Search - Sugarcult :: Back to the Disaster Walmart Version

An album for the fans.

Chris Zammit | St. Louis, MO USA | 12/31/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Sugarcult's latest offering, Back to the Disaster, can best be described as a compilation to reward their fans for their dediation. While a person new to the band could be turned on to them by this collection, it's the fans that have been with the band for years that will get the most out of this two-disc set.



THE DVD - "Back to the Disaster":

The menu is pretty confusing so here's how it goes:

The first screen is "Reel One" which is Back to the Disaster, the feature documentary. Reel Two is a collection of music videos(Memory, She's the Blade). Reel Three more behind the scenes stuff, and reel four is about overseas tours in Europe, UK, and Japan in 2003. Reel five is a couple live performances of Memory and Bouncing off the Walls in 2004 at Warped Tour(Damn, why didn't I go, they were in St. Louis...!), as well as Champagne, You're the One, and Worst December at Starland Ballroom. Reel Six is a photo slideshow if you're into that sort of thing. Also, if you keep pushing left while looking at all the reels, it shows you an easter egg about Tim's reaction to Markko leaving the tour to have his baby... anyway...



The DVD sheds a lot of light on the band, letting you get to know each member of the band, and how they relate to eachother, and their fans. Like many DVD documentaries like this it consists of a lot of interviews as well as random candid bits.



My personal favorite part of the disc was their video about touring Japan with Green Day. It shows a lot of cool things about Japan; architechture, food(live fish?), and the crazy fans. An interesting glimpse, I thought.



The DVD can be most appreciated by already-fans of the band, as it lets you get a little closer, and shows you some angles you'd probably never thought of. It's amazing what happens on tour.



Also, cool glimpses into why things are the way they are, such as, where "Palm Trees and Power Lines" came from. Also, at the end when the credits roll, a great acoustic version of Memory.



THE CD - "Live at the Starland Ballroom":

I loved the CD! Having seen Sugarcult live at Pointfest(Summer 2004, UMB Bank Pavilion, St. Louis, MO), I can really appreciate the disc - for anyone who's seen them live, it's like an instant flashback to the mosh pit.



It's really noteworthy that Sugarcult's live performances really don't lose anything in translation from the studio to the stage. In fact,they gain a lot of energy from the crowd when performing, as many bands do...



If you've ever seen them live, I reccommend picking this up. I wish it was longer!



OVERALL:

****-



Great compilation. I give it four stars rather than a perfect five because while fans will enjoy hearing the music, the lack of new content might be a turn-off. Also, as far as the audio portion, I can not understand why they wouldn't just record an entire show, as opposed to only nine songs and thirty minutes. Very good, but too short! As far as the DVD, I dont think there's much room for improvement. Again, some new songs would have been nice - stop teasing us with talk about the new CD!



As a Sugarcult fan since Start Static nearly five years ago, I thoroughly enjoyed Back to the Disaster. Especially since it's a bargain at the price. Well done, Sugarcult. Can't wait until the next real album."