Justin Bieber released a film, Katy Perry released a film, and 1-Direction released a film, yet while they were all denounced as pure sell-out, teen-girl, gumpf, there’s now a music film that fully grown, adult, rock fans may actually want to watch; Metallica: Through The Never.
Unlike the documentary movies inter-spliced with concert clips, Through The Never isn’t really a typical film at all; if you watch the trailer (available below), it hints at the tale of a roadie who, whilst running an errand for the band, gets caught up in a city-wide riot and basically has a horrible night all set against the backdrop of an immensely cool Metallica gig; and while the kid from the trailer (Chronicle and Lawless star Dane DeHaan) does end up running into his fair share of trouble, there’s little to no story here (we don’t actually see all that much of the kid, and what we do makes little-to-no-sense), and Through The Never is basically just another Metallica: Live DVD, or an hour-and-a-half long music video.
That said, who doesn’t love a live rock concert? Who doesn’t want to see Metallica live (aside from the astonishing, supposed 4-out-of-5, Glastonbury-goers who wanted to sell their tickets when they heard Metallica were headlining)? And who doesn’t think staging a fake-riot, and filming in 3D, was a great hook to get people watching one of the biggest heavy metal bands of all time?
It was a great hook, and director Nimród Antal (whose fairly short, but prolific CV includes the likes of Predators, Vacancy, and Armored) has done a wonderful job crafting an exciting, modern, dark, and foreboding look to the film; Through The Never is wonderfully shot; the concert footage is brilliant, Metallica-worthy, and really makes you wish you were there, while the riot scenes are fantastically foreboding, mysterious, and a strange joy to watch (you really need to know what’s going on, and what’s so important that Dane DeHaan needs to risk his life).
The concert footage itself was filmed over a few nights (sorry to burst that bubble) in Vancouver and Edmonton in 2012, and forms an excellent live gig; it flows seamlessly, and really seems as if it was an epic one-night-only show (as it’s billed in the film). Set design, pyrotechnics, and additional video footage are all also fantastic (the video stage, underneath the band, being a particular highlight), and the live show alone is worth the price of the Blu-ray; it’s that good.
Hardcore fans will whine they preferred Glastonbury, say their best live show was Russia in ’91, that The Fillmore gigs were unforgettable, or that the boys haven’t been the same since Radio City in ’82, but Through The Never is a brilliant selection of music spanning the band’s 32-year-history in the business, reviving many of their best known tracks, and combining with the new cinematic footage, and 3D shooting style, to deliver the most immersive concert film ever released. Metallica fans will enjoy Through The Never for the music alone, but the impressive visuals, shooting flair, and larger-than-life atmosphere will keep everyone else entertained, and eventually have them head-knocking just as hard as the ‘Tallica-types; as this is the perfect way to appreciate Metallica’s art.
Having said that, it’s not all plain sailing; some fans will moan certain tracks have been left off the set list (which is posted below), and in certain respects the fictional scenes (which mostly work extremely well with the music) can be a little detracting from the music, not so much seeing the riots, but when the outside events begin to affect the stage it’s a little much; though overall, the fictional segments, unique shooting style, and experience they create, make Through The Never immensely immersive, eliminating the usual distance between you sitting on your sofa watching the gig, and the concert actually happening behind the glass screen; bringing you into the action, and helping you truly experience an excellent example of non-stop rock magic.
Set-List:
Also available via a soundtrack album of the same name, the setlist for Metallica: Through The Never is as follows:
- The Ecstasy of Gold
- Creeping Death
- For Whom the Bell Tolls
- Fuel
- Ride the Lightning
- One
- The Memory Remains
- Wherever I May Roam
- Cyanide
- …And Justice for All
- Master of Puppets
- Battery
- Nothing Else Matters
- Enter Sandman
- Hit the Lights
- Orion
Picture:
Through The Never was filmed natively in 3D, and it shows; whilst watching in 3D theres a clear sense of depth and dimensionality in not only the impressive stages shots, but looming cityscapes, and while there are a few instances of softness, artifacting, and other minor issues present (oddly enough always during the stage shots, as the citywide adventure seems to hold up exceptionally well), the energetic presentation is generally very good; as well as exceptional and immersive depth, there’s a vibrant colour palette which holds up well thanks to solid contrast and brightness, decent delineation and impressive black levels also add to the well saturated skintones and fine texture details, to deliver an image that while not perfect (and unfortunately has it’s minor faults, while negligible viewing in 2D, exacerbated in 3D), is still pretty solid, and sure to hold up to any Metallica fans’ scrutiny, because let’s face it, you’re here for the music.
