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Band:Bang Your Head Festival DVD:2006 Released by:LocomotiveMusic Writer: Mark Carras Media: You Tube (Promotional Clip) Click Album Cover To Buy Now

One thing I love about these big long ass live festival DVD collections is that they allow me to find out about band’s from other countries that I would never hear about otherwise. You see, outside of America they don’t care about trends as much. So every so called metal band doesn’t have to have growl vocals to be cool on the worldwide stage. Instead we get a mix of everything. Not that there is anything wrong with a growl vocal. I just want more of a mix then American labels seem to be pushing. The first band up is one of those band’s. They are called Hellfueld. They have a total 80’s buttrock feel but done without that whole spandex thing. They don’t use those “I just got my nuts clipped” style vocals either. The vocalist could use more of his diaphragm, but other then that they are pretty damn good. It seems their specialty is anthems and they do it well.

Next up is Communic with “Fooled By The Serpent”. On cd they sound like a Nevermore clone (not a bad thing). With this live footage they seem to be coming into their own sound. So it makes me even more interested in their next full length. Leatherwolf has “Season Of The Witch” and “The Calling”. I think this is footage of them during the Wade Black era, so it has more metal balls then a normal Leatherwolf set. Not that Michael Olivieri is bad. I just think Wade gave the band a more aggressive feel that I really liked. Now I have a love hate relationship with Flotsam And Jetsam. I love their 80’s and 90’s material, but the stuff they have released this century has been extremely disappointing. This live set is no different. Even the mighty classic “Secret Square” although flawlessly played with less energy than you would expect from a Creed song.

Although I am not too familiar with the band Vengeance, I have to say their spin on 80’s buttrock is much too my liking. I might have to hunt down more of their material. Raven is another band I have to admit not being massively familiar with, but for a bunch of older guys they have a ton of energy on stage. I wish F&J had half this much energy. Another great example of energy is Jon Oliva’s Pain. For being such a big guy, you would expect Jon to sit back and relax. This live footage shows why he still does metal even though he makes way more money with T.S.O. The man loves metal! Death Angel does a decent job at “Devil Incarnate”, but I remember them being better in a small dive up here known as Studio Seven (best metal club ever). Helloween shows why they have been such worldwide legends for several decades.

Now some may not understand why Foreigner is on a metal festival, but understand that this band not only influenced many of the 80’s metal bands, but also has a few members from those 80’s band in Foreigner now. I grew up on the hits “Urgent” and “Hot Blooded” so I think it is great to have these in this collection. In Flames has never been something I could get into and recently they are coming off as a second rate Korn rip off. This live footage continues this train of thought. Not only that but the singer displays one of my pet peeves. Chastising the crowd because they are not getting into your set enough. If the crowd is not reacting enough it is because the band needs to work a little harder.

Now all of that would be great, but that is just one disc. There is an entire second disc that goes along with it. The second disc starts off with a band that even I find a tad bit goofy. They are called Powerwolf and their performance of “Lucifer In Starlight” makes Grim Reaper’s video for “See You In Hell” seem less “Bevis And Butthead” worthy. Someone needs to ask this guy why none of the headliners wear vampire capes. There is a reason. Next up is Anvil. I have never been a huge fan of Anvil because the vocals of Steve "Lips" Kudlow get on my nerves. Here they seem way better for some reason. Maybe Anvil just always has shitty production? Victory is next with the best song title of the DVD “Chicks On Display”. Great song title, but an average song. Count Raven with “Leaving The Warzone” & “High On Infinity”. It sounds like a second rate Ozzy era Sabbath when they were at their peak. Not horrid, but not extremely exciting either. Unleashed has always been a band that comes really close to greatness, but never quite makes it. These performances of “Winterland” and “Into Glory Ride” convince me to continue to hold out hope the band will achieve that perfect cd someday though. They have the talent!

Next up is the mighty Armored Saint. Always a great band to see live, hear on a new studio cd (What’s the hold up guys?), or even see on a live DVD collection like this. Y&T has “Midnight In Tokyo”. It is amazing how some guys can keep their pipes strong fro several decades and some blow their voice out in less then one decade. Y & T still sounds amazing. So as I am reading the credits of the next artist my first thought was “Who the hell is Rik Emmett?” Turns out he is the vocalist, guitarist, and founding member of the Canadian rock legends Triumph. As soon as the chorus of the first song “Lay It On The Line” comes on it would have really drove me nuts trying to figure out who he was. So thanks to Wikipedia for that sanity saved. He also does “Head Case / 3 Clouds” & “Magic Power”. All three are some of the best tracks on this two disc set. Stratovarius ends things with “Phoenix”. I have to say that I think this is not the band at their best. The vocalist sounds thin.

Overall I say this DVD is a must have for any fan of the more traditional metal and hard rock. This is a very old school festival it seems (at least from this DVD), but that is a good thing as far as I am concerned. Did this Rock My Monkey? Yes at times. At other times it reminded me why some band’s just never make it any bigger. Just like any other compilation, this is a great way to check out a ton of band’s in one easy package.

Band:Bang Your Head Festival DVD:2006 Released by:LocomotiveMusic Writer: Mark Carras Media: You Tube (Promotional Clip) Click Album Cover To Buy Now

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