Manowar: The Day The Earth Shook- Absolute Power (DVD)

Hails o' Warriors Of Metal for the DVD that you have been waiting for has finally arrived. After several editions of their Hell On Wheels releases, Manowar has chosen to sate the ever ravenous hunger for Metal in their legions of followers by releasing a full concert performance film. With the Hell On Earth releases you needed to be more of the diehard or extreme follower since they included so much extra stuff that those folks would enjoy more than the casual Metal listener. Tons of behind the stage antics and fan interaction was blended in with live performance footage, official videos and rehearsal clips. Cool as this might have been, should you only like a handful of songs you would find this a little bit much and perhaps at times boring. There is only so much imagery of screaming fans and beer drinking that one can watch if you are more interested in just the concert portions. Manowar's release of a full show like this is for everyone who has ever raised their fist to Metal, be they old or new fan, or even one who is among the uneducated to their sound. Manowar was never a band for the timid and while they have cemented their place in the genres history there are still those out there who are growing accustomed to this genre and all its wonders. Now as a result of this DVD the acolyte has some level of reprieve by finding an introduction to the bands catalog of material and its amazing membership roster of musicians. This event began with the "Manowar Mega Fan Convention" during July of 2005. The gathering of band fans during this three day affair would culminate in the headlining appearance of the group at the Earthshaker Fest in Germany in front of a crowd of over 25,000 raging Metal heads. As anyone will attest, this is the best way to see Manowar and given the special nature of the appearance the band decided to pull out all the stops. Not only would you get a killer set of material and historic staples, but you would also see on the same stage every member who had been a part of the roster in the past. Yes, you did read that correctly for it was during this video that every member from the band who ever held their instrument for the Kings Of Metal would once again perform with the group. Bassist Joey DeMaio brings both the Triumph Of Steel era players (Dave Shankle and Rhino) as well as the Battle Hymn era (Ross The Boss and Donnie Hamzik) to the stage as they perform material from the albums they were a part of. Needless to say the response from the crowd was overwhelming.

The members of the past had certainly not lost any of their fire as they once again brought their songs to life and show their love of the material as they played for this incredible audience. The group also delivers music with a full orchestra and choir accompaniment and to close out and not be outdone, the full membership past and present perform a resounding rendition of the classic "Battle Hymn". Three drummers, and three guitar players, bass and vocals – and to think, you thought that Manowar was loud and imposing beforehand. Just wait until you hear this one. The entire concert portion runs a little over 2 plus hours and is sure to give all the fans what they want to hear. My only reservation is that I found some of the band banter to the audience a little long and felt that should have been abbreviated. The band still sounds tight, although Eric sings in a lower register on many parts where we once felt him break walls of glass. As a DVD release goes, with over 6.5 hours of material and music you surely get you money's worth. The whole thing in wrapped in a beautiful slipcase with a photo booklet as well. A wise man once proclaimed "If you're not into Metal, you are not my Friend!". This video allows you to enjoy good times with some twenty five thousand Metal Friends so make the sign of the hammer once again.

DVD2:
The Day The Earth Shook: The Absolute Power Of Manowar – Introduction, The Beginning, New York Rehearsals, Orchestra & Choir Rehearsals, The House Of Death, Lighting, The PA, Sound Check, Filming in HD, Conclusion, Credits. Manowar Fan Convention – The Extended Experience.

Track Listing DVD1:

1. The Ascension
2. Manowar
3. Brothers In Metal
4. Call To Arms
5. Sun Of Death
6. Kings Of Metal
7. Sign Of The Hammer
8. Screams Of Blood
9. Blood Of My Enemies
10. Kill With Power
11. Triumph Of Steel Era Introduction
12. Metal Warriors
13. The Glory Of Achilles
14. Battle Hymns Era Introduction
15. Metal Daze
16. Dark Avenger
17. Outlaw
18. House Of Death
19. Herz Aus Stahl
20. Wagner Tribute
21. Prelude To Act III From Lohengrin
22. King Of Kings
23. Hell On Wheels
24. Warriors Of The World United
25. Hail And Kill
26. Black Wind Fire And Steel
27. Battle Hymn
28. The Crown And The King
29. Credits
30. Bass Solo – bonus
31. Rainers Award – bonus
32. Sound Check – bonus
33. Strohofer Family Tribute – bonus
34. Chopper Competition – bonus
35. Tour Dates - bonus

Added: January 10th 2007
Reviewer: Ken Pierce
Score:
Related Link: Manowar Website
Hits: 8431
Language: english

[ Printer Friendly Page ]
[ Send to a Friend ]