If you are a Voivod fan you will no doubt want this release. The sound is great, the band is on top form and the camera work is apt. This Voivod release is just what you would expect from such a quality band. They may be a bit of muso/metal trainspotter in-the-know band, but there is a reason they are so beloved. Check out this DVD and get a bit of a taste of why that is the case.
Pagan Metal: A Documentary
This is a two hour long documentary on the emerging scene that is “pagan metal” with some rather interesting interviews with purveyors of the various types of pagan/folk metal. There are interviews with bands from Finland to Ireland. Some might be fascinated to hear that many people involved in this aren’t necessarily keen or understand why they are lumped in with rest of the bands of genre.
The key thing seems to be a band that is metal and includes various folk or “traditional” music elements from their country. Now many outside observers would have a hard time finding the “folk” element to some of these band’s music. While others like Flintroll made it fairly obvious. The interviewer asks both daft and clever questions. I especially enjoyed his questions about traditional instruments and whether or not they were used in the studio/on tour. Quite a few of these bands use local musicians to play the harder instruments and then replicate them via keyboards on the road. They do seem to be able to take some, like accordions and fiddles, on road with them.
Generally the interviews are fascinating and there is enough music interspersed to make the film and enjoyable one. You get a bit of sense of the parts of the world these people hail from. With any luck this documentary might get more people interested in the genre. These bands have made an effort to do something different with metal only to be rewarded with success in their native lands and beyond. .
CD Review
Marillion: Less is More
I thought it would be good to sneak in a wee CD review in this column. It's rather the opposite of most of what else is here. Marillion are a great progressive band in the mode of Genesis, and by that I mean they are quintessentially English. They just exude the English country-side from every pore. This is very stripped down, hence the name, and the band even touches their acoustic side. Steve Hogarth voice really rises to challenge and reminds everyone that he is a great vocalist perfectly suited to the band.
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