EGGROLL: LIVE PROGRESSIVE ACT - TOUR 2003

Most bands start doing an EP or a CD, especially when they play cover versions, but EGGROLL love to make things the hard way, they dared to start their official career with a Live DVD, containing not only excellent original material, but also cover versions of Genesis, Jethro Tull and King Crimson tracks, but not just any song, they choose icons as Supper's Ready, Thick as a Brick and Starless.

One thing is to play this tracks in front of the audience, because people is drinking and having fun, so the audience will enjoy them anyway, another one is making a CD, this is much harder because any defect will remain for ever, but making a DVD recorded during live cover acts is almost a suicide, because they're assuming not only the risk to be compared in their performance but also in the stage show, something very hard for a band with limited economic resources.

But I must say that the DVD is excellent, Lior Seker has a very good voice, very close to Ian Anderson's range, but he works so well that can make an excellent version of Starless and a very acceptable one of Supper's Ready (hard for anybody). But let's go to the DVD.

Theme Song + Out of the Dark: Eggroll starts the DVD with one of their best songs, maybe one of the less complex, but clearly Prog' oriented, the star of the track is Lion Seker with his great voice and the perfect guitar work, sounds as some sort of Symphonic King Crimson meets Led Zeppelin, very strong opener.

The second song is the complex and original China, this one is absolutely Symphonic eliminating any doubt of their style, melodic but again with an evident King Crimson influence, the bass work by Dan Karpman (or Carpman, the name is different in the web page and the DVD) is absolutely solid. They should make more tracks as this one.

Now is the turn for nostalgic fans, EGGROLL does an outstanding version of Thick as a Brick, the perfect song for Seker's voice, and the extraordinaire skills of Naama Shalev on the flute. Maybe the accent of Lior is a bit strong, but who cares if his voice is so adequate.

Following with the covers is time for King Crimson's masterpiece Starless, to be honest I never was convinced by Fripp and his guys until I listened this track, the guitar and bass work by Lior Seker, Sagi Ahiel and Dan Karpman recreating the instrumental section is simply hallucinating, they took the risk and succeeded, another excellent track.

No cover session could be complete without Genesis, so EGGROLL does their version of Supper's Ready 2nd Section (Starting with Willow's Farm), well, it was a hard task and the beginning is weak, Lior is unable to make a convincing Gabriel's recreation, because nobody can joke with his voice as good old Pete.

I was a bit disappointed at this point, but then the instrumental section starts and it's like taking a time machine to the early 70's, Lior Talmor's keyboards are amazing, it's evident that the guy has solid musical formation and again Naama Shalev plays the sweetest flute I ever heard. I would be unfair if wouldn't mention the accurate drumming by Gil Idan, because despite his short stature, Phil Collins shoes could be to big for any drummer, but not for Gil who plays without any complex.

The closing section is again a bit weak because of he vocal work, something strange being that I listened a version of Dancing with the Moonlit Knight in which Lior does a great work.

The last track called Meet Eggroll is almost as an introduction of the band with fragments of their music which again is very solid, and dialogues that I honestly can't understand, If this DVD is going to reach the whole world (As EGGROLL deserves), they should translate this comments to English.

Des´pite the linguistic gap, the images are very explicit, because we can see how much this guys work, placing the posters (I proudly own one sent by Raya Kosovsky and the band) during the late night, when all people is sleeping.

Nice work guys, this is love for Prog!!!!!!.

Now comes the rating, hard task, the covers (or at least two of them) are impeccable, their original material is outstanding plus an excellent image and sound, but I believe they should include more original material, that deserves to be listened.

Four solid stars, maybe for their next work we can reach the complete 5 stars.