Audio:
And in that sense Through The Never certainly doesn’t disappoint; the loud, and aggressive DTS-High Definition Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack is everything you could want from a Metallica-live Blu-ray; bass is weighty, ever-present, and heart-poundingly strong, the vocals are well prioritised and consistently clear, rear speakers are constantly active (filled with musical overspill and the roar of the crowd the back channels help to create a fully rounded experience and pull you into the concert experience), while the fictional elements of the roadie’s journey never overpower the music (Metallica are always front and centre; as they should be), and the extremely loud, bombastic, in-your-face soundtrack delivers the impressive, angry, and aggressive music of Metallica with all the ferocity, tenacity, and riotous vigour of an unrelenting, citywide, riot.
Special Features:
Making of Metallica: Through The Never: a feature-length (77 minute) documentary detailing every aspect of the production from beginning to end; including original brain-storming sessions with the band, the intricacies of crafting the on-stage props, filming the story sequences, and just about everything else you can imagine (including numerous interviews with the band, filmmakers, and crew), building for an extremely worthwhile making of that’s not only far superior than the majority of offerings provided by many modern Hollywood blockbusters, but sure to satisfy any Through The Never Fan.
Band & Crew Interviews: ten minutes of largely redundant footage which is far more promotional in nature, and simply re-treads a lot of ground covered in the ‘making of’ feature.
Sound Collection Interview: Another ten minutes of the same, EPK-style featurette, which re-treads ground covered during the ‘making of.’
Mill Valley Film Festival Q&A (29mins): following the premiere of the film back in September 2013, Dane DeHaan, and Nimród Antal join the band for a Q&A session which unlike the other stand-alone interview sections is a nice inclusion; given that it’s presented in full, and delivers a few anecdotes, and extra slices of information, we didn’t get during the ‘making of.’
Orion Festival Film Tent Highlights (53mins): A second Q&A session (hosted by drummer Lars Ulrich), which is also just as watchable, features a different selection of speakers (including producer Charlotte Huggins), and again provides a few more nuggets of information about the production, even if it’s length may mean it’s only seen by more persistent fans.
Master of Puppets Music Video (9mins): The title speaks for itself with this one.
Theatrical Trailer: Available to view below, the rather misleading trailer which suggested the roadie played by Dane DeHaan had a much bigger role than he actually did, and that there may have actually been a riot-based film, with a real plot, buried behind the music of Through The Never.
Overall, a fantastic selection of bonus materials that not only rival, but surpass the offerings of almost all modern major motion pictures; sure of them may be a touch lengthy, or unnecessary (though while the information in the interview sections may have already been covered during the ‘making of’ the shorter length may make them more accessible to casual viewers), but they’re all worthy inclusions, delivering worthy information, and providign exactly what the fans want, without any unnecessary filler material; and you’d be hard pressed to find a better selection of extras on any music DVD or Blu-ray out today.
The Bottom Line:
The trailer may have been misleading, it suggested an anarchic movie following the journey of a young roadie on some superfluous errand, with an awesome soundtrack, yet what we were given was more of an outright concert film; a ‘Metallica Live in Canada’ DVD, but somehow, after you realise that’s what you’re getting, that there’s no film, the non-cohesive ‘story’ sections simply served as a hook to gain interest, and support the still awesome soundtrack that comes from these live performances, it doesn’t matter, because what Metallica delivered with Through The Never, is one of the most immersive concert films ever released.
And, coming to Blu-ray with excellent visuals (sure there are a few minor problems, but they’re fairly negligible), perfect audio representation, and accompanied by the finest selection of special features you’re ever likely to see on a Tour DVD, or even big budget movie (seriously, look at the extras on any recent Box Office blockbuster, and they wont hold a patch to Through The Never), this is one film, and Blu-ray release that Metallica fans are bound to appreciate.
If you’re not a Metallica fan, or even casually entertained by some of the band’s more famous tracks, you’re probably better off looking elsewhere, because at its heart this is simply a Metallica on tour DVD, but at the same time, even if you are little more than a casual listener, you’re likely to be thoroughly hooked in with the impressive visuals, and Nimród Antal’s unique shooting style, and will likely develop a new found appreciation for the music, and truly end up wishing you were there.
Loud, aggressive, and perfectly balanced, this is exactly how Metallica were supposed to be heard, and thanks to a truly immersive soundtrack, a solid set list, and hugely impressive visuals, Through The Never is every Metallica fans dream concert, and perfect Blu-ray release; as close as you could possibly get to seeing them live, at a fraction of the cost, Through The Never really brings Metallica into your living room. A great buy for any true Metallica fan, and a good rent/watch for a casual fan.
Matt Wheeldon – @TheMattWheeldon.
