What DVD’s will you be rocking out to this Xmas?
That’s right kiddies, it’s that time of the year again. A time when a fat fucker in a red suit comes down your chimney, steals all your presents and drinks your milk before pissing off through the front door. What’s that you say? That’s not how it goes? Then just who the hell was the guy I stumbled upon last year?!
It’s been quite the slow season for top quality hard rock and heavy metal releases as of late, so I thought we’d switch things up a bit this month with all the latest Music DVD’s worthy of a place in that ample stocking of yours – you tubby bitch.
Kicking things off with a hefty wallop this month was Bay Area bruisers Machine Head with their new feature length ‘Elegies‘. Undoubtedly one of the genre’s finest and most fearsome live acts on their day, it’s a suitably riff-tastic and mosh-worthy affair that will leave even your granny wanting more (like she doesn’t crave it enough already, baby).
Label mates and fellow modern day titans Killswitch Engage also throw their rather camp hats into the ring with their debut release ‘Set This World Ablaze‘. Undoubtedly the single biggest success story of the “New Wave” thrash movement thus far, it contains not only a blistering set featuring all of the band’s classic cuts, but also an in depth look back over their career thus far – covering everything from the early days spent toiling in the Massachusetts underground, right up until their stint as second stage headliners on this year’s Ozzfest.
Those of you who are familiar with us here at Crossfire know by now that there’s a little saying around these parts, and that’s that nobody does it quite like the oldies where good old fashioned rocking goes. As if our word wasn’t enough, there’s a host of mullet-sporting treasures straight from the 80’s thrash metal scene just waiting to be lapped up. While Brazilian revolutionaries Sepultura present their double-disc treat ‘Live In Sao Paulo‘, the legendary Testament make a more than welcome return with the punishing experience that is ‘Live In London‘. If you were fortunate enough to catch Skolnick and co on their brief yet memorably reunion tour all those months ago, then you’ll know how electric North London was that evening. If not, then you do indeed suck a huge amount of ass; but buy this stripped down yet satisfying slab of thrash metal madness and you may just redeem yourself.
Also coming out of the woodwork was underground heroes S.O.D. with their DIY presentation ‘20 Years of Dysfunction‘. Consisting of live performance footage and on the road hysterics shot almost entirely by loyal followers, it’s a shining example of how things should be done – by the fans; FOR the fans.
Of course, we don’t always want a taxing full-length to feast our demanding eyes and ears on. Sometimes it’s nice to stick on a good old compilation to cater for all your hard rocking needs, and what better releases to slam down to than Century Media’s ‘Visual Rebellion 3‘ and the official live experience of the hugely successful Taste of Chaos Tour.
As the former thoroughly assaults the senses with a barrage of the biggest and best videos from the biggest and best bands the label has to offer (Shadows Fall, God Forbid, and The Haunted to name but a few), the latter offers viewers a chance to feast their eyes upon some of the most devastating and electrifying performances from the US leg of the tour in 2005, featuring select cuts from both established headliners and upcoming opening acts alike.
There you have it boys and girls, another essential shopping list for you to pass on to mummy in time for the Christmas rush. If you think you can handle this much manly metal mayhem, that is. Yeah, I know, sounds kind of sexist if I put it like that, but do I give a fuck? Well, I won’t answer that, but let’s just say the answer is similar to that of ‘am I able to solve a rubex cube with my feet?‘.
Merry Xmas, i hope this will help you find rock in your TV this Xmas…
Ryan Bird
Newcastle four piece ‘The Sound Explosion’ continue their assault on the airwaves with ‘Apollo‘ – the first offering from their much anticipated second album. Produced by The Stokes mastermind Gordon Raphael, this is high octane, punchy track that is the perfect taster into what looks like being a solid second album.
I think Christmas just came early when this popped through the letter box…
Boys watch out cos sisters are doing it for themselves in preperation for 2006 with a brand new skateboard company just launched featuring team riders Lucy Adams, Laura Crane, Sadie Hollins (who just won 1st prize at the recent Troll Jam in Manchester), Maria Falbo and Jenna Selby.
The Grandmaster of british skate photography of the late 70’s to early 90’s, Tim Leighton-Boyce has had time to set up an Official RaD mag site.
If you’ve recently fallen for the loveable post-everything-core noise of hip London trio Test Icicles, then get ready to fall in love all over again because ‘Justamustache‘ is probably your favourite record. You just don’t know it yet.
Rise Above Records have been responsible for some incredible releases over the last few months. New albums by Taint and Capricorns are about to put ground-breaking UK metal back on the map, whilst Circulus and Witchcraft released records so steeped in seventies folk and rock you start to question what decade you’re actually in! Next up, here comes Sheavy.
Public Enemy have always been seen as one of the godfathers of hip hop. Their classic albums “It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back” and “Fear Of A Black Planet” brought their plight of the underprivileged to the plate and smashed a home run against oppression.