Artist: HELLOWEEN
Album: "HIGH LIVE (DVD)"

Year: 1996/ 2002
Media type: DVD

The classic German metal band HELLOWEEN have had their ups and downs over the years. Label troubles and internal turmoil have resulted in a revolving door line-up. Many thought that that the band could not survive without the founder Kai Hansen and vocalist supreme Michael Kiske. But the three core members, Roland Grapow (guitars), Michael Weikath (guitars), and Markus Grosskoph (bass) drove onward and recruited vocalist Andy Deris to their cause. This new lineup released MASTER OF THE RINGS in 1994 and much to the surprise of the music critics and the metal community, this version of HELLOWEEN demonstrated superior creativity, songwriting, and musicianship. Their 1996 follow-up, TIME OF THE OATH, further cemented their live status, and HELLOWEEN quickly established themselves as heirs to the metal crown once held by the likes of IRON MAIDEN and JUDAS PRIEST. Their next album showcased their live show, HIGH LIVE, along with a full length home video release. Sanctuary Records, a label dedicated to acquiring veteran metal acts, signed HELLOWEEN to their label and finally released HIGH LIVE on DVD in 2002.

The big question on everyone’s mind was how new vocalist Andy Deris would fare with the older live material originally sung by vocal gods Kai Hansen and Michael Kiske. Well, HIGH LIVE certainly addresses the issue. Even though Andy Deris has his own vocal style, he still manages to fill the boots of his predecessors. Deris does some killer versions of the HELLOWEEN classics Mr. Ego, Dr. Stein, and Future World. All of the other 12 songs are from the albums MASTER OF THE RINGS and TIME OF THE OATH, so don’t expect a whole lot of old stuff. The performances on HIGH LIVE are culled from several European gigs and are sort of edited together to give the illusion that you are watching one continuous show. On the down side, this technique produces significant pauses between songs. The camerawork and editing are superb, allowing for some views of the stage show which is as energetic as HELLOWEEN’s music. Occasionally, there are some light camera effects which highlight Roland Grapow’s guitar leads. I appreciate the use of Black & White photography to create atmosphere. These performances demonstrate how tight the band has become in a very short time. Their brand of infectious pseudo-thrash/power metal scorches with galloping rhythms, scorching leads, thunderous percussion, and high-pitched vocals that are sure to get your head banging or your foot tapping, even for those who don’t particularly care for heavy music.

HIGH LIVE is captured on film (rather than video) and is presented in the original made-for-TV full frame ratio. Since the nature of film is imperfect, there are some flaws worth noting. This analog presentation was filmed in 1996 when digital video and recording is not as polished as it is today. The color levels appear faded, as if the filmstock could not accurately capture HELLOWEEN’s ultra-colorful light show. Black levels are out of whack and grain is prevalent. The detail level is genuinely lacking, resulting in lack of depth in the image. The soundtrack is Dolby Digital 5.1, which defaults to Dolby Digital 2.0 on receivers without 5.1 capability. The DD 5.1 mix is a huge improvement over the stereo VHS tape or imported Japanese LaserDisc. Some complaints about the audio, though—the instrumentation is very front-heavy. Even though the overall fidelity is very good, the 5.1 imaging is barely used for the performances. Instead, we get crowd noise and reverb. The producers missed the opportunity to fully immerse the musical compositions into the DD 5.1 soundfield.

From the Special Features menu, you can access an introduction (called Review) to the band narrated by British Rock Journalist, Malcolm Dome. This five minute segment explores the new lineup and how the band came together, with details on the internal turmoil that dogged the band (and continues to do so until this day). From the Audio Setup menu, you can select the option to listen to the concert with Dome’s audio commentary. This commentary consists of Dome remarking on the history and meaning of each track.

Although Sanctuary Records’ HIGH LIVE falls short of current digital DVD standards (in terms of audio & video quality), the disc is the perfect showcase for the energy, fire, and conviction of HELLOWEEN. The performances are truly astounding, and our only complaint with the set is that the band should have done some more of their classics like Ride the Sky, I Want Out, and Judas. Heck, where is their signature tune, Halloween? Hopefully, Sanctuary Records will record a follow-up some day, expanding upon their wealth of live material.

TRACKLIST DVD:

1. We Burn
2. Wake Up The Mountains
3. Sole Survivor
4. The Change
5. Why
6. Eagle Fly Free
7. Time of The Oath
8. Future World
9. Dr. Stein
10. Before The War
11. Mr. Ego (Take Me Down)
12. Power
13. Where The Rain Grows
14. In The Middle of A Heartbeat
15. Perfect Gentleman
16. Steel Tormentor

LINE-UP:

Andi Deris
Roland Grapow
Marcus Grosskopf
Uli Kusch
Michael Weikath


Producers: Tommy Hansen
Format: Widescreen, PAL
Language English
Region: All Regions
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Number of discs: 1
Classification: Exempt
Studio: Sanctuary Visual Entertainment
DVD Release Date: 24 Jun 2002
Run Time: 95 minutes