HARDWARES

It's great to see some money rightly invested in the most important heavy metal reunion of 2007 - forget Van Halen (cash grab) and Led Zeppelin (overblown rep). This DVD captures the band's triumphant first live date in the US in 15 years with absolute pristine image and sound befitting a unit of this stature. The old warriors don't disappoint, throwing a curveball right out the gate by opening with a lesser known Dehumanizer track ('After All (The Dead)') and initiating encore festivities with the way-deep album track 'Lonely Is The Word' from their eponymous “debut.” This latter track allows Iommi to prove that he is not only the riff master from Hell, but also an underrated soloist who can let fly with the best of 'em. Of course the rhythm section of Butler and Appice is beyond question as well, capable of dropping jaws themselves. But yeah and verily, it is metal's aging mighty midget who proves to be the undisputed star of the show here. Concerns that Dio's voice may be shot (check out the recent worrisome Holy Diver Live DVD) are summarily spat and stomped on, the diminutive one emoting, roaring and skipping up a storm once again challenging Halford for the HM golden mic award. From a track listing perspective, it's unsurprisingly a headbanger's dream considering the strength of the three albums they can draw from, and it's certainly a relief not having to hear the overrated troika from Paranoid yet again. 'Falling Off The Edge Of The World' and 'I' warrant specific attention, being particularly stunning in delivery and structure. The bottom line here is that this DVD captures a magical moment for prosperity for all us rivetheads to savour forever, making it truly a mandatory purchase for anybody who has ever embraced the musical form that was created by half this very band. Extras include four special features, including an interview segment with the band, fan testimonials and a walkthrough of Radio City Music Hall's facilities.