I'm impressed. It must take actual effort to make something this bad.
Things don't begin well with this DVD, a live show and bundle of extras from rap metal group Body Count. The title screen consists of bullet holes appearing through which live footage can be seen, managing to hit the viewer with hip hop cliches from the outset, hardly a positive move. And it gets worse, much much worse.
Well, that's not strictly true. Initially, things aren't bad, with the opening of the live show shot in artsy black and white, bursting into colour with the start of the first song, the English language offending 'Body Count's N Tha House'. Then the music gets going, and it all goes to hell in a pimped out handcart. While (incase you haven't guessed) I am not keen on rap in any form, I was prepared to give Body Count a go and judge them on their merits rather than my musical tastes. But in every respect their music is so poor, that I'd be badmouthing them even if they had harsh vocals and a massive choir, although that might bulk out their frankly malnourished sound. There are basic, tinny sounding guitar riffs, and not a lot else. Beyond this and the vocals, provided by well known rapper Ice T, there's only nothingness. And not cool minimalist nothingness either, just hire-a-keyboardist-or-something nothingness.
To be honest, I do feel slightly bad about ripping this DVD to metaphorical shreds: it's a tribute to the three members of the band who've died in the past few years, and I'm sure their bandmates consider it a fitting one, so who am I to mock it? But then I listen to 'Cop Killer' (a song that seems to have little purpose between attempting to cause offence and gain it's composers an edgy reputation) again, with guitar playing from a Korn b-side, the out of time drumming and the juvenile lyrics, all shot from bizzare angles with what appears to be a bargain bin videocamera operated by a Parkinsons' sufferer.
I could go on. I could write about how every song sounds the same, about how the pitiful "extras" (a short interview and a clutch of photographs), and about the producer's fetish for low end special effects. But I'm not going to: I think I've given the gist of what this DVD has to offer, and wasted a lot of mine and your time in the process. I'm doing no one, least of all Body Count, any favours by prolongling my lamentations, so I shall conclude on an emotive note.
I experienced a rollercoaster of emotions while viewing this DVD, although sadly none of them were positive: plenty of boredom, dislike and sadness, but nothing approaching happiness until it was finally over. But I'm still feeling somewhat pissed off: Body Count stole an hour of my life, and I would very much like it back. Unless you're particularly keen on plumbing the direst depths of an already underwhelming genre, save yourself time and money and avoid this travesty.