...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI...



..::OPIS::..

The fan boy status of the author of this review not withstanding, Freedom Call has always been one of those bands that puts a smile on one's face, even when they're a tad off their game. They are something of a contradiction in that they come off as an AHATT metal act (all happy, all the time), which flies in the face of the overarching genre's origins as a sort of creepy underground phenomenon that is only fun to the twisted and the outcasts of society. Granted, for every "Black Sabbath" and "N.I.B." there always seem to be a "The Wizard" along for the ride, and this band of smiling, happy Germans show little hesitation in sporting the pointy hats and silver beards for all the world to see and turning it into sheer magic in the live setting. Live In Hellvetia is the first offering by this near 20 year old outfit in the video format, and their act proves to be quite photogenic in the process.

Arguably Freedom Call comes into this release at a bit of a disadvantage as this was the era fraught with varying degrees of negativity and skepticism due to shifting lineups that resulted in central personality Chris Bay being the only original member at this point, to speak nothing for the stylistic divergences that commenced a few years prior. But they take it in stride through a combination of determination and some wise song selections that equally represent the old and the new without getting too far into the stylistically experimental material during the band's latter days that was the subject of some disapproval. Chief among these is the general lack of material off The Circle Of Life, an album that included a few solid songs but was largely a confused opus with a lot of forgettable side venture. Barring perhaps "Carry On", "Hunting High And Low" was the obvious choice from said album given its obvious similarities in style to Stratovarius, a band to which Freedom Call is often compared.

Interestingly enough, the two albums given the heaviest degree of emphasis are the two latest ones, with Eternity coming it at a fairly close third. It goes without saying that "United Alliance" is among the highlight performances of this concert given the sheer power in said song's chorus, not to mention its overall driving character, which puts it in the same sort of fanfare category as "Freedom Call" and "We Are One", both of which naturally are also found on this performance. In fact, this concert is a particularly fast and celebratory affair for this band given the song selection, as barring a few piano and candlelight moments such as the intro of "The Quest" and the brief ballad "Merlin - Requiem", this concert is a decidedly bouncing and festive affair. Perhaps the biggest standout apart from Chris Bay's enthusiastic and on point vocal display is the drum work of then kit master Klaus Sperling, who throws out an impressive drum solo to Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture after a good half an hour of mostly speed metal madness.

In terms of song selection, this is a slightly weaker live release than the last one put out, which admittedly came out right at the height of Freedom Call's golden early days. However, in terms of total quality of performance this one has an ever so slight edge, perhaps in good part due to the larger number of resources that the band had to work with at this point, resulting in a fuller keyboard backdrop and even some pre-recorded vocal tracks to boost the band's sound, which is so massive in the studio that it probably couldn't be recorded if the band had twice as many musicians playing live. It's an essential experience for any fan of the ultra-melodic and consonant side of the power metal coin originally codified in the late 1980s by Helloween, and a whole load of fun for anybody who wants to bang their heads for joy rather than for being pissed at the world and all who occupy it.

hells unicorn



..::TRACK-LIST::..

DVD 1 - Recorded Live @ Z7. Pratteln/Switzerland:
1. We Are One 5:20
2. United Alliance 6:17
3. Thunder God 4:35
4. Tears Of Babylon 4:08
5. Blackened Sun 4:50
6. Queen Of My World 5:25
7. Out Of The Ruins 4:58
8. Hunting Hight And Low 4:08
9. Drum Solo 3:59
10. Metal Invasion 8:05
11. Merlin - Requiem 3:28
12. Merlin - Legend Of The Past 4:59
13. The Quest 9:19
14. Warriors 4:38
15. A Perfect Day 6:29
16. Far Away 4:42
17. Mr. Evil 7:50
18. Land Of Light 5:06
19. Freedom Call 7:45
20. Hymn To The Brave 8:56


DVD 2 - A Perfect Day In The Life Of Freedom Call:
1. Interviews 19:57
2. Ein Tag Im Leben Von Freedom Call 29:54
3. Tourimpressionen Und Vieles Mehr 40:00





https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ob24d6v8gw



SEED 14:30-23:00.
POLECAM!!!