VARIOUS ARTISTS
Monsters Of Death Vol.2
(Nuclear Blast Records)
approx. 171:00min

As the title already reveals, this is the highly anticipated (at least by me) follow-up to last year’s first "Monsters Of Death" compilation DVD. Just like its predecessor also Vol.2 comes as a fat double DVD set, yet lacks the same number of bands / clips or its playing time. While Vol.1 still had 59 videos on offer (and a total playing time of impressive 260 minutes!), the second "Monsters Of Death" edition "only" comes up with 42 clips and a playing time of approximately 171 minutes. The live stuff (still a seperate chapter on Vol.1) simply got included among the regular promo videos this time and the audio part got cancelled completely (which I don’t have a problem with at all). Even tough there’s a note on the disc saying that "these DVDs contain rare and old clips" and that therefore "the quality may not fullfil modern standards" I hardly noticed any material in that respect that seemed dated (well, except for UNLEASHED’s classic ‘Before The Creation Of Time’ maybe). The whole"Monsters Of Death" concept remained the same ("The ultimate Death Metal compilation"), which means that you probably won’t find any other Death Metal DVD that has so many old and new videos combined on offer. Personal highlights of mine this time include IMMOLATION’s ‘Harnessing Ruin’, INCANTATION’s ‘Dying Divinity’, DEATH BREATH’s very cool zombie trash (not thrash!) movie for the song ‘Death Breath’, MERCILESS’ ‘Cold Eyes Of Grey’ as well as better known stuff by AT THE GATES (‘Blinded By Fear’), CARCASS (‘Corporal Jigsore Quandary’), DEICIDE (‘Hommage For Satan’), DISMEMBER (‘Skinfather’), ENTOMBED (‘Wolverine Blues’) or MORBID ANGEL (‘God Of Emptiness’ – the only clip that already appeared on volume 1). Some of the included bands once again come across pretty ridiculous in the way they present themselves (MORTIFICATION, AMORAL, BELPHEGOR), while others are just completely sick (SEVERE TORTURE’s ‘Decree Of Darkness’) or exciting to watch (ATHEIST live!!!). And with all respect to Chuck Schuldiner (R.I.P.) and what he musically had achieved for this scene: DEATH live was boring beyond belief! A 24-pages booklet with short (yet rather superfluous) info on every band included here and a cool Kristian Wahlin coverart complete the picture. I can end this review with the closing comment of my review for volume 1: I hope that more volumes will follow (as there’s still a whole bunch of clips available).

Frank Stöver

Frank Stöver

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