Scream for me Dortmund!!
With a live discography longer than most bands' total discography, the question that arises is, 'does the world need another Iron Maiden live experience?' The short answer is no, however this is being a little harsh on the belated release of 'Death on the Road,' because for all it's faults, flaws and doubts over it's necessity, this DVD release makes for a highly enjoyable three hour evening filler.
Filmed in Dortmund, Germany, Death on the Road is a crisp, no nonsense performance from the British Metallers. The visual quality of this disk is excellent when compared against such a release as Dio's 'Evil or Divine'. The image is crystal clear which, along with the usual excellent set design, great light show and other Maidenisms, makes Death on the Road an aesthetic treat. Sonically, this DVD is again going to impress. The mix is powerful, loud and arguably better than the mix they've had on any Maiden album since 1990. It's a testament to a band that, even after almost thirty years, can still cut it live, generating as much energy now as they did in the early Eighties.
I don't want to tread on the toes of the CD review of Death on the Road by mentioning the performances of each band member, however special mention must be made of Bruce Dickinson, whose theatrics, such as wearing a mask, cape and cowl for 'Dance of Death,' and a trench coat and helmet for Pachendale, add so much to the usual live concert footage. It is also a chance to witness the antics of Mr. Dickinson close up if, like me, you were stuck in row 'Triple Z' at the back of the Sheffield Arena.
The Bonus disc has the usual fare of promo videos and short clip and comment featurettes, but it's the 80 minute long rockumentary that wins the day. It maybe a little too 'pat oneself on the back' for some palettes, but with the amount Iron Maiden have contributed to metal over the years, I think it's direction is justified. The 'in the studio' footage is always fascinating no matter who the band is. The recording techniques of the modern day Maiden is especially interesting, and quite an eye-opener. (E.G. Nicko's refusal to use a click track) Whether you agree with their choice of technique is a different matter, but the job of a good documentary is to make it thought provoking as well as entertaining, and on that level it works very well.
Attempting to criticise Iron Maiden is like walking across a verbal minefield. After spending time on the Maiden forums chatting with fans across the world, I have met a legion of followers who worship everything the band have done and continue to do, blind to the band's mistakes using the excuse "Yeah, but it's Iron Maiden," to justify the wrong turns in the band's career. Certainly this was the case when the set list was announced for the Death on the Road tour. Your enjoyment of this DVD will be heightened if you loved the Dance of Death album and prefer their longer drawn out material coupled with the regular set fillers such as 'Number of the Beast,' 'Run to the Hills,' and 'The Trooper.' However, with the absence of stalwart classics as 'Heaven can Wait,' '2 Minutes to Midnight' and 'The Evil that me do,' and with only 'Lord of the Flies,' and 'Can I play with Madness' in their stead, this isn't the greatest Iron Maiden set in the world and is certainly not to everyone's liking.
The filming is fairly clumsy at times most notably in 'Lord of the Flies.' In quite a number of instances Bruce is singing at the back of the stage and then in the next frame he's suddenly at the front in a completely different stance. The editing, for the most part, is much too fast, flicking from one shot to another within a fraction of a second. Because of this technique it's difficult to focus on any of the imagery on offer, which is a shame as the set design, consisting of castle walls, statues and stunning backdrops, is perhaps the best since 'Powerslave.' The whole experience would have benefited from a few more lingering and long swooping shots, especially in the awesome spectacle that is 'Paschendale'
Whilst we're all waiting patiently for the awesome 'Live after Death' to be released on DVD, and apart from a few qualms, Death on the Road is quite a good watch. With great quality both in sound and image plus the interesting documentary, this DVD will appeal to any Maiden fan. Whether or not it should have been released considering 2002's Rock in Rio DVD is a matter that will have you debating whether or not to hand over your hard earned cash. Of course the obsessive Maiden fans will have both DVDs, but I think if you have one then you probably won't need the other. It's best to save your money for the 'Early Days' concert DVD that no doubt will emerge to wet our appetites for the new album. Not even the great Iron Maiden Marketing machine can pass up an opportunity like that.