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I remember reading about this tour and being bummed out that it was a European Tour and not here in the States, as the line up was fucking incredible (even though I vaguely remember seeing pretty much the same line up in Providence as a benefit for Freddy Madball, except H2O played too-but I think I missed Ignite). In 2003, bands like Madball, Ignite and Death by Stereo were well known, even though their popularity was fading due to the metalcore/screamo influx (which almost makes them seem as an unfortunate afterthought or non thought to a lot of newer fans), but seeing the huge crowd at this large Belguim venue, these bands were as popular as ever (and rightfully so).
I immediately went to teh five Ignite songs on here, as they are probably an all time Top 10 band in my book. A Place Called Home is an album that I still regularly listen to, and its just as good now as it was when I first bought it six years ago. Their four original songs and cover of "Sunday Bloody Sunday" (its crazy to think that the Iraq war is still going on) were amazing, and the fans sung along to every word.
Madball put on a good performance with their five songs on here. There were stage dives going on and Freddy Madball went crazy jumping around on stage. The crowd was very shadowed, which made it difficult to get a good look at the mosh pit, though you could see fist pumping.
Death by Stereo was the third really great band on this tour. They've always had a really great live show, and these five songs documented that. Efram Shultz is a monster on stage, as his charisma is uncanny. Their live sound closely resembled their albums, as their songs sounded really clear. Death by Stereo also featured the best editing job, as Nicholas Blasband used a lot of quick cuts that worked well with the speedy music that they play.
Sworn Enemy is a good who I didn't really enjoy until their most recent album, but the songs they played were pretty good. I had a good time putting the speed to 1.5x and watching them walk around really fast.
The other four opening bands were all decent, but nothing amazing. Length of Time and Knuckledust were basic tough hardcore that I could have done without seeing. Backfire! was pretty good, as they played fast, pissed off hardcore with melodic guitar lines. Convict reminded me of Ignite, which is a high compliment. I wouldn't mind picking up something from those two bands.
This is a pretty good DVD overall, even though I find it hard to navigate, making it difficult to get to the specific band I want to see. I also would have enjoyed some extras, but over two hours of music from eight bands is a pretty packed DVD.
Written by: RF