing else. It’s clips of the movie interspersed with select songs from Coma of Souls – “People of the Lie”, “Twisted Urges”, “Coma of Souls”, and “Terror Zone” to be exact – it’s worth a watch or two.
I’d have to say that this is nearly a must for all thrash fans, and certainly fans of Kreator, regardless of the crappy edit job on the concert.
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I reviewed this for Deadtide and I’d have to say you nailed this one perfectly, though the editing didn’t bug me so much.
Between this and the Behind the Iron Curtain doc on the Live After Death DVD. I really want to see someone do a retrospective of metal behind the Iron Curtain. Sam Dunn, I’m looking at you.
on Jun 26th, 2008 at 20:10Thanks man, and I completely agree – it would be really cool to see Mr. Dunn do a doc on that subject. Personally, I find that really interesting and would like to learn more about the time and place.
on Jun 26th, 2008 at 22:02I think that when band shoots a DVD of a live show they need to get a camera crew that actually knows the freakin’ music, they think that just because the music is spazzing around that the cameras need to do the same or the audience at home is going to lose its attention span and shut it off. That new Testament DVD is a fine example of horrid camera work, bouncing around and missing the solos, totally pisses me off. Actually with the exception of the My Dying Bride and Porcupine Tree DVDs I would say 80% of all Metal DVDs are piss poor…
Now someone needs to review the latest November’s Doom DVD.
Good review though… Haha
on Jun 27th, 2008 at 06:14I had this in my hand at the store, then bought something else instead (Opeth). If the video is as jumpy as you say, I’m not sure I’ll buy it. Love the Coma Of Souls stuff though.
on Jun 27th, 2008 at 08:04This predates Coma of Souls so that might be a dealbreaker right there. At least this was a full set and not just a compilation of songs from various sets, I hate when bands do that.
on Jun 27th, 2008 at 09:56Vance – I completely agree. If they’re going to shoot a live DVD, they should have multiple cameras in use at ALL times – one for each member of the band, and two or three more that encompass the entire band from different angles. Each shot should last at least 5-10 seconds. Shit, sometimes at a show, I spend almost an entire song just watching one person.
Axiom – yes, it’s that jumpy. There isn’t any Coma of Souls material played during the show, as this predates that album by a few months. The CoS stuff is just during the mini horror flick, which alongside that doc and live CD, makes this worth buying.
on Jun 28th, 2008 at 05:49