Customer Reviews

Fields of the Nephilim - Revelations/Forever Remain

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Mainstream music fans can stop right here, this is not for you.

Fields of the Nephilim were playing dark, moody, goth rock before it was cool. All this and a stage show that was just plain original. Long coats, Cowboy hats and torn clothes with a baby powder patina. While the world listened to Cindy Lauper and Poison, these guys were doing something completely different.

This DVD is a collection of all of their previously hard-to-find VHS releases and some extras you won't find anywhere else. Video quality ranges from excellent to kind of grainy due to the original source material, but it only adds to the feeling that you are seeing something truly awesome. Karl McCoy's gutteral vocals, and the bands unique sound will haunt you for days.

At first the vocals may seem kind of, well, weird. Karls incredibly deep, almost devilish roar will put some people off. Normal music fans need not apply, but if you like The Sisters of Mercy you will love this.

Sound quality also ranges from excellent to fair. But you can't blame the band because the original analog recordings have been cleaned up pretty well, and will sound good on your home stereo.

I bought a few of the VHS tapes on eBay, and these are much better, not to mention that the tapes will run you 30 clams each if you can find them.

This compilation includes 3 of the VHS tape material and some extras along with a killer interface that serves to immerse you in the moment.

The DVD includes 2 live performances, and a set of Videos, along with an electronic press kit, and a few videos from the Nefilim and one of the other bands that were formed by members other than Karl.

If you like The Nephilim this is the DVD to get.

The Nephilim are one of the most unique bands in history. They look like the dusty, tattered ghosts of long dead Western outlaws, and their sound was something otherworldly. Of all the bands to come from the 80's that would later be known as Goth or Gothic Rock, FOTN were definitely the most "epic". With lyrics inspired by ancient lore and shamanism, music inspired by the current post punk movement, Ennio Morricone's soundtracks, prog rock and heavy metal, and their dusty "netherworld cowboys" look,FOTN became a very mysterious and influential phenominon.
This dvd compiles 2 live concerts and their complete video clips. The videos themselves are like short films with story lines. Very atmospheric and they compliment the songs and lyrics perfectly. Forever Remain documents a 1988 concert and features many early Neph songs as well as material from Dawnrazor and The Nephilim. Carl McCoy's stage presence more than reminds me of Jim Morrison. Sound wise, it is quite raw and Carl's vocals sometimes overpower the music. This is only a minor drawback however. Visionary Heads is a 1990 show and most of the material this time comes from Elizium. The recording is much better this time around and they brought in a keyboardist to fill the sound out a bit. Also Carl's dark rasping and growling singing style never sounded creepier! Both concerts are awesome and definitely capture the Nephilim's essence live. Also included is a video from Carl's Death Metal band The Nefilim, and 2 from the post-FOTN band Rubicon. All in all, it's a dream come true for any FOTN fan who haven't been able to find these releases on video.

this is more than 3 hours worth of concerts and video from one of the most artistically demanding gothic/heavy metal bands in existence. carl mc coy's Sheer Faith design studio was especially created to cater to the band's rich visual side but i digress. the sound and lighting of the shows here, is superior to the dusseldorf show which makes this dvd the definitive Fields visual legacy.

the videos (Revelations):
Preacher Man
Blue Water
Moonchild
Psychonaut
For Her Light
Sumerland
Electronic Press Kit

Forever Remain: Live ,London 1988
Endemoniada
Reanimator
Dust
Love Under Will
Trees Come Down
Moonchild
The Watchman
Last Exit for The Lost
Chord of Souls
Preacher Man
Dawnrazor
The Sequel
Phobia
Laura

Visionary Heads: Live at Brixton Academy London 1990

Dead but Dreaming
For Her Light
At The Gates of Silent Memory (Paradise Regained)
Blue Water
Sumerland
Submission
Chord of Souls
Last Exit for the Lost
The Watchman
Psychonaut

