Pelican

It takes an incredibly strong and competent live band to hold your attention for any substantial length of time. When vocals are absent, the difficulty in maintaining audience interest doubles. There’s virtually no interaction between band and crowd, meaning that each song must be that much more powerful. In the case of instrumental prog-metallers Pelican, such prowess and dynamics are revealed with After The Ceiling Cracked, a live concert shot in London in late 2005. Watching the band tear through some of their epic works, such as "March to the Sea,” "Last Day of Winter” and "Austalasia,” is incredibly engaging. Each member’s technical proficiency is well documented, songs are performed flawlessly and a variety of camera angles ensure a constantly changing point-of-view. Rounded out with bonus snippets captured between 2003 and 2006, this comprehensive package sounds daunting for its lack of interface but then again, anyone who’s toying with the idea of watching a Pelican DVD already knows that the musical brilliance within will supersede any need for blathering.