‘Lusitanian Metal’ is the name of the first Moonspell DVD after many years of activity in the metal underground for this Portuguese band. The DVD is essentially a huge archive of old live footage that is both professional and bootleg in its presentation as well a band interview is included, discography, and all of their promo videos up till now.
The main feature is a live show in Katowice, Poland back in 2004 on the ‘Antidote’ tour and while not all my favorite songs are present I do still have to admit that this is an enjoyable show. As it is a professionally shot gig you can expect perfect and multiple camera angles and nearly perfect visual quality during this show. The band plays four songs from the then new album ‘The Antidote’ as well as concert standards like ‘Alma Mater’ & ‘Full Moon Madness.’ There’s also a few surprise songs like ‘Abysmo’ and ‘Ruin & Misery,’ which I’ve personally not seen during any of the three Moonspell gigs I’ve been to. The only somewhat funny thing is there are a few times where Fernando seems frustrated with the crowd’s interaction, but then again when twenty or so feet separate him from the audience I can’t imagine how much he expects them to get into it.
As for the interview it’s a bit short at just fifteen minutes and essentially it’s just a brief overview and the bands own impression of their careers thus far. It’s interesting, but it could be better. The promo videos are great to see since the only one I’ve previously seen was ‘Opium,’ but Moonspell has only actually made six videos throughout their whole career, and honestly they didn’t get too exciting until more recent times with the video for ‘Nocturna.’
The second disk kicks off with an old rehearsal from 1992 where we see a much younger version of Moonspell jamming to old demo songs like ‘Serpent Angel’ & ‘Wolves from the Fog.’ Of course the footage is captured with a single camera, though it’s reasonably clear and there are even some close-ups, etc. The sound sounds, well, like an old demo and since the performance looks to be taking place within a school gymnasium there’s an odd echo effect from all of the instruments and vocals. Nevertheless it’s interesting to see the absolute roots of the band.
The real treat is next and it happens to be Moonspell’s first gig. Decked out in corpsepaint and other typical black metal gear the bands plows through some more demo songs to probably what must have been a shocked crowd. Again here neither the video quality nor the audio quality is anywhere near perfect but it really is interesting seeing the band when they were fully embracing their black metal roots. The following gig is from 1994 when the band played their first show abroad in England supporting Cradle of Filth. The show opens with one of the corny instrumentals from ‘Under the Moonspell’ while some strange belly dancer prances about the stage before long the band dives right into ‘Tenebrarum Oratorium I.’
The remainder of the second disc is more live footage from each albums tour and while most of it is decent bootleg video some of it is just pathetically pointless footage from someone standing in the back of the crowd. Oddly enough there is also some really good professional footage also included. One such gig is from Krakow, Poland in 1996 on the Perverse Almost Religious tour. I must admit its fun seeing a youthful Fernando and band in this old gig and since the video and sound is exceptional it’s definitely one to watch more than once. There’s also some more professional footage from the 2001-2003 era, which is quite enjoyable as well. I guess the only thing is by the end of the DVD you’ll seriously be sick of hearing some of these songs, especially ‘Alma Mater,’
On the whole this is a great DVD but like most band DVDs it definitely helps if you’re a long time fan rather than say a newbie or casual fan. The main concert, the bootleg and other professional video is all very interesting and should keep Moonspell fans busy until they come to your town to play again.
No comments:
Post a Comment