Animetal - Songs for Everlasting Future

Animetal is a side project consisting of metal musicians with the aim of performing well-known theme songs in their own style. Most often this includes various anime subjects, which explains their performing outfits: the trio's costumes consist of futuristic samurai warlord style garb in bright shades of red, blue and yellow. However, when moving outside the anime world, this flaring ensemble might need some dilution.

The music, even as a heavy version, is very gracious and well-done as it is. Some of the songs are all the way from the 80s, with matching metal influences from the same decade. This is best heard in the vocals, which include even those deeply admired high pitched screams.

The concert proves the performers to be professional musicians. Eizo's singing is steadily pleasant in different kinds of situations, and Syu's guitar skills are reassuring - though as the youngest member of the band, he moves and gesticulates the least on stage, probably due to the challenging parts keeping his concentration.

The experience of the live DVD probably depends on whether you've actually watched the anime series in question, but it can be recommended to a listener looking for some cozy heavy metal, even if a few of the songs seems to get mixed in the average masses of adventure anime theme songs. Special highlights include the always as beautiful Bara wa Utsukushiku Chiru, and the acoustic portion performed by Eizo alone, which successfully made the rocking audience take a seat and calm down for a moment.

On the second DVD you can find the simple, studio filmed PV to Uchuu Senkan Yamato and a tour document that follows the usual pattern: mixing clips of concerts and their preparations, with a large amount of band member comments. A nice addition was the part filmed in France in summer 2006, with the band's sightseeing moments and the fact that the document spent plenty of time showing all the joyful fans, both at the signing session and at the venue looking forward for the awaited concert to begin. There's also material from the actual performance, and even though the quality of this recording is a bit weaker, it clearly shows the evening to have fulfilled expectations.