Site created 12/15/97.		review added: 9/24/02 Victory Video Collection 2001 (2002) - Victory Records review by Matt Rowe of The Digital Bits Program Rating: B- Disc Ratings (Video/Audio/Extras): B-/B/C+ Specs and Features Approx. 120 mins, NR, full-frame, single-sided, dual layered, Amaray keep case packaging, 3 bonus videos, "making of" footage for Strife video, band/video credits, interactive menus, selectable song/chapter access (35 videos see track listing below), languages: English (DD 2.0), subtitles: none) Victory Records is a well-known distributor of hardcore music. Whether your taste is punk or just plain hardcore rock, Victory has a band to suit you. And that is just what they aim for in the release of their Victory Video Collection - to give you the well-rounded look at what they are well positioned to dish out. The stable of Victory has quality talent. From the timeless punk of Snapcase to the grinding metal of Earth Crisis, if you're a fan, you'll find much here to please. There are 35 videos on this disc. Not all the bands of Victory are represented here, but there is a good cross-section of entertaining and interesting clips from an equally good cross-section of talent. The videos run the gamut from well thought out metaphors and cartoons to crudely filmed concert footage. As in all MTV material, the quality varies according to the bands ideas of transmission. Some put a good deal of production into their 'movies' while others merely choose to let their music do their talking for them. But with 35 choices, it won't be hard to locate a fair amount of material that can be earmarked for repeat play. There is Snapcase, a band that has been around for years and is seasoned enough to produce MTV quality videos that showcase their talent for thoughtful and intelligent music with something to say. They contribute three compositions to this collection, all quite compelling and worth watching. Then there are other bands like Shelter, who with just one video, create an amusing 'moral police' vignette. The River City Rebels provides a catchy, old style, ska-like piece. There is Baby Gopal, a girl led punk/pop group that's plain fun to watch. Bloodlet, with a recently released CD, run through a growling set interspersing concert footage with disturbing imagery involving a nude male body lying face down on a pallet and, seemingly being sliced with a large blade or prodded with a stick. The images move a bit too fast to be sure. Doughnuts, an interesting band with intriguing videos, provide two for this collection. Feel Me Bleed is a good song with interesting visuals and shot cheaply using home cameras to create their material. It does show you, however, that you don't have top spend lots of money to get your point across. Every band has a concept, a concern to voice. There is historical footage interspersed in Warzone's contribution that highlights the concerns that many bands have and that use music to get their messages and points across. The medium of video is a powerful force in many ways. For the record companies, it's a marketing tool; for the band, a visual forum. But the fan always wins out as videos are art to be enjoyed, showcasing the talent and music of your favorite group. And this collection of songs is a gift from Victory Records to its fans. Chocked full of bands and their musical states of minds; sometimes sexual, sometimes violent and sometimes comical, there is something for everybody who favors the hardcore/punk scene. This disc goes a step further than just stringing 35 videos together. It has bonus footage that enhances the value of the DVD. There are 4 bonus pieces, a Grade video not featured in the regular stream and extra video shoot footage from the Nemesis video by Earth Crisis. There is also 'making of' footage that highlights Strife's Blistered and a lost HI-FI & The Roadrunners video. Finally, you get credits for every song and an interesting video ad for another upcoming Victory Records DVD release. Quality-wise, this disc does not have 5.1 sound, nor is it presented anamorphically. But that does not injure the presentation of the videos, because, simply, MTV doesn't present itself in that way either. You have a TV and it has a speaker. That's how much of MTV is watched and it's how this disc is presented. If you're a fan of hardcore music, this disc presents some of the best in the genre. If you like music but haven't crowd dived into the style, then this disc can provide an introduction, not only to hardcore and modern punk but also to the music that Victory is putting out thorough its CDs. Matt Rowe mattrowe@thedigitalbits.com Track Listing: Before Dishonor - Hatebreed Typecast Modulator - Snapcase Provoke - Earth Crisis Wise Guy - Burning Heads A Year in the Past - Grade Blistered - Strife Killing Braincells - Earth Crisis Hate - River City Rebels Don't Walk Away - Shelter Hard to Impress - Catch-22 Seamless - Grade Caboose - Snapcase Few & Far Between -Shutdown Shots Heard 'Round the World - The Strike Untitled - Strife Nemesis - Earth Crisis Colossus - Greyarea Blackout - Electric Frankenstein Triumph & Tragedy - Grade Through and Through - Strife Gamma - Guilt Get Up and Go - Hi-Fi & The Roadrunners Reflection - Cause for Alarm Drowning - Doughnuts Lost Generation - Baby Gopal Steps - Snapcase Systems Overload - Integrity What the Hell - Hi-Fi & The Roadrunners Opai-75 - Bloodlet Lies - Cause for Alarm Rather Be Dead- Refused Feel Me Bleed - Doughnuts The Sound of Revolution - Warzone Shiva - Baby Gopal Fear City - Hi-Fi & The Roadrunners
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