WOW, at long last a live CD. Here's an idea that I've been waiting for. NO I don't count those "LIVE" CDs done by Intense a few years ago, because they were only recorded as a live band, in a studio, there was no audience, it was not a concert. So here are true live performances. Well that's really about the best thing I can say for this CD.
The quality of this CD is painfully low. I know live is hard to accomplish well, but maybe the industry should have waited before putting out a CD that is this bad.
I bought this CD specifically to hear a few bands, one of which was Mindrage. I can still honestly say I've not heard Mindrage live. Their tracks make up about 7 minutes of the CD and are nothing but guitar buzz, snare, and vocals. You can't even really make out the bass drum parts, much less any of the toms. I can't pick out any bass work here either. Beyond the chugga chugga guitars you can vaguely make out some riffs but they are so far under the music you can't appreciate them.
No Innocent Victim had a couple of pretty cool tracks, both off their newest CD No Compromise. What I find most interesting about their tracks is the intensity level of the songs. If you don't like N.I.V. on their CDs I think you'd be amazed at their live performance. They are much heavier and the vocals are more hardcore than on the recorded material. STILL the tracks are horrible when it comes to the sound. I am hearing pieces of the bass on these however, and the guitars are the clearest of all instruments. On the drums this time you get a lot of the crash cymbals and all of the snare. Still don't hear much else.
P.O.D. Ahhh finally something that is listenable on here. I was listening to "Know Me" and really getting into this slower grinding song by this simply great band. The high point here is the fact that I can hear everything pretty well. This is the way live music is supposed to be. The crowd was seriously into this band, as Sonny pleads with the crowd to "Be careful people." They also have "Full Color" on here and the verses to this song are as funky live as they are on B.R.O.W.N.
A real surprise for me was the two tracks by Dogwood. A band I've listened to on CD and thought they were ok. Live they really caught my attention. Pretty good performances, I've got to admit. If they ever play around here I'll try and make it to their show. Still suffering the quality issue somewhat on these however.
The other two bands were Dirt and Unity Klan. I don't know what to tell you about these two hip-hop groups, other than they were hip-hop. Not the harder gangsta style, just hip-hop. I don't dig it so I don't have anything to say.
The last track is all about 1-800-hit-home, a hotline for struggling youth, which is cool, but doesn't help the music here at all.
Overall a CD that I could have done without paying 15 bucks for. I was highly disappointed. Too bad, Rescue Records has some killer bands on this CD too.
3.5/10
