Gothic Rock's The Mission brings an exciting concert film to the eager hands of their fans. Formed in 1986 after splitting from The Sisters Of Mercy, Wayne Hussey formed the group and brought to the world a solid Gothic Rock sensation. Deep melodies and often somber lyrical content made them a hit among fans of bands like The Cult and The Cure. Over the years The Mission has had several different line-ups and this DVD finds leader Hussey and a host of new members (Richie Vernon, Rob Holliday and Steve Spring) in concert from 2004. While I was not much the study of the band I quickly was able to enjoy what was being performed very easily. From a production standpoint this is fantastic as you feel at points that you are at the concert based on the shots the cameras are taking. It was filmed at a sold out concert at Koln, Germany and this video brings The Mission to life in your own home as 18 of their best songs are performed. The sound and lighting were done to tremendous effect as well in delivering this to a very dramatic sense. Great lighting always appeals to me at a show and the nature of The Mission's music combined with what was being done during this show was terrific to watch and better brought this to life.
Bonus Features: DVD2 holds all of the bonus segments from this release and one of the most impressive pieces is the biography which is done in photos that are spoken over by Wayne Hussey. It's a great way to do this sort of documentary considering Hussey started the group. It's quite interesting to hear recollections based on various photographs. There are some good ones in here as well and for fans of the group this is sure to be a highlight. There is a "Day In The Life" feature that follows them on tour, solo work by Hussey recorded at various clubs, live and television bootlegs with commentary, discography and even Easter Eggs. It surprised me to note that hidden stuff was here as well since so much is presented for the viewer that they simply should have added a menu option to find them.
Primarily this is more for fans of the group but it is also a safe and enjoyable experience for those that simply want a couple of hours of quality music from a band that helped forge the Gothic Rock genre. The documentary and bonus video features help to make this a must have. A CD is included that features a number of performances recorded in 2004 directly from the soundboard. The whole package is nice to look at and comes with a booklet that better explains the finer points of the piece. Time to see why The Mission is considered so influential to the Gothic style. It's a dark journey worth taking.
Song Listing
1. Intro: Deep Still Water
2. Crystal Ocean
3. Evangeline
4. Hymn (For America)
5. (Slave To) Lust
6. Garden Of Delight
7. Severina
8. Breathe Me In
9. Butterfly On A Wheel
10. Belief
11. Sacrilege
12. Wasteland
13. Daddy's Going To Heaven Now
14. Like A Child Again
15. Beyond The Pale
16. Serpent's Kiss
17. Deliverance
18. Tower Of Strength
19. Wasteland – video
20. Severina – video
21. Tower Of Strength – video
22. Butterfly On A Wheel – video
23. Never Again – video
24. Deliverence – video
25. Evangeline – video