Just imagine fifty metal music videos, compiled onto 2 DVDs for your quick and easy viewing pleasure. It's tempting for any metalheads, especially when made available for a price like $20. It sounds lovely, doesn't it? Many people, including me, must have thought the exact same thing. Of course I bought it. And in a few short years, Monsters Of Metal - Volume 1 has been succeeded by at least four or five more volumes, none of which I've bought yet, and none of which I plan to buy.

It's not that I'm completely opposed to the bands featured on these compilations -- read on. Because of nice inventions like Youtube.com, these video clips are available for convenient FREE viewing. I can think of a few instances in which this DVD format would come in handy, like on a lengthy road trip, but for the most part, I think we all know why compilation DVDs like Monsters Of Metal just don't sell much these days.

It is difficult to recommend Monsters Of Metal to a specific metal audience. I can't just say "if you love death metal, you'll love this," because there is also an abundance of, say, power metal on this compilation. And we all know that people can be very selective when it comes to subgenres of metal. I know I am. Instead, I will simply say that Monsters Of Metal features everything from Sevendust and Fireball Ministry to Morbid Angel and Carcass. Only a few of the bands on this DVD appeal specifically to me and are among my favorites - Lacuna Coil and The Gathering, to name a couple.

DVD 1 starts with Dimmu Borgir's video clip for "Progenies Of The Great Apokalypse," which is the recipient of many complaints from fans of the band because of the fact that is significantly edited down.
Still, it's an entertaining clip to watch, and like many videos made by this Norwegian band, it's full of fire. There's a quick blast of power metal with back-to-back videos from Hammerfall and Helloween, so be ready to wield your swords and hold your armor high for that. Finnish fellows Sonata Arctica then make an appearance with their clip for "Wolf & Raven," a speedy song with a unique video.

I can't neglect to mention the inclusion of Lacuna Coil, even though the "video" here is nothing but studio footage set to "Heaven's A Lie." I have this exact footage on the enhanced portion of my Comalies CD, so this did absolutely nothing for me. I should also assure fans of classic, timeless metal that Iron Maiden is here too, with a live performance of "Run To The Hills."

I tend to watch DVD 2 a bit more, and the reasons are fairly obvious -- this disc is the one that includes a live performance from Dutch female-fronted metal band The Gathering, in addition to Therion and Norway's Theatre Of Tragedy. Notable fact: I actually first encountered Therion's music through this DVD. Cheers for that!

As happy as I am that Theatre Of Tragedy gets some exposure on this DVD, I find myself confused that the TOT video clip included was "Let You Down," taken from the band's techno-pop influenced later days. Similarly, some of my favorite Germans, best known as Atrocity, are showcased here with their video for "Taste Of Sin," a groovy song that does not reflect their typical metal sound much at all. Regardless, I could watch The Gathering's 1995 performance of their Mandylion classic "Leaves" multiple times without tiring of it. Anneke van Giersbergen's voice simply stuns me.

I don't want to bash Monsters Of Metal - Volume 1 for not catering perfectly to my musical tastes, nor do I want to tell metal fans to avoid it all costs. But at the end of the day, I cannot help but feel a bit neutral towards it. This isn't a purchase I was really thrilled about ultimately, although you can see I have benefitted from it in some way (discovering a fantastic band, Therion, via the "Summernight City" video clip on Disc 2). And I know that other people can benefit from it by learning about new bands, too.

But Monsters Of Metal was just a DVD series doomed for a gradual decline from the beginning. The fact is that even underground metal videos like these can be located quickly and with great ease on band websites, on sites like Youtube and Myspace, and even on DVDs that bands release themselves. I would recommend that people save their $20, as Monsters Of Metal is not essential to any particular metal lovers' collection.




Recommended: No

Viewing Format: DVD