A Whole New Level

If You Think They Look Cool Now...Wait Til You See Them Perform....

The Second Level Of Darkness And Below:
Collide "Like The Hunted" Review

by DJ Genocyde


I'll admit that I was tired. Possibly not in the best condition to be thinking and moreso, not the best condition to be carrying on about watching anything that would require some degree of intellect as most of what I had for the evening had been spent.

When I prepared to stretch out on the couch, it wasn't my massive book of DVDs that I reached for. I had two of them that I hadn't watched yet but I didn't reach for them, nor did I reach for my Star Wars or Lord Of The Rings DVDs.

No, I decided to descend further into the abysmal depths and indulge my sickness by watching Collide "Like The Hunted" because, to me, music is what usually revitalizes me.

I was right. Drained, I ceremoniously put the DVD into the player and Live At The El Rey was the first thing that came up in the main menu. I'd just written the review on the CD. Now, I was going to get my wish...I was going to the El Rey to the Collide Concert visually. I would get the pleasure of not just hearing the music but SEEING it performed.

I stretched out on the couch and began to watch. My cats, Tails, Nermal, Snowball and Ares piled themselves on top of me. Normally, they all just fall asleep but when the music started they began looking at the TV. Then, there was the silhouette behind the screen. Unmistakeably kaRIN dancing like something out of a Babylonian seduction. Statik stood awash in blue light that would turn purple and then red. The guitarists were rocking back and forth in anticipation, with guitars ready like soldiers ready to begin firing at multiple targets.

BOOM! The music began...remember what I said about the CD "Live At The El Rey" lacking nothing? Well it was true but this had the added bonus of kaRIN coming out from behind the screen and beginning her part of the performance, dancing like some demonic goddess, using some strange magick to seduce the crowd along with her voice. Only on "Beneath The Skin" and already it was becoming less of a DVD and some sort of dark ritual.

Screens flashed imagery, lights bathed the band members in differing hues of green, blue, purple, red and mixtures of them all and kaRIN kept her dancing and her voice wickedly fun, decadent, and her eyes told a story of insanity. I noticed that my cats had also taken notice.

The performances were only magnified on the DVD. The contrast of the music to kaRIN's voice was creepy and the crowd was loving it.

So was I, for that matter. I'd been revived to face certain sacrifice as now, I could not take my eyes from my screen. The whole of the scene threatened to envelop me and lose me in the insanity. I was more than happy to let it.

The "Live At The El Rey" session is something I could watch over and over again.

It's more than just concert footage...it's an experience.

The Rest Of The Story:
I'd spent hours tooling along the special features. The videos were hypnotic, the songs were abysmally beautiful and the imagery was tormentingly wonderful. The interview and video outtakes do nothing to destroy the illusion that is Collide. That is, if you believe it was all illusion.

Collide has done nothing short of creating a highly underrated media phenomenon with this work. Their attention to detail and hard work both as a studio unit and live act prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that you reap what you sow. This band hasn't created itself...it was spawned. There is no illusion to this band...and the source of their material comes from somewhere dark that even angels fear to touch.

There are things on this disc you'll see that you can't undo. You'll never get them out of your head. The imagery is beautiful and haunting and if you even remotely like Collide...this will cement your position as a die-hard fan. Even after I sieze control of my mind again, I'll still remain a fan after seeing this. I'm sure residual trace images will remain and threaten to overtake me.

But hey...what a helluva way to go huh?

Now...Lord Genocyde says, "Forth, my minions to grab your copy now!"