According to its back cover, this Terror DVD runs a pleasantly plump three
hours. Since the band has barely released 60 minutes of music, that's a
whole lotta barebones hardcore to smash tofu-caked dishes to. That's all
right, though- the feature presentation is a tightly shot London show from
January of 2006, broken up from behind the boards footage of recording
sessions for Terror's second Trustkill LP, Always the Hard Way.
Both have their moments. The live clips capture a barrier-free
approximation of old Agnotic Front gigs, complete with enough stage diving
and aimless air-punching to meet the "let's smash this place" standards of
vocalist Scott Vogel. As for the dudes-in-heat footage from planet x
studios (Hatebreed, God Forbid, Shadows Fall), it's paced perfectly,
creeping in every couple songs to keep things interesting. (While Terror
shows are simple and sheer adrenaline shots, seeing them from the comfort
of your living room is like watching a roller coaster special on Bravo
rather than riding one of the fuckers.)
Considering Vogel's modern hardcore tenure as the former vocalist of
Buried Alive, Slugfest and Despair, there isn't much in terms of
insightful interviewing. There are a number of mildly amusing
fly-on-the-padded wall moments instead, including a booth of buffoons
laying down gang vocals and producer Zeuss pointing out that Vogel "wants
the vocals so loud it'll be karoake over a boom box recording." Hopefully,
that'll mean another predictable but comforting Terror record of unbridled
pissiness. If not, there's always the repeared performances of several
Terror favorites in a bonus live archive of festival performances and more
on this DVD (Japanese kids love them some Terror!), along with a couple
videos. That's some quality Terror time to practice your monkey mosh moves
to.
The basis of this DVD is a London show recorded at the beginning of the year. This is segmented by documentary films but the excessive focus on the studio time does give a large hint that this release is the filler before the new record “Always the Hard Way’ drops. However it is interesting to see a more human side to the group as Scott Vogel and company laugh, joke, and allow people in behind the aggressive front of their abrasive music (gang vocals scene especially). If it is a stopgap release at least it is a worthwhile one. Clocking in at over three hours in length, it is an enjoyable watch and with bonus footage from shows around the world, it’s a testament to the band’s universal appeal and rabid fan base. Good times.
If you had always heard about the unadulterated hardcore violence of a TERROR show, but were too afraid to enter the venue, "The Living Proof" is a safe way to experience the rage from the comfort of your living room. A ridiculously raucous show at The Underworld in London, England, interspersed with skillfully captured studio moments (for the recording of "One with the Underdogs") and a smattering of discussions with the members, a well as clips from around the world, make up the disc's main feature. Additionally, an "Extensive Show Archive" consisting of live performances of varying quality (mostly the single-camera kind) the world over and a couple of music videos for "Overcome" and "Keep Your Mouth Shut" round out the disc.
And let me tell you, the London show is completely off the rails. The performance is no run-of-the-mill set with members going through the motions for the camera; it is absolute insanity. Professionally shot, but not overly polished or overrun with cameramen, this is raw and in your face hardcore...period. Often times there is little distinguishing those in the audience from those in the band, as the audience members were freely welcomed on stage to sing along, often taking over microphone duties from Scott Vogel, the last half of "Spit My Rage" being one such example. The show is truly a case of the band and the crowd becoming one. When Vogel isn't barking his guts out on songs from "Lowest of the Low" and "One With the Underdogs", he is inciting the packed audience to violence in a way that could only be acceptable in this kind of setting. The band is on fire, the audience members are completely mad, and the venue seems about to burst into flame at any moment.
Equally as compelling are the moments spent with TERROR during the recording of "One with the Underdogs". Moving back and forth between the Underworld live performance and the "making of" in-studio bits works surprisingly well. In fact, the format keeps the viewer interested from start to finish. Rather than slogging through a 90-minute documentary, one gets to spend quality time with the boys in the band (in-studio and out) just long enough to feel informed before the scene shifts back to Underworld chaos. Tidbits like worldwide performance clips, as well as discussions with the band on scene dedication and the hardcore aesthetic are also included.
"The Living Proof" doesn't try to overload with meaningless extras or everything-to-everyone overkill. It simply offers an intriguing glimpse into the world of TERROR.