THE GATHERING

After only two full length releases and two EP's, Magenta recorded their first live concert DVD. The DVD features a full concert performance, filmed and recorded in a small venue with high quality audio and visuals. Suitably entitled The Gathering, the set list featured on this DVD gathers together the very best tracks from these early releases. This makes the set list much more consistent and powerful than any of the two studio albums on which the songs were originally featured, both of which I think were a bit too long for their own good and included some less than great moments. But that is far from the end of it. What really makes this DVD stand out for me is that these live versions are injected with exactly what the studio counterparts so badly needed. These live versions feature more of an edge, more energy, and simply more punch. The drums and guitars are given a somewhat heavier sound and the atmospheres are therefore rockier. I often found the studio versions of these songs somewhat too timid and lacking in power. These live versions remedies that, and therefore far outshines the studio albums in my opinion. The song that is improved the most is also my favourite one: the great epic Children Of The Sun.

In addition to Children Of The Sun, the Revolutions album is further represented by two more great epic tracks in Genetesis and The White Witch. The somewhat overrated Seven is represented by two tracks in Gluttony and Pride. All of these songs are simply the very best ones from these two albums. The band's third studio album was not yet released at the time of this performance, but that didn't stop them from including a couple of representative snippets of Home as well. The rest of the tracks are from Magenta's two first EP's, Broken and I'm Alive (though Call Me was originally featured on Rob Reed's previous band Cyan's debut album For King And Country from the early 90's). Every single song chosen for the set list is at least a very good one and they are all improved. I could simply not have chosen a better set list myself.

Magenta failed to impress me notably with their first two studio albums, but this video is a live masterpiece. Very highly recommended!

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