Evolve - DVD

I found this Paradise Lost DVD at a low price and I thought it would be cool to own it since I remain a great fan of theirs. This DVD compiles their two home videos, Harmony Breaks released in 1994 (that I own on VHS), and their more recent home video One Second released in 1999. I have to say, I am pissed off at this DVD, because I bought it to have Harmony Breaks on DVD and then get it on CD for myself, but the whole show is not featured on this DVD. Harmony Breaks features a live footage filmed for an MTV special at the Stuttgart Longhorn on the Icon tour on 5th September 1993. It was great years ago when the band was fully devoted to the metal cause and all of them were wearing long hair. The video tape featured originally 11 tracks. Intro (Deus Misereatur), Desolate, Mortals Watch The Day, Joys Of The Emptiness, Gothic, Your Hand In Mine, Widow, Shallow Seasons, Pity The Sadness, As I Die and Eternal. Let me tell you that was a hell of great show, at least for early Paradise Lost fans. Unfortunately, this DVD features only 7 songs from this show since the 3 songs from the Gothic album Desolate, Gothic and Eternal are left off this DVD. Why is that ? It’s probably due to mercantile issues. This again really pisses me off big time. What really gets on my nerves too is the short interview in between live songs. The video tape featured 4 promo videos As I Die and Pity The Sadness from Shades Of God, True Belief and Embers Fire from Icon. At least this DVD features the third promo video from Icon ,the fantastic Widow. I hadn't yet bought their second live video released in 1999. It consisted of a live show in London at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire recorded on 26th January 1998 during their Once Second tour. I didn't like that album and I still don’t like it. This time the set list on the DVD is the same as on the video tape. Well, it doesn’t feature stuff from the Gothic album anyway. In fact, I think it’s from that time the band decided not to play them anymore. It’s a pity, because I have seen the band only once in 1996 when they toured for the Draconian Times album and they played some stuff from Gothic and it was just awesome. This show features songs from all their latest recordings for Music For Nations Shades Of God, Icon, Draconian Times and the highly controversial One Second. The track list features Say Just Words, Hallowed Land, Blood Of Another, True Belief, Disappear, Lydia, Dying Freedom, Mercy, Shadowkings, The Sufferer, Remembrance, Forever Failure, Soul Courageous, One Second, This Cold Life, Embers Fire, As I Die and The Last Time. It’s a great mix of old and new songs and it’s kind of weird to hear Nick Holmes (who had shortened his hair already) growling on the early materials and singing on the newer materials. It’s also great to see Gregor Mackintosh headbanging like a maniac with his cool long hair (this guy had some of the coolest long hair I have ever seen in my life). This section of the DVD also features some promo videos for The Last Time and Forever Failure from the Draconian Times album and Say Just Words and One Second from the One Second album. Finally this DVD features a “home movie” which consists of stuff recorded by the guys themselves. It’s only 8 minutes long, but there is some Icon recording stuff in 1993, some short cool live stuff from their Dynamo Festival appearance in 1996 as well as some stuff from the Draconian Times Tour in 1996. It all this finishes with some One Second recording stuff in 1997. Well then I don’t know if I should tell you whether to buy this DVD or not. It’s features some cool stuff, but I guess you really have to be a long time fan to enjoy this stuff in its entirety. You might want to own it for all the promo videos, but after watching them a couple of times, you might not want to watch them anymore. At least if you have a good computer you’ll be able to get the One Second live show on audio CD just as I will since it’s still some great live stuff. By the way, I will see the band on stage in March this year and I hope to get an interview with them. Feel free to send me any questions you would like me to ask them.