Anthrax--Music of Mass Destruction DVD/CD
Possibly, and I'm not exagerating, the greatest music DVD ever released.
Packaging--
The good:
The DVD has some very cool artwork by Alex Ross on the front with the "Thraxagram" crushing the words "Music of Mass Destruction." Insider we have the DVD and CD as well a very cool insert. The insert has photos, a message from Scott Ian, and technical info all done in a "comic" form. Well done. Note: There are two versions of this, one in a DVD sized case and one in a CD sized case...I can only speak for the DVD style.
The bad:
My only complaint is that the whole "Of Mass Destruction" thing is a bit tired. It's better than just "Live In Chicago" I suppose.
The music:
The good:
The DVD kicks off with a "FU" warning (instead of FBI) that is funny as hell. Very nice touch that sets the fun tone of the DVD.
The main show is from Chicago at The Metro on 12/5/03. I am happy to say I was there. Anthrax is a band I've seen more times than I can remember, and they have never disappointed. Seriously one of the greatest live bands out there. There's no gimmicks, no stage props, nothing but a bunch of guys on stage playing some of the finest metal out there. This DVD does something you don't often see--it actually captures the band's power. The sound is amazing...perfect instrument mix, powerful centered vocals, sharp sounding drums, and appropriately mixed crowd. I would go as far as to say this is the best sounding live recording I've heard.
The setlist covers a fair amount of the band's catalog--early stuff like "Be All, End All" and "I Am The Law" to new stuff like "Refuse to Be Denied" are covered. The performances are top notch. Anthrax delivers live and this is your proof.
I really don't know what else to say about the show itself, I could rant for pages about how awesome the show is, how great it sounds, how nice it looks, but I think by saying it's the best metal DVD on the market right now says enough.
There are some extras on here worth mentioning. Two songs (Fueled and Metal Thrasing Mad) from the next night are on here with a "Hyperangle" feature. Basically, there are five cameras, you can pick the camera to watch through or a mix of them all. It's an interesting way of doing things that I'm sure no one reading this is familiar with as you've never seen a porno with this feature. Oh no, not you, not at all. Liar.
Then we have some behind the scenes clips for each band member (minus Frank). They're amusing...Rob seems to be perpetually drunk, Charlies loves toys, John seems like a genuinely nice guy all around with a very nice bar in his house, Scott...well, scott is Scott, some people love him, I find him to be funny but at times a tad too abrasive.
,br> There's also a 20 minute segment with Alex Ross...I thought the artwork for this and "We've Come For You All" were cool, and then I saw this which I think it really helps you appreciate it more. If, for nothing else, just the fact that the band loves this guy so much that it is obviously a huge deal to them and they are really excited about it. Seeing someone "famous" freak out about someone else that's "famous" always fascinates me. Especially such genre specific fame...if you know nothing about comics, you don't know who Alex Ross is, and if you don't know anything about metal, you don't know who Charlie Benante is...and here you have Alex saying "Who doesn't knox 'Caught in a Mosh'?" And then you have Charlie trying not to wet himself. It's interesting.
The bad--
Seemingly minor, but I'm sorry...it's a huge gripe---the DVD has 16 songs, the CD is missing four of these songs and clocks in at 61 minutes. The CD has Fueled on it, which isn't on the DVD (the DVD in it's place has Belly of the Beast). Now...what the hell is this about? Why not put the entire show on the DVD? Why not put the whole show on CD minus the encore songs? Wouldn't that make more sense if the whole show doesn't fit? Personally, I think they should've put a different show on the CD...I'm sure they have recordings of some of their shows. And if not, hit up eBay (or how about putting out a "help us out" message on their webpage. I really dislike having a "whole show" minus one song.
Recap�
Though I have gripes, this is, as far as I can see, the best live DVD I own. If you're a fan of Anthrax, this is a worthwhile purchase...if you're a fan of metal and don't know much about Anthrax, then definitely check this out. And if you don't like Anthrax, this just may convert you.
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Anthrax
Review by Chris