For Those Aboot to Rock - Live at the Commodore

This is probably the best concert DVD I have ever seen, Devin Townsend packs in so much energy to his live show, and if you don’t have the pleasure of seeing them live, this must be the next best thing.

The set list for this concert manages to pack in the stuff from their newer CD and some of the older songs too, making for a pretty well rounded set. Some more older songs would have been nice to hear, but everything on the DVD is performed so well that there is really no reason to complain. It’s really amazing just how good this concert sounds, if you have surround sound you are in for a real treat because it is just a heavy metal assault on your eardrums you are not soon to forget. This goes for the video as well, everything is very clear and there are some nice split screen effects that are used, as well as plenty of shots of the audience.

Incase you are not aware, Devin Townsend is a funny man, and it is absolutely hysterical to see the things he says to the audience, they are so random and so odd that you cannot help but laugh at the sheer insanity of it all. The extras are pretty standard, but are well done. You get two music videos and then you get an interview segment with some of the crew and of course the band, which has some funny moments of it’s own, one in particular involving a hole In the pants.

See this if you like good concert DVD’s. Definitely see this if you want an idea of what Strapping Young Lad is like, And you must get this if you are a fan of the band, you absolutely will not regret it.

You can't resist a live concert DVD which lists "Naked Cheerleaders!" as one of its special features. Devin Townsend and Co. give one of the most intense, insane and downright energy filled concerts which you can see. The set-list is poorly chosen, but that's mainly because it starts off with the first 4 songs from SYL’s self-titled album which is generally accepted to be less aggressive and energy filled than the other releases. As a result, the show was slow to kick off but once it gets started the momentum builds up and unleashed is the chaotic frenzy of a Strapping Young Lad concert.

If anything, this is worth it for Devin Townsend's stage antics alone. Hilarious moments can be found such as borrowing an oversized cowboy hat from an audience member or random outbursts such as: “I THINK I’M PREGNANT!!!” when he breaks a string and misses a vocal line. Townsend’s random taunts and jeers to the audience is half the fun of the show. The DVD gets better as it goes on as the stage act keeps on getting out of hand. It all culminates with the band bringing a fan to sing the chorus of the last song which is more of an attempt at humour than anything else.

The way that the producers decided to arrange the video was excellent. Split screen effects are used so they could show multiple cameras at once. A good feature because the feed isn’t cut every second to look at something else. It isn’t overdone either and you still get large shots of the action.

Interviews with the band and crew are also included. Sadly, they’re kind of sub-par which mainly is because the band interview is mainly self-glorification and the crew interview consists of them generally saying how great the band is. Also, sadly I couldn't find the “naked cheerleaders” so I feel slightly ripped off. Music videos for their songs “Relentless” and “Detox” are also included as bonus material. Both of the videos basically are a mock up of them playing in concert, and are mildly entertaining.

Overall, it’s just a DVD and you have to remember that it’s no replacement for the live experience, but with the chronic shortage of Strapping Young Lad tours (the last one was over a year ago) it’s a viable alternative, and it’s equally hilarious as the real thing.