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By GREG MAKI
Music DVDs are always a bit of a challenge to review. Whether you enjoy a particular disc or not depends largely on whether you are a fan of the band. If you are not already a fan of Byzantine, for example, you probably aren’t even reading this review. If you’ve never heard Byzantine, even the most glowing review of this DVD isn’t likely to make you run out and buy it. I’d recommend you check out the West Virginia thrash/groove metal quartet’s superb 2005 album … And They Shall Take Up Serpents before you do that.
For anyone anxiously awaiting the release of the next Byzantine disc, Oblivion Beckons, in September, Salvation is a mostly satisfying diversion. The meat of the DVD is a six-song performance recorded live not on stage but in some sort of rehearsal space with x-rays hanging on the wall behind the band. Footage of a woman in an ambulance is cut in between songs. I’m not sure what that’s all about, but the band delivers the goods, playing the songs (including “Cradle Song,” an exclusive to this DVD ) with a little more ferocity than what is heard on the studio versions. However, given the energy and intensity of the five songs included as “bootleg live performances,” I would have rather seen a full concert.
The bonus features are the real draw. You get the “Jeremiad” promotional video; guitar and bass tutorials; an extensive collection of interviews detailing the band’s entire career; behind-the-scenes footage on the making of … And They Shall Take Up Serpents; deleted scenes and outtakes; and a photo gallery. The features offer a comprehensive look at Byzantine, a band talented enough to become much bigger than they are. Hopefully, we’ll get a full concert on a future DVD. |
