What promotes itself as a history of how rock became metal
is actually more a compilation disc of bits from two live performance programs
pulled together with as little commentary as possible. Using footage from Beat
Club and Musik Laden, two foreign programs that featured live performances, the
film traces the history of music that was first called hard rock before it
changed to the term metal.
These programs featured the top acts of the day including
Deep Purple, Alice Cooper and Black Sabbath when their careers were young. The
audience around them is rarely seen but their performances are captured and
show why these bands were the top at the time. From those early hard rockers to
the glam era, all can be found here.
Those two forms later changed with the arrival of the hair
bands and they too are represented. But one gets the feeling it was punk rock
that changed things from rock to metal as bands like Iron Maiden and Judas
Priest took over, offering more guttural growling, harder riffs and louder music.
Interspersed with the performance footage are interviews
with starts that are featured performing or discussed in the film. The members
of ex-Motley Crue founder Nikki Sixx new band Sixx A.M. are interviewed as are
Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider, Ian Gillan from Deep Purple, Ozzy Osbourne of
Black Sabbath, James Hetfield of Metallica, Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, Scott
Ian of Anthrax and Michael Monroe of Hanoi Rocks.
Basic information that one could find on Wikipedia is
mingled with the performances and interviews. This would make the film a good
primer for those unaware of much of what is offered but it will be the
performances themselves that fans of the various groups will want to enjoy.
On the whole this disc will no doubt be something that fans
of the rock and metal will find enjoyable enough while it doesn’t add a lot new
to be found with the exception of performance footage. That’s not to discount
the disc but to just make sure when you purchase it you know what you’re
getting. If you’re a fan then by all means you need to add this to your
collection.
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