The Metal Crypt on Facebook  The Metal Crypt's YouTube Channel
Review: Grave Digger - 25 to Live
Grave Digger
www.grave-digger-clan.com
25 to Live

Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Year released: 2005
Duration: 190 min.

Rating: 3.5/5

Review online: October 29, 2006
Reviewed by: Michel Renaud
Readers Rating
for:
25 to Live

Rated 4/5 (80%) (11 Votes)
Review

25 to Live was filmed in Sao Paulo, Brazil to commemorate Grave Digger's 25th anniversary. The DVD contains a concert with 27 songs (you read that right: 27) as well as the mandatory road trip/backstage/etc... bonus material. "Funny" thing here, when you start what you think is the concert, you're actually getting the bonus material first, and then the concert finally begins. Somebody must have thought this would be funny, but it's not. The bonus material is not that interesting to begin with, and it drags quite a bit. Not only that, but you have to skip several "tracks" to finally get to the concert. Minor annoyance, but annoyance nonetheless. Now the concert. Grave Digger definitely picked the right place to film this: The fans are out of control (in a good way.) At times they scream so loud, you can hear them very well singing along with Chris. Plus the recurring "Digger! Digger" chants that often interrupt him while he's addressing the crowd between the songs. Lots of atmosphere there that night. However, I found that the "magic" of the atmosphere on the Tunes of Wacken DVD was not replicated here - somehow there's something missing. On ToW, you almost felt like you were there, while here you definitely feel like you're watching this in your living room. The guys are not as energetic -but still give a very good performance-, and the stage set is very plain - sure that's only decoration, but somehow it makes the stage look very empty.

That aside, with a set list like this, covering the band's career, there's a lot to like here. While at times things may look a bit stiff, the guys still deliver the goods, and there's great interaction between the band and the crowd, almost as if it had been choreographed in advance. As mentioned earlier, the problem here mostly lies in this DVD not really dragging you into it as much as its predecessor, although I must say that "something" must have happened toward the end, because the performance and atmosphere in the last 6-7 songs somehow grabbed me more than the first 20 - and it's not as if the crowd hadn't been pumped up since before the band even got on stage - go figure. :) But any way you look at it, this is overall a good DVD with a set list to die for.


More about Grave Digger...
Review: Ballads of a Hangman (reviewed by Bruce Dragonchaser)
Review: Ballads of a Hangman (reviewed by Larry Griffin)
Review: Bone Collector (reviewed by MetalMike)
Review: Bone Collector (reviewed by Michel Renaud)
Review: Clash of the Gods (reviewed by MetalMike)
Review: Clash of the Gods (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible)
Review: Excalibur (reviewed by Michel Renaud)
Review: Fields of Blood (reviewed by Bruno Medeiros)
Review: Healed by Metal (reviewed by Bruno Medeiros)
Review: Healed by Metal (reviewed by MetalMike)
Review: Knights of the Cross (reviewed by Bruce Dragonchaser)
Review: Liberty or Death (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible)
Review: Return of the Reaper (reviewed by MetalMike)
Review: Rheingold (reviewed by Christian Renner)
Review: Rheingold (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible)
Review: Symbol of Eternity (reviewed by MetalMike)
Review: Symbol of Eternity (reviewed by Michel Renaud)
Review: The Ballad of Mary (reviewed by MetalMike)
Review: The Clans Will Rise Again (reviewed by MetalMike)
Review: The Clans Will Rise Again (reviewed by Michel Renaud)
Review: The Forgotten Years (reviewed by Michel Renaud)
Review: The Grave Digger (reviewed by Michel Renaud)
Review: The Last Supper (reviewed by Christopher Foley)
Review: The Living Dead (reviewed by Bruno Medeiros)
Review: Tunes of Wacken (reviewed by Michel Renaud)
Click below for more reviews
Latest 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Various Books/Zines 



The Metal Crypt - Crushing Posers Since 1999
Copyright  © 1999-2025, Michel Renaud / The Metal Crypt.  All Rights Reserved.