DVD Review “Lamb of God: As the Palaces Burn”

Starring: Lamb of God
Director: Don Argot
Rated: Unrated
Studio: 9.14 Pictures
Run Time: 121 minutes

Film: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 4 out of 5 stars

What starts out as a typical band related documentary quickly becomes much more than that. “As the Palaces Burn” is the latest DVD release from Richmond, Virginia’s Lamb of God. Directed by Don Argot and being released via Epic Records and 9.14 Pictures the 2 disc documentary runs just over a combined 4 hours and is mixed in stunning 5.1 Surround Sound and PCM Uncompressed Stereo.

To quote my previous review of the films theatrical release “Whether you are a fan of Lamb of God’s music or not I strongly urge you to see this film.” The film was just as powerful the second time around as when I first saw it a few months back. This is not just another pieced together making of documentary looking at one of heavy metals biggest bands. That may have been the original intent however mid way through the film it starts to document the series of events which lead to the incarceration of lead singer D. Randall Blythes incarceration in the Czech Republic for the charge of Manslaughter.

As the film delves deeper into these events the film takes its most dramatic turn as it shows the immense amount of emotion the band members have for one another as well as Randy’s own strength throughout the entire time of his incarceration and subsequent return to the Czech Republic to stand trial for these clearly bogus charges. Director Don Argot did a great job capturing everything I enjoy seeing in a film of this nature. Candid interviews with not only the band but with fans and fellow musicians gave the film a number of different perspectives that helped affirm the bands place in the music world and the impact the events involving Randy had on those both close to him and those from afar. The feature presentation of the film wraps up with a really cool Q and A session with not only the film’s director but also with the band themselves.

Clocking in at just over 2 hours the special features portion of the film plays like an alternate version of feature presentation. Further in-depth interviews with the band, fans and friends such as Slash and Dave Brockie reaffirm the impact the band has on it fans not only here in the states but all over the world. It was really great to see and hear more of the back stories of those who appear in the film as this bonus footage includes unedited takes from a number of interviews as well as extended footage which initially was only show in short edited clips. This film is a must have!

 

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: burn, dvd, palaces, review

Lamb of God’s “As The Palaces Burn” Feature Film Debuts on Video On Demand on June 3rd

Vimeo On Demand is the Exclusive Digital Partner Gravitas Ventures Distributes To Cable/ Satellite/ Telco Platforms

After a successful worldwide theatrical showing that had the film playing in over 400 theaters and garnering universal critical acclaim, LAMB OF GOD announce today that their feature documentary, As The Palaces Burn, will be available on Video On Demand starting June 3rd with an exclusive 30-day digital worldwide run on Vimeo On Demand. The link below goes directly to the Vimeo player where the film is available for rent or purchase.

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/asthepalacesburn

In addition, the film’s theatrical distributor Specticast has teamed with Gravitas Ventures to place the film on multiple cable, satellite, and telco Video On Demand platforms also commencing on June 3rd. These platforms include Cox Cable, Charter On Demand, Verizon Fios, Dish Network, Mediacom, Blue Ridge Communications, Suddenlink, Wave Broadband, Rogers on Demand, Shaw, Cogeco Cable, and East Link TV.

For more information on As The Palaces Burn, go to Asthepalacesburn.com

ABOUT GRAVITAS VENTURES

Gravitas Ventures is a leading distributor of independent cinema. Founded in 2006 with a focus on Video-On-Demand, Gravitas connects independent filmmakers, producers and distribution companies with leading distribution partners across the globe. Working with more than 500 content partners, Gravitas Ventures has distributed thousands of films across all platforms. Some of their recent releases include Dave Grohl’s 2013 Sundance premiere SOUND CITY and the Naomi Watts, Matt Dillon starrer SUNLIGHT JR. Their upcoming releases include Sundance smash PING PONG SUMMER, starring Susan Sarandon, and FELONY, starring Joel Edgerton and Tom Wilkinson. For more information, please check out www.gravitasventures.com and @GravitasVOD.

About Vimeo On Demand 

Launched in 2013, Vimeo On Demand is an open self-distribution platform that enables creators to sell work on their own terms to audience worldwide. There are currently over 8,000 titles available for purchase on Vimeo On Demand across a broad range of subjects. Through Vimeo, creators are able to choose their price, viewing format (stream or download), and geographical availability while retaining full ownership of their work. Vimeo also offers in-player transaction support, allowing creators to sell their work on their own sites or embedded across the web.

