How do you oneup one of the best live albums to ever be released? You don't, you just go with the flow and make the most of it. That is exactly what
Royal Hunt have done for their simply titled
"2006 Live". The disc does not manage to eclipse their first concert disc from 1996 in any way, despite the fact that a decade has passed since. Back then, the lineup was quite different, with the golden voiced D.C. Cooper behind the mic and backed with a superb production, mix and overall sound. Steen Morgensen and Jacobo Kjaer were still in the band too. Their music was also more diverse then, so the setlist had a wider range and feel than
"2006".
Not to say that
"2006" is bad by any means, it comes off with alot of enthusiasm and skill but the songs themselves are somewhat lacking. The same goes for the production. That decade old disc still sounds better and more natural. Even as good as
John West can be, he does not always seem to be the appropriate choice for the heavy progressive stylings of
Royal Hunt. His renditions of
"Message to God" and
"Far Away" are passable but lack the heart stopping magic that bespells when Cooper once sang these. West has always seemed to be more adept at the
AOR game.
There is plenty on hand to enjoy here though. Andre Anderson has always been (one of) the big draws of the band, it is his creation afterall, and his keyboard skills are put to the test and then some. Key tickling is all over the place and shoved into nooks and crannies that you would never expect (though if really thought about, its not *that* surprising either). Top notch showmanship from all around and a setlist that covers a wide area of releases. They reach back into the 90s and still pull a wealth of material from more recent discs. This gives the seventeen song long concert experience more of a variety especially since their past few albums have been good but very similar in sound.
Fans of
Royal Hunt will love it.
Ten years is a long time to wait and hearing the newer songs in a live setting brings them to a new light of appreciation. Enthusiasm and love for the craft goes a long way.
"Paper Blood", the opener, and
"The Mission" have likely never sounded this crisp, creative and alive. "Can't Let Go" is tackled with fervor and lots of thumping bass, a true metaller's track.
"Last Goodbye" buries itself in a oceanic sea of RH's signature style. Some of West's vocals seem a bit pinched here and is saved by the backup vocals.
"Cold City Lights" is one of their more melodic attempts and West just nails it perfectly. The syrupy catchy chorus is a nice change from the technical workouts. A nice closure for the first disc.
Disc two continues the concert with the pounding galloping grind of
"Martial Arts", a track that grasps firmly to neo-classical stylings.
"Surrender" and
"Running Wild" is more of the same.
"Wasted Time" has more of a rock approach and has some nice rock n roll screams and a catchy chorus. The wistful balladic atmosphere of
"Long Way Home" ends it on a nice note.
Like the
Kamelot live release, this is also available in a nice DVD package that includes some interviews but is in no way as essential as the
Kamelot one. Negatives for the album include a raw production that could have used a little more help. Then there are the weak spots in the song list and running order. The similarities make the CD flow together too much at times, to the point where one track seems about the same as the last. Overall its a nice double set of material from a long running prog metal band that is aimed for the established
Royal Hunt fan. The professionalism shows through and if you are already familiar with them and their catalogue, then this is a nice disc to put on if only to hear them nail their songs with such energy and applauded by an appreciative audience. Even if "1996" is better in almost every imaginable way...
Written by
Alanna Tuesday, January 16, 2007
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