Various Artists - iCRUSHER 2 DVD
Earache Records
Music Videos
16 songs (120")
Release year: 2003
Earache Records
Reviewed by Jay

It's really a shame how excellent bands that are underfunded can turn out a product that is excellent but lackluster. A perfect example would the Caught on Tape DVD that The Haunted put out about a year ago. It contained two full-length concerts. Both of which were recorded with terrible equipment and sported atrociously recorded audio. Inadequately funded video projects are a hallmark of Earache Records. This latest DVD video sampler follows the moderately successful iCrusher DVD released a year earlier. This one contains about the same number of videos and fewer audio tracks as well as some bonus material.

Laughable videos were a hallmark of the first iCrusher DVD and this one resumes that tradition right off the bat. Many of the artists on the first compilation return. Mortiis kicks things off with another one of his electro goth experiments. Aside from looking like one of Frodo's friends, Mortiis manages to create a video much more fitting the music this time unlike the video for "Parasite God" which was four minutes of him prancing around inside a cathedral. "Mental Maelstrom (Implode)" has him trying to fit in at a party of "normal" people. The Haunted return again as well and in typical fashion, Earache decided not to include one of their actual videos but just rip another clip out of the Caught on Tape DVD as they did for the first iCrusher compilation. Why they didn’t include the awesome and disturbing video they made for "D.O.A." is beyond me. That would have been a wonderful inclusion to this disc.

Matt Zane and Society 1 grace us with "Nothing." A terrible track but an interesting video. Zane gets hoisted up above the band by flesh hooks in his back. There is an interview with Matt Zane and a making if the video in which Matt gets pierced and performs all of his suspension stunts. If you like Society 1 or are into suspension stunts, this is a good investment. December is the next band featured and the band and video are quite lackluster. They're a quintet playing the same metalcore we're all used to by now. Italy's Linea 77 rock out with more nu metal immediately afterwards. For a change of pace, The Berzerker comes out with a full on grindcore assault complete with creature masks and ear-splitting snare hits.

Nothing can prepare any true metalhead for the horror that awaited next. The band is Autonomy from the UK. At first, I thought the video was a joke. Nothing on this planet could be so vile and unabashed in it’s utter disregard and disrespect for all things music let alone metal. When the 30-second mark hit, I had a sinking feeling that this was for real. Autonomy sounds like what you'd get if you combined the worst parts of Limp Bizkit with the worst parts of Linkin Park. Rap nu metal or shit in a blender, it blew me away. After the video ended, my brain turned off and a part of me died. The DVD does a full 180 delivering Erik Rutan and Hate Eternal next. The death metal attack comforted me after the horror of Autonomy even though it had a budget of $50. Decapitated followed and their track "Spheres of Madness" is a rocking metal assault. It’s worth a listen. The legendary Usurper gets a live video for "Warriors of Iron and Rust: afterwards followed by a non-sensical and barely synchronized video by Ephel Duath.

The extra features include the aforementioned behind the scenes look at the Society 1 video shoot as well as an interview with Matt Zane. There is also a behind the scenes look at December recording their album with producer Devin Townshend. There are several audio only tracks as well from The Haunted, Corporation 187, Cult of Luna, Forest Stream and Usurper. For a price of $8, you really can’t go wrong with this DVD for some laughs and some good videos. If you’re a December or Society 1 fan, this one is essential.

Killing Songs :
The Mortiis, The Berzerker and Autonomy videos have to be seen to be believed.
Jay quoted no quote
Other albums by Various Artists that we have reviewed:
Various Artists - Brutal Africa: The Heavy Metal Cowboys of Botswana reviewed by Andy and quoted no quote
Various Artists - Servants of Chaos II reviewed by Andy and quoted no quote
Various Artists - In Mordor Where the Shadows Are - Homage to Summoning reviewed by Andy and quoted no quote
Various Artists - A Light in the Black : A Tribute to Ronnie James Dio reviewed by Alex and quoted no quote
Various Artists - Re-Machined: A Tribute to Deep Purple's Machine Head reviewed by Stefan and quoted No Quote
To see all 35 reviews click here
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