Review Summary: Excellent overview of DBS' work, shows their talent, humor, and insane live energy.
Death by Stereo has always been known for having insanely powerful live performances, and for some of us, said performances are few and far between. But, luckily, DBS has finally released a live recording from one of their many, many shows at the Legendary Chain Reaction, all for our benefit.
The CD starts off with the incredible live-only track "The Plague" which, coincidentally is the same version from the Punk-O-Rama 9 CD. Just the frantic tempo of this song provided by drummer Todd Hennig, the incredibly precise guitarists Tito and Dan Palmer and bassist Paul Miner, combined with singer Efrem Schultz spitting out the lyrics like some crazed, demented animal, is enough to tell anyone that these guys know how to play.
Every track on this CD has such an incredible vibe to it, with the crowd shouting their favorite songs out on every break, yelling insults at people singled out by the band, and offering water to the band. As well,the band generally acts like a bunch of punks, insulting and belittling seemingly random people from the crowd.
The band blasts, and I mean blasts, their way through 17 songs including everything from speed punk to metal to funk. Yes, funk. Like slap-ass, Bootsy Collins bass riff funk.
The only thing I found disappointing about this CD was the absence of any Death for Life material, but of course, this CD was recorded somewhere between 2003 and 2005so it's not surprising.
Upon receiving this record (CD), I was apprehensive: what will I get, a quality live recording that runs strait through with no gaps, or live-only tracks with no banter? Luckily for me, the CD is of the former, and banter it is. From chanting "Let's Butt-***" and "I saw you getting effed in the alley. She got effed in the front, though, not in the butt" to outright ripping Emo a new asshole, the CD delivers a side of DBS many have never seen: the absolutely hilarious antics of Efrem Schultz.
Stand out tracks on this CD are:
The Plague
Lookin' out for #1
Wasted Words
Sing Along with the Patriotic Punks
Shh... This will be our Little Secret
Desperation Train
Dance Party
No Cuts, No Butts, No Coconuts
I suggest picking this CD up even if you AREN'T a DBS fan, as it is an incredible listen, and features some incredible musicianship.