Audiences worldwide can discover a broad range of content from over 18 genres found on Vimeo On Demand, from instructional how-to videos to beautifully shot independent films. Vimeo curates the pages to showcase the amazing breadth of content worth watching from the world’s leading creators. Once purchased, the films are available for viewing immediately on Vimeo and can also be viewed on a users’ smartphone, TV and/or any connected devices with the Vimeo app.

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Filed Under: Music Headlines Tagged With: 3rd, burn, debuts, demand, feature, film, ...

Film Review “As the Palaces Burn”

“As the Palaces Burn”
Starring: Lamb of God
Director: Don Argott
Rated: Unrated
Studio: 9.14 Pictures
Run Time: 90 minutes

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

What starts out as a typical band related documentary quickly becomes much more than that. “As the Palaces Burn” is the latest film from heavy metal band Lamb of God. Directed by Don Argott and being released via Epic Records and 9.14 Pictures the film is a 90 minute rollercoaster ride of emotion that captivates the viewer.

Whether you are a fan of Lamb of God’s music or not I strongly urge you to see this film. This is not just another behind the scenes type film designed to give fans an inside look at their favorite band. This may have been the original intent however mid way through the film it starts to document the series of events which lead to the incarceration of lead singer D. Randall Blythes incarceration in the Czech Republic for the charge of Manslaughter.

As the film delves deeper into these events the film takes is most dramatic turn as it shows the immense amount of emotion the band members have for one another as well as Randy’s own strength throughout the entire time of his incarceration and subsequent return to the Czech Republic to stand trial for these clearly bogus charges. Director Don Argott did a great job capturing everything I enjoy seeing in a film of this nature. Candid interviews with not only the band but with fans and fellow musicians gave the film a number of different perspectives that helped affirm the bands place in the music world and the impact the events involving Randy had on those both close to him and those from afar.

Don’t expect anything to be sugar coated or fluffy with this film. Those two words could probably never be used to describe the band Lamb of God before now or after. To the point editing and straight forward accounts from those who lived it give “As the Palaces Burn” the realest feel I have gotten from a documentary to date.

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Filed Under: Film Reviews Tagged With: burn, film, god, lamb, palaces, review, ...

CD Review: Lamb of God “As the Palaces Burn: 10th Anniversary Edition”

Lamb of God
“As the Palaces Burn” 10th Anniversary Edition
Razor and Tie
Tracks: 13

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

Originally released in May of 2003 Lamb of God’s “As the Palaces Burn” was the bands 3rd studio release. The album was widely received and is considered by many as one of the most influential, modern day metal records of our time. Produced by Strapping Young Lad/Devin Townsend Project mastermind Devin Townsend the album featured 10 aggressive and brutally honest tracks which conveyed the bands feelings during a very turbulent time in America. The 10th Anniversary edition of “As the Palaces Burn” is being released via Razor and Tie Record and features re-mixed/mastered versions of the original 10 tracks included on the album along with three previously unreleased demo versions of “Ruin”, “As the Palaces Burn” and Blood Junkie”. Accompanying the CD is a DVD featuring a newly filmed “Making of” documentary along with interviews and commentary from those involved with the album.

When an album is re-released I generally don’t take much notice as if it was something I was interested in initially I would have checked out the original version of whatever album it maybe. However I have bought a couple in my day only to be relatively disappointed. Sadly that is exactly the same feeling I had after listening to the anniversary edition of “As The Palaces Burn”. Don’t get me wrong the new mixes are certainly better than the original versions as these re-workings offered a quite a bit more clarity and bottom end but, that was not enough to really warrant buying a second copy of the album. The additional tracks were exactly as advertised “demos” as they sounded as if they were recorded on a boom box in some ones basement. This release wasn’t all misses though as the real gem came in the way of the included bonus DVD. Some great interviews are included on here as well as an hour long documentary about the making of the album. I found these alone were enough to make up for any noted short comings.

Hardcore Lamb of God fans will certainly want to check this out merely for the bonus DVD content however if you have the original version and are content with that then I would say this new release is a necessity. However if your original copy was lost or suffered the fate of being scratched as it slid around on the floor of your Dodge Daytona then the “As the Palaces Burn” 10th Anniversary Edition is a suitable replacement.

Track Listing:
1. Ruin
2. As the Palaces Burn
3. Purified
4. 11th Hour
5. For Your Malice
6. Boot Scraper
7. A Devil in God’s Country
8. In Defense of Our Good Name
9. Blood Junkie
10. Vigil
11. Ruin (previously unreleased demo)
12. As the Palaces Burn (previously unreleased demo)
13. Blood Junkie (previously unreleased demo)

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Filed Under: CD Reviews Tagged With: 10th, anniversary, burn, cd, edition, god, ...
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