Aural Amphetamine: Metallica And The Dawn Of Thrash (DVD)
This is a very unique DVD, because for one, I can't quite put my finger on what exactly the subject is. Is this a DVD about the history of Thrash or is it about Metallica, or is it about Metallica's place in Thrash? It's probably the latter, but even as the DVD concluded, I was unable to get a sure fire feel for what the main topic was.Beside the fact that the direction was a little hard to follow, the information in the movie is both insightful and enjoyable. I am far from a metal head, and my knowledge of the history of thrash is pretty limited. I'm a huge Metallica fan and have always enjoyed Slayer's music (does it sound odd to say that I "enjoy" Slayer's music?) This DVD documents the very beginnings of thrash music and gives credit where credit is due to the genres which helped formulate the music, i.e. punk rock. They also give the background of the big four in the genre which for those who don't know is Slayer, Metallica, Megadeath, and Anthrax. Most of the DVD is spent documenting the history of the genre.
Another large portion is going over the early history of Metallica, as well as their place in thrash. While the DVD title seems to emphasize the subject being Metallica, I almost felt as if there wasn't enough information. Practically all of the information regarding Metallica is nothing new, and probably will just be old news for even an average Metallica fan. What does make this DVD worthwhile for Metallica fans is the fact that the commentary from some influential thrash musicians and followers can be fascinating, but once again there is hardly anything a Metallica fan will find as undiscovered territory.
This DVD is a good effort but fails to have a central focus that is easy to follow. The introduction of Metallica into the DVD doesn't come until about half way through and even then it is hard to get a grip on what the message is. All in all, even with the lack of focus, the history of thrash brought light to many facts that I was unaware of, and the DVD was able to hold my attention the whole way through which is no easy task. In the end I would have just liked to have seen a clearer central point.
Grade: B-
posted by Jeff at 7:32 PM
6 Comments:
No shame in enjoying Slayer. I enjoy the hell out of them, despite an inconsistency among their output.
I haven't listen to them in quite a while but I was a big fan of the obvious classics like "Reign in Blood" and "Seasons in the Abyss" and loved "Diabolus in Musica" when it came out despite many of the negative reviews.
I'm not a huge Metallica fan, but I do enjoy their early output (everything up to and including And Justice for All). While I respect the black album, I'm not really a fan of it. It's just a little too commercial for my tastes. I love how the video for One included clips from Johnny Got His Gun. That film is a serious mindfuck (in the best possible way however) and Metallica's use of it in the music video was absolutely brilliant.
I like that Dream Theater essentially picked up where Metallica left off. Heck they even covered The Master of Puppets album in its entirety at their occasional concerts. If that's not a tip of the hat, I don't know what is.
Perplexio - I would say I'm a pretty big fan up to and including the Black Album. While the material before the Black album was far superior I still enjoy its commercial sound.
I've always wanted to see the film Johnny Got His Gun because it is probably my most favorite book that I have ever read. I've always kept an eye out for it, but was never able to get a hold of it. I should try checking out Ebay or something.
Jeff, my college had it in their library on VHS. I signed it out and watched it at least once.
I just saw it listed on Amazon used or new starting at $25.78. If you're that big a fan of the book, I definitely recommend the movie. Jason Robards is brilliant as the father. He makes it very easy to hate that character. When he's trying to sound understanding there's hints of condescension and disapproval in his tone and it plays brilliantly!
Perplexio - I just checked around and found a way to get it. I should probably find some time to watch it in the next few days. I'll let you know what I think.
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