Apoptygma Berzerk

Since the advent of DVD technology, many bands have put out offerings of video compilations, concert footage and/or tour documentaries. Few however truly succeed in harnessing all that the format throws the door wide open for, and as such, unlike the films and countless TV series that find their way to the medium, many of these musical discs disappoint. However synth pop/EBM sensations Apoptygma Berzerk are determined to change that with their newest must-have release. On The Harmonizer DVD, Apoptygma Berzerk chooses not to focus extensively on their history, nor do they decide to shovel up just another "best of" offering. Harmonizer is, very simply put, the story of The Harmonizer album and the evolution of the band as they embark on their first major label release. The DVD includes eight live tracks filmed at the Hamburg, Germany stop on the "World Harmony" Tour. The footage is pristine, the audio equally clean and the live energy perfectly captured in all its digital glory. Additionally, the disc boasts a 34-minute documentary that focuses on the making of the record. Through candid interviews with the band it provides an intimate look at music's very personal roots, its transformation into an album (from the studio in Texas to the one in Norway), through the loss of a pivotal band member, the hiring of his replacement and straight ahead to the video shoots and subsequent tour. If this isn't enough to warm the cockles of any devoted fan, also included are all the music videos for The Harmonizer album, several tour-related curiosities (hidden in the bonus features menu) and a second separate audio disc. It goes without saying that many industry types could learn a lesson from what Metropolis Records and Apoptygma Berzerk have done. Long live the music DVD! (Metropolis, www.metropolis-records.com)