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Various Artists

Bang Your Head!!! Festival 2006 DVD

Review by Greg Olma

The Bang Your Head!!! Festival in Europe is a metal fan’s dream come true. Aside from the Wacken festival, this is a must for any European metal fan, although I’m sure that many people from around the world make that trek. In 2006, the festival hosted a wide variety of bands ranging from 70’s rock to 90’s metal. For those of us who did not make the journey to these hallowed shows, this 2 DVD set is a nice “Cliff Notes” version of what happened. 20 bands are represented from the festival and although all the performances are great, it’s the older bands that really make this a “must buy”. The first DVD has Raven, Foreigner, and Death Angel. These bands put in performances that show that not only is there still life in them, but that they are able to still walk the same stages as the newer bands. The growing popularity of In Flames must have given them a pretty high spot in the bill because they had the full light show to go along with their performance. The other bands played mostly during daylight.

The second disc contained older favorites Anvil (truly an under-appreciated band), who get three songs showcased here, Y&T, Armored Saint, and Rik Emmett (odd choice for a metal festival). These bands fit nicely along side newer metal merchants like Unleashed and Stratovarius. The whole event is filmed giving the viewer a sense of being there but also catching the action on stage. There are many wide angle shots along with close ups but all of it flows nicely giving it a very natural effect rather than the static “quick cut aways” many of the newer videos have.

As far as bonus features go, we get club shows by from Beyond Fear (Ripper Owens’ new band), Raven, and Tony Martin. Although the sound is a little dodgy, it is much better than bootleg quality. I’m a little disappointed with the backstage footage. I would have liked to see some more organized interviews but then again, it is a bonus so I really shouldn’t complain. There is also a photo gallery but most DVDs have that nowadays. Aside from my minor quibble about backstage footage, this 2 DVD package is a great addition to any metalheads collection. All the bands put in great performances, it’s filmed very well, and you get some club shows. What more could you ask for? Bang Your Head indeed!

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2007 Volume 6 at lulu.com/strangesound.
 
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