Maximum Metal Rating Legend

Volbeat DVD: Live "Sold Out" Company: Rebel Monster Records Release: 2008 Genre: Hard Rock Reviewer: Strutter

Tattoos. Cadillacs. Pomade. Rockabilly. Heavy Metal.

Tattoos. Cadillacs. Pomade. Rockabilly. Heavy Metal. Yes, to many, one of these may not seem like the others but in the Volbeat camp they make a more than perfect union as evidenced by album chart climbs, sold out concerts and tours with the likes of Metallica. Volbeat, the Danish metal music wonder continues to grab the metal world by the musical jugular which is captured in awe-inspiring detail in their first DVD release Sold Out.

Foreshadowing the dvd was the world's response to their second cd release "Rock the Rebel/Metal the Devil". It's colossal explosion in Europe (entering the Danish music charts at number one) was the bottle rocket that landed Volbeat on nearly every musical radar. "Rock the Rebel/Metal the Devil", was no flash in the pan aberration--staying in the top 5 ranking for five months. Propelled by this reception, Volbeat went out on their second European tour throughout the rest of Europe and captured the event during the entire run of the tour in 2007.

The first dvd captures shows featuring 19 tracks at 10 different concert locations while the second dvd is a two hour documentary that charts their meteoric rise from national metal heroes to established stars in the heavy metal circuit, just in case you were unsure after seeing the footage from the first DVD.

What "Sold Out" manages to achieve is what so many music dvds miss and that is putting the viewer front and center minus the occasional body surf. Granted, it is never easy to make someone feel they are actually "there" but "Sold Out" transcends the 3D world it was filmed in and whether you are a fan or a novice, you will find yourself swept up in the mania with the rest of the fans. Covering nearly their entire catalog up till that point, the dvd also pulls a rather unusual win with the songs that are featured. Instead of filming one show from beginning to end, "Sold Out" captures a tour and the variations a single song will have from one stop to another. Skewing being repetitive, this approach actually is rather distinctive and for die hard Volbeat fan, its the answer to "please may I have some more?"

Equal video time is given to each member which makes the viewing less about Poulsen and more about the band. Granted, as the astonishing voice of Volbeat, he gets plenty of camera time and the documentary gives you more insight to what makes this band tick like a time bomb with Poulsen holding the match.

Last but not least, the video quality of "Sold Out" is a great illustration for the quintessential concert dvd--camera shots are spot on, the sound is clear and mixed well and there is an almost perfect balance between crowd and stage shots.

The only thing missing is the technology to transport the viewer into each show, but "Sold Out" gets you as close as possible.