Mob Rules has to be one of the most underestimated melodic Power Metal bands in the world. From album to album they get better while all their releases can be considered as excellent. Sadly they seem to be out of place, since more extreme stuff is currently in fashion, or out of luck since bands that suck big time in the same genre get much more attention than they deserve. This live CD & DVD is the conclusion of a very successful tour for the promotion of the band's latest studio attempt Among The Gods (2005). As you can imagine, the band's setlist is based upon this album but also on their previous release Hollowed Be Thy Name (2003), while their older material is also represented but with less songs. Regarding how well Mob Rules stands on stage, in case you haven't seen them live (I include myself in this category), let's just say that it is DAMN HARD to realize that you're listening to a live performance rather than a studio CD. Yeah, this means the band performs with a precision that reaches close to 100% of the studio version of their songs. The songs swap nicely from mid tempo to faster and… fastest material with the known melodic (Maiden-like) refrains where Klaus Dirks (vocals) proves to be THE MAN behind the microphone. Isn't the visual part the best possible? It is quite obvious that even though the band used six (6) different cameras, the small venue the show is filmed at doesn't leave a lot of choices regarding production. So the extensive close up scenes might become a bit tiring for the eye; also the scene looks a bit small for the band. On the other hand, the crowd sounds quite warm and reacting in fashion towards the band. The package is good but a bigger booklet would definitely raise the standards. The case the album comes in is not the best one, since the DVD is set on top of the CD (or vise versa) forcing the buyer to remove the one in order to have access to the other one. However these are details only a grumpy old man like me would have noticed. In conclusion this is a must have for the fans of exceptional melodic Power Metal, while at the same time a superb choice for all those who'd like to get to know the band.
Tracklist:
Making Of / Intro* Black Rain Lord Of Madness Celebration Day Hydrophobia Outerspace Unknown Man Among The Gods The End Of All Days Hollowed Be Thy Name The Speed Of Life (In The Land Of) Wind & Rain Temple Fanfare Pilot Of Earth Rain Song Outro / After Show*
Bonus Material: Wacken Roadshow 2003 Wacken 2000 On Stage & Interview Mob Rules History Black Rain (Official Videoclip) Black Rain (Director's Cut) End Of All Days (Wacken Roadshow)
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