100 DVD Reviews in 100 Days

[gamrrpol]

Artist: Queensryche
DVD: Live Evolution
Year: 2001
Visuals: 4
Audio: 5
Performance: 4
Setlist: 4
Overall: 4

This is an outstanding DVD that captures the history of Queensryche but is plagued by a significant flaw.

First the good....extremely high production quality. The visuals are stunning, some of the best of any live DVD I've seen. The sound is also excellent, and especially shines in a 5.1 stereo mix. THe set-list is also very good, mixing the expected (Take Hold of the FLame, Silent Lucidity, Jet City Woman) with hidden gems (NM 156, Screaming in Digital). Heck, even the new songs from HITNF and Q2K work well, especially Hit The Black and The Right Side of My Mind. (My only complaints on the set-list is the absence of several songs from the CD version).

Taking all that into consideration...I'd be more than willing to give this 5 stars and rank it among the top live DVDs out there. Unfortunately, Kelly Gray is in the damn thing. You remember him don't you? The guy who replaced Chris Degarmo when he left QR after 15 years? Yeah, Kelly Gray, also known as Candlebox's producer. Yeah, he plays guitar as well.

Too bad he looks like a total dork and isn't much of a guitar player. You know how new guitarists will rely on incessant use of the wah-wah pedal to make up for the lack of skill? Yeah, that's Gray. He is so out of place among an accomplished band banging out Prog-metal classics that I cringe every time he's shown on screen.

Otherwise this is a great DVD..and if you're a QR it is a must-buy.

NM 156