Bonus Tracks
The Nefilim: Penetration
Rubicon: Crazed
Rubicon: Insatiable

the setlists offered here showcase the band at its absolute musical best. the shows are mainly 'about' mc coy; his presence steals the cake, his vocal delivery otherworldly. lighting is scarce, picture is grainy and the focus is mostly on the cowboy-clad frontman but that's not to say that he's the only thing that makes the Fields great; the rest of the band masterfully provides the sonic structure from where the voice of mcCoy ushers forth, like a summoned demon. for fiction lovers, this band (IMO)would be the equivalent of David gemmell's stones of power series with its dusty gunslinger Jon Shannow and visually, Alejandro Jodorowsky's "El Topo" & "Holy Mountain". occult magic, western movie imagery lovecraft and sumerian mythology blend together and the result is nothing short of stunning! the videos are a nightmarish trip complete with shamans, lynching, zombies, forest rituals and autumn leaves(and then some). what more can i say, here's a band who has a remarkable balance between the audial and the visual and it gets no less than my highest recommendation. hunt that baby down and be proud to include it in your audiovisual library.

It's a pity no one makes music like this anymore, but at least we have a nice DVD to comfort ourselves with. This DVD of course comes with six Nephilim videos and some other materials, but the real draw here is the concert footage. The first concert (Forever Remain - London, Town & Country, 1988) is 71 minutes in length, and they perform 14 tracks, taken mostly from their self-titled album and also from Dawnrazor. The second concert (Visionary Heads - London, Brixton Academy, 1990) is 70 minutes in length. They play the Elizium album almost in its entirety (skipping the last two tracks), and throw in an additional five songs. Of the two, the sound is noticeably better on Visionary Heads. (It probably helps that it was both recorded and mixed by the original producer of the Elizium album - Andy Jackson. He's usually busy working with another little band called Pink Floyd.) Anyways, having seen FOTN live (in May 1990 - right between the two concerts featured here), I can honestly say these shows are good examples of the live experience. The concerts here look and sound great, and if you're a fan, you'd be foolish NOT to get your hands on this.

I was SO happy to finally get hold of "Visionary Heads"--had looked for it for years but it wasn't available. Both concerts on here are excellent, so is everything else. It has the music videos and bonus stuff too. Carl and the band at their most shining moments (so far!), and well worth the money. Being such a hard-core fan for so many years, I just HAD to get the Live in Dusseldorf DVD--but unfortunately, I wasn't as impressed with it. It's dark, you can barely see Carl's face much of the time. And the sound quality waxes and wanes. Alas, even Carl's voice is not at its best, but that could be the sound quality. It's better than nothing if you don't have any other F.O.T.N. videos. But I prefer this one--it's what you need. But it's been discontinued? Why? Now if only they'd do a more recent concert video...while Carl's still relatively young and seems to be a bit more "active", performing-wise. Are you listening, Carl? We only want to make you richer, lol. Also I love those YouTube interviews, esp. the Metal Hammer one. I like what he says, and that one where he talks about paganism I like as well, but then, he is a God...okay, I'm going now...

Sometimes I think that if I would meet Mr. McCoy in the street I would like to kick him in the face really hard. Because the presence of such a good band in the gothic scene today would be a good booster for the others. I dunno what is going up today in other countries, but here in Israel people don't know what goth is and in Jerusalem we got only one place where you could actually get the goth rock CDs. So on to the DVD - I think it's great. From the good menu and artwork, to the contents - from the first accords of The Preacher Man to the last on Visionary Heads concert - this is the real thing! If you know and love this band there are simply no excuses for not having the DVD, so go and get it. If I could give it 10 stars instead of five, I would like to.

Why only 4 stars? Well, while I do like their music and stuff, I'd also like to konw what they're saying. The singer (well, not really...) could be reciting the story of Snow White, for all I know. Lyrics would've really been a boon on this DVD; and don't tell me you can figure out what they say, 'cause you can't!

Marc