Music as a Weapon II (CD & DVD) Review

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(More customer reviews)Even though I never attended any of the 'Music As A Weapon 2003' shows, I have seen Disturbed & Chevelle live, and that is why I found this album so appealing. Disturbed's second headlining package tour featured Taproot, Chevelle and the now defunct Unloco. Together, some of the bands best tracks are present, with a few collaborations, covers and rarities. Obviously, Disturbed are prominently featured. Most of the live songs here are pulled from 2002's 'Believe' disc, but there are a few little nuggets that stand out, such as a collaboration with Pete of Chevelle and Joey of Unloco on the hit "Stupify," the previously unreleased track "Dehumanized" (the studio version remains unheard) and a surprising cover of Metallica's "Fade To Black." The band is in top form (just as when I saw them in 2001) here. Taproot, who played direct support to Disturbed on the tour, only get three songs, which is disappointing. I would have hoped for more, especially since nothing from their debut, 'Gift,' is featured, but the band does a superb job with what they are given. Chevelle are given a mere two tracks, which is shocking considering the amount of success they have had in the past two years. "Forfeit" is an amazing song live, and Disturbed frontman David Draiman helps beef up "The Red" with a guest spot. If you want more live Chevelle, they have a live CD out called "Live From The Road," which is definitely worth checking out. As far as what they have featured here, I am a little disappointed. It would have been nice to hear some songs that are a little harder to find from them (i.e. "Don't Fake This," which they didn't play live when I saw them and doesn't appear on their live album either). Finally, Unloco, the opening band makes a decent performance with "Empty" and the far superior "Bruises." Nothing much to scream over, though. The DVD covers the same area as the CD. Same performances and all, along with the music video for Disturbed's "Liberate." All in all, it's a decent buy. It's definitely somewhat lacking, but if you went to one of the shows or have seen any of the bands live, this would be a nice little package to own. Personally, I don't feel the DVD is really necessary, and I recommend sticking to just the CD version.

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ALBUM HIGHLIGHTS: Disturbed’s "Dehumanized" is a previously unreleased song. The band also performs acoustic for the first time-Metallica’s "Fade To Black" and its own "Darkness."DVD FEATURES: The DVD is a direct visual companion to the CD, capturing the molten energy of the live performances plus Disturbed’s "Liberate" music video. A menu function also allows the user to customize the playlist to play selections by artist.

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