Last updated
May 11 2011

Why films on TV in their original widescreen ratio is good for you

News & Views News Archive Announcements All About Us Email Dom Write 4 DVDfever Competitions Music Charts Music Chart Archive Games Chart Archive Cinema Chart Archive Cinema Releases Cinema Reviews Press Releases TV Issues Frank Sidebottom's World Wide Shed R2 DVD Reviews Blu-ray Reviews HD-DVD Reviