Search - Royal Hunt :: 1996

Royal Hunt best album by far!

Carlos I. Alsina | San Juan, Puerto Rico United States | 10/31/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Este disco lo compré de casualidad. Compré "Paradox" y jamás lo he escuchado. Tuve una corazonada y fue totalmente un acierto. Esta banda, de gran profundidad musical, se maneja a sus anchas y de que forma. Son muy pocas las bandas que pueden tocar tan bien en directo........Definitivamente, son sensacionales..I got this CD by pure casualty. I buyed "Paradox" and honestly, I have never heard it... but I got a premonition that this band is really good....the players well docted in classical music play and how they do it!!!!!! Only the superbands can perform in this way live were few tricks are allowed..........."

Amazing live albums!

Justin Gaines | Northern Virginia | 12/19/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm not usually a big fan of live albums. I rarely pick them up unless it is a band I really love, which is why I took a chance on Royal Hunt's double-disc release 1996.



Recorded live in Japan just after the release of the band's Moving Target album, 1996 is an excellent summary of Royal Hunt's career up to that point. The band's charismatic new vocalist DC Cooper proved to be extremely popular, particularly in Japan, so the decision to record their live album there proved to be a wise one.



The band played a good mix of songs from their three studio albums. Their first two albums, which did not feature Cooper on vocals, still had some great songs, and it was a real treat to hear DC's take on them. It was like all Royal Hunt's songs were just meant to be sung by DC Cooper. Look no further than songs like Clown in the Mirror and Land of Broken Hearts for proof of this.



The band was in top form for this show, with DC leading the way. His singing was every bit as good, if not better, than what you heard on the studio album Moving Target, and his interaction with the crowd was a tremendous asset to the live album. Whether he was challenging them to sing along or trying out some Japanese phrases, the crowd's energetic and enthusiastic response enhances the overall atmosphere and excitement of the album and helps the listener (this one anyway) feel like he was right there in the audience that night.



1996 was never released domestically, and the import isn't necessarily cheap, but if you are at all a fan of DC Cooper or Royal Hunt, you owe it to yourself to check this one out. As much as I love the studio albums, this is by far my favorite Royal Hunt release, and the one I keep reaching for over and over again. I see it as the band's finest moment, and one that, due to the ill-advised firing of DC Cooper in 1999, would never be achieved again.



A couple of related notes - Some of the songs resurfaced a few years later in their Double Live in Japan release, but this is the only way to get the complete 1996 live performance on disc. There was also a VHS release of the show, which was quite good as well. I hope that it will one day see a proper DVD release, but that seems unlikely given the band's split with Cooper and their focus on newer material.

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