Well after the "Best Of Rage", Gun decided to release the famous concert of Rage with Lingua Mortis Orchestra recorded back in 1998 at Köln. I guess Rage is leaving the label Gun Records following these last two release ("best of" & DVD live). Usually, this type of release are not that good, but this DVD/CD is actually an excellent surprise (as I found the "best of Rage" really weak). As you will have understand by your own, their are two sides on this DVD/CD. One side is a DVD while the other side is a traditional audio CD full of surprises.

The DVD side contains the live concert of Köln, plus three video-clips of the band (Deep In The Blackest Hole, From The Cradle To The Grave & Alive But Dead). The filming is somehow "cheep" and I imagine the budget for this live was not enormous. Anyway as it is a pleasure to hear and see Rage & the Lingua Mortis Orchestra. Songs like From The Cradle To The Grave, Immortal Sin, Paint It Black or Alive But Dead are simply wonderful. The last song called Medley sees Black In Mind, Firestorm & Send By The Devil and as a fan of Rage, I appreciate very much this live. The last two songs, along with the first one (From The Cradle To The Grave) are my favorites on this DVD. Last but not least, this concert features previous Rage's lineup so don't expect to see Mike Terrana or Victor Smolski on stage.

The audio CD is full of surprises : The Trooper (Iron Maiden), Don't Fear The Winter (version 2001), Yesterday (The Beatles), the explosive Jawbreaker (Judas Priest) plus additional Rage's songs (Chase, Tie The Rope, Forgive But Don't Forget,...).

At the end, this Metal Meets Classic Live is a must for all fans of Rage out there. I have missed the tour with the orchestra so I am happy to see the band on stage as Rage's music is so powerful combined with classic sounds. If you still don't know Rage, this one is an excellent start ... and don't get surprised if you start to buy other Rage's records, especially Trapped, XIII, Ghost or End Of All Days.