When I heard Roadrunner Records was releasing this DVD I was really looking forward to it; back in June bass player Mike D. told Metalrage.com that the DVD was planned for December but this time Roadrunner Records released a product before the date they were aiming for!

There are three different items on the DVD; ‘Mass metal Live’, ‘From The Bedroom To The Basement’ and ‘Videos’. In this review we are going to judge all these features but I have to say I expected more before I saw this DVD.

 

Mass Metal Live is recorded on July 25 in Worcester, Massachusetts, a home town gig for the band, and there is a sold out venue in front of them. The track listing of the live show got all the big hits of the band coming from both their full lengths and EP. I saw the documentary before the show and it is great to see the various aspects all the people are telling in the documentary on stage.

 

The crazy, stupid but master of entertainment Adam Dutkiewicz is showing off with non stop flageolettes and wearing short pants and a cape; Justin Foley sits calmly behind his kit hitting every single tom he has to hit; Mike D’Antonio is showing the crowd his bad ass moves and Joel Stroetzel is still the underrated guitarist in the band. But the funniest thing, the way lead vocalist Howard Jones manages to let the entire venue sing his lyrics, is recorded in a great way. When Howard stretches his arms in the air the audience does the rest and you can see Justin in the back looking thankfully with a big smile on his face. The audience on this DVD is one of the loudest I have heard in years.

 

The quality of the sound and footage is amazing. With no single flaw and some great filming this show is one big spectacle from start to end. But the most important thing the band is known for; they are enjoying every single second of their own set.

 

The documentary is called ‘From The Bedroom To The Basement’ and it describes a band which started out in the bedroom of one of their members and ended up in the basement of this house.

I will not tell you al the specific details brought to you on this DVD because all combined you will see the longest, funniest and diverse tale you will ever see and you have to see it for yourself! I will highlight a few aspects that are making this documentary.

 

One of the strangest things you will see is the mother of this band. Actually it is the mother of Joel but the band considers this amazing woman as their second mother. She is a big part of the bands history and she participates in the entire DVD; during the footage she is actually baking cookies for all of the members and even other bands!

 

Another great thing you will see on this documentary is the huge group of members from other bands. You will see members of bands like Slipknot, As I Lay Dying, Every Time I Die, Mastodon, Lamb of God, God Forbid, Shadows Fall, Unearth, Soilwork, Chimaira and many more. And these bands all say Killswitch Engage suck because their Roadrunner Records debut album meant a new era in Metal which made their music old fashioned.

 

But the funniest thing on this DVD is during the documentary every single band member gets reviewed and analysed by the other bands and fellow band mates. And this sure gives the viewer some killer laughs. Like said before in the concert review you will see the clear aspects of every member; crazy Adam; Howard’s underwear problem; Mike his movements etc.

 

Everything is visible on this DVD and after watching the entire story which starts with forming the band including old live footage of these bands to the band they have become today. Even former members participate and tell the viewer what they think of the band; this sure is unique to see, these guys are still following the band with their heart!

A DVD cannot be real without every video the band has released. Killwitch Engage makes no exception and I am the proud owner of every single video now. There are five videos on the disc and you can see the progression in professionalism during these videos; from the easy videos of Life to Lifeless to the big productions of Rose of Sharyn and The End Of Heartache.

 

This DVD is a must-have for every single Killswitch Engage fan out there. The down to earth band has done it. Mike promised us something special and they did it. The Killswitch Engage DVD is awesome in every way; with the best documentary so far and a great live show the band will make their huge fan base extremely happy.

 

Mike D’Antonio – Bass

Justin Foley – Drums

Joel Stroetzel – Guitar

Howard Jones – Vocals

Adam Dutkiewicz – Guitar and Backing Vocals

 

01. A Bid Farewell
02. Breathe Life
03. Fixation on the Darkness
04. When Darkness Falls
05. Self-Revolution
06. The End of Heartache
07. Take This Oath
08. Numbered Days
09. The Element of One

10. Prelude
11. Hope Is…
12. Life To Lifeless
13. My Last Serenade
14. Rose of Sharyn
Encore:
15. Vide Infra
16. Temple from the Within