Mudvayne formed in Peoria, Illinois in 1996 and have established quite a large fanbase. They pump out heavy music with screaming vocals and their fans seem to love it. Quite a lot like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Mudvayne take that sound and add theatrics to their stage personas. There is demonic makeup, spiked hair and blood spattered faces, all adding to the on-stage experience of this band.

L[ive] D[osage] 50 L.I.V.E. In Peora captures the guys playing their hometown on June 14, 2001. The concert was primarily to promote their second album LD 50, which means lethal dosage 50. This is a term used to determine the dosage percentage it would take to kill 50% of test subjects. Their self released debut album Kill, I Oughtta was another fine testament as to what this band stands for. Fans in the audience are fanatical, especially in the mosh pit, one proudly displaying a t-shirt declaring, “1 Shot 1 Kill� – nice.

Scary!

The four band members are Kud on vocals, Ryknow on bass, Gurrg on guitar and Spag on drums. Without doubt the guys are all talented musicians, but this form of music is definitely an acquired taste, one that this reviewer hasn’t acquired or particularly wants to, despite a penchant for heavier stuff. Fans seem to love them though and if this is your kind of music, you will definitely love this live show.

Track listing...

This show really catches the band in their element and truly captures the audience excitement. This is the sort of band that many will find offensive or perhaps lacking in talent, but there really is a place for groups like this, record sales can testify to that. They operate on the basis of testing limits and those prepared to go along for the ride will likely enjoy it.

In keeping with the feel the band is trying to generate, one can only assume that this video quality is intentional and shall be rated with that in mind. It is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1 and is not 16:9 enhanced. Put simply, this is one of the roughest looking concert features out there. There are constant problems caused by lighting, tons of grain and only average sharpness. Shadow detail is also poor and oversaturation of colours is constant. If these faults are not intentional by the producers then they really should go back to film school. Subtitles would have been a nice inclusion, as it is a struggle to understand what the lead singer is screaming most of the time.

Audio is supplied in a choice of Linear PCM stereo and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround and, to be honest, the PCM track is the preferred one. The surround mix gives a fuller sound, but the PCM sounds a lot more balanced and easier to understand. Synch seemed to be accurate throughout and there are no problems with distortion or drop outs. The surround mix utilises the rear speakers well and the subwoofer gets a solid workout.

First up in the extras is a ten page biography which gives a good background on the band and their theories and influences. Next is a behind the scenes featurette which contains four short sequences of the guys driving around along with footage taken in the midst of the mosh pit. Thirdly is a photo gallery which contains six pages of pictures. Lastly is the best extra by far, the music video for Death Blooms. Running for 4:32 it is a highlight of the package.

This really is one for fans and not many others. This release can also now be purchased in the Now See Hear series which also comes with the LD 50 CD, making it superb value for new converts. The video is poor, but the assumption is made that it is intentionally this way, while the audio is reasonable. There is a good selection of extras that should also satisfy fans.