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*Comments:

1.  Memorial Arrangements
2.  Premature Burial
3.  Coronation of Our Domain
4.  Monster
5.  Multiple Stab Wounds
6.  Blood Brothers
7.  Eve of the Apocalypse
8.  Manic Demise
9.  Infernal Desire
10.  Living in Fear
11.  The Fine Art of Murder
12.  Homicidal Rant
13.  Deliver My Enemy
14.  Cauterized
15.  The Will to Kill
16.  Malevolent Creation

Total playing time:  60:00

Release Date: July 26, 2011
Label: Arctic Music Group

Malevolent Creation - Death From Down Under DVD

Reviewer: Roswell47

July 16, 2011

Malevolent Creation's latest live DVD, Death From Down Under, is being advertised as the band's "first professionally shot DVD."  Unfortunately, other than the sound quality and  Malevolent Creation's solid performance, there is not much else that seems professional about this release.

Death From Down Under appears to more or less mirror the Australian Onslaught live album which was released last year.  This brings us to the "professionalism" mentioned in the first paragraph.  The track list on the DVD case matches the previously-released live CD, but the actual DVD features three additional songs ("Monster," "Multiple Stab Wounds," and "Homicidal Rant").  Since the first two Malevolent albums are my favorite, knowing that these songs are included would definitely be a selling point for me.  Also, for some reason "Manic Demise" is misspelled as "Man's Demise."  I know this is nitpicking, but would a little proofreading be that difficult?

Anyway, let's move on to the concert footage.  Four cameras were used to capture the show, but much of the video is dark, murky, and sometimes even out of focus.  This release also falls victim to common complaints many fans have about the editing of live DVDs.  There are too many quick cuts back and forth between the band members to the point that it starts to become annoying.  Also, there are several instances where a guitarist is playing a solo and the camera is focused on someone else in the band.  However, these beefs are to be expected with most metal DVDs.  In fact, many of the ones I own have the same problems.  They aren't meant to be Hollywood blockbusters after all.

On the bright side, there are still several factors that will make this DVD a must-buy for hardcore Malevolent fans.  The audio is strong and clear.  There is a fairly solid balance between the instruments so everything can be heard easily.  Also, old school Malevolent fans will be especially pleased because the band lineup features a reunited Hoffmann, Blachowicz,  and Fasciana.  Furthermore, the set list leans heavily on the band's first two albums.  Most importantly, Malevolent Creation is in fine form on this DVD.  The performance is energetic and powerful.  The band rocks songs like "Premature Burial" and "Coronation of Our Domain" as hard as they ever have.  Malevolent's performance is mostly spot-on, yet there is still enough raw energy to make it evident that this is a true live release. 

As far as the bonus features are concerned, the brief interview is relatively interesting, but the photo gallery, behind-the-scenes footage, and truncated bootleg Melbourne concert clips are basically throw-aways.  Even Malevolent Creation freaks won't watch these more than once.
  
Death From Down Under is a DVD for the serious Malevolent Creation fan.  The band's excellent performance, the solid set-list, and the sound quality are enough to justify a purchase for the devout.