Another year, another fine DVD release from Metal Mind Productions chronicaling the annual Metalmania festival from Katowice, Poland, this one from March 8, 2008. More so packed with 'star' acts than some of the more recent years, 2008 saw such metal legends as Megadeth and Overkill mixing it up alongside second tier thrash acts Flotsam & Jetsam, Artillery, and a host of strong death & black metal acts such as Vader, Satyricon, Marduk, Immolation, Primordial, and Inside You. Throw in the popular Dillinger Escape Plan and you have quite the varied festival.
After the opening two tracks from symphonic extreme act Inside You, the Irish juggernaut Primordial contribute two of their songs for this set. Their brand of pagan/black/folk metal really seemed to go over well with the audience, and it's a shame there wasn't more tracks of their set on display here. New York technical death metallers Immolation are up next, and deliver three punishing tunes that got the Polish fans in a rage, and this is followed by three songs from legendary thrash act Flotsam & Jetsam. Quite frankly, seeing as their entire set from this festival is available on a separate DVD from Metal Mind, it would have made more sense to cut one of their songs here to make room for one more from some of the other bands.
The real surprise here is Artillery, one of the most popular of the European thrash acts back in the late 80's/early 90's, now invigorated with a new singer and some hot new material. Though they look like aging hardcore rockers, these guys deliver three tracks here on this set of blistering thrash, long on killer guitar riffs, blinding solos, tricky rhythms, and strong vocals. If you haven't checked these guys out, you really should. Swedish black metal veterans Marduk are up next, delivering straight ahead brutal extreme metal as only they know how to do, and they are followed by Polish death metal legends Vader, who sadly are only represented by two short numbers here, the classic "Sothis" and "Reign Forever World". Satyricon, one of the longest running Norwegian black metal acts, also only get two songs here, and they are newer pieces "Now, Diabolical" and "K.I.N.G.", both going over well with the crowd. East Coast thrash legends Overkill get four tracks on this DVD, and when you see the reactions of the crowd you realize why. Though it had been many years since Overkill had graced the Metalmania stage, they returned as conquering heroes, the crowd going absolutely bananas for them, singing along to every thrash metal anthem and a constant mosh pit swirling, especially during the classic "Rotten to the Core". Dillinger Escape Plan seem sort of the 'odd band out' here, and though they perform three of their strongest cuts ("Sunshine the Werewolf' especially is well done here), their 'math/metal core' style is somewhat of a strange fit amongst all these thrash, death & black metal acts. Headliners Megadeth rip it up as always, though Dave Mustaine seems to be in poor voice on "Washington is Next", and "A Tout Le Monde", but he gets stronger during the raging "Burnt Ice", where the entire band is really firing on all cylinders.
This is a very solid DVD, and really, the only thing you can say is that you'll wish Metal Mind made this a 2DVD set so you could see more songs from this impressive list of bands. Add in a host of interviews with members of each band (the Mustaine and Marduk segments are especially worth seeing) and you have a very enjoyable metal DVD of this long running festival.
Track Listing
INSIDE YOU - "Roam in Darkness"
"Before the Abyss"
PRIMORDIAL - "Heathen Tribes"
"God to the Godless"
IMMOLATION - " Hate's Plague"
"Passion Hill"
"World Agony"
FLOTSAM AND JETSAM - "The Master Sleeps"
"Fork Boy"
"Escape from Within"
ARTILLERY - "Into the Universe"
"Khomaniac"
"Terror Squad"
MARDUK - "Baptism by Fire"
"Materialized in Stone"
"Limbs of Worship"
VADER - "Sothis"
"Reign Forever World"
SATYRICON - "Now, Diabolical"
"K.I.N.G."
OVERKILL - "Necroshine"
"Rotten to the Core"
"Bastard Nation"
"Fuck You"
THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN - "Panasonic Youth"
"Milk Lizard"
"Sunshine the Werewolf"
MEGADETH - "Washington Is Next"
"Gears of War"
"A Tout Le Monde"
"Burnt Ice"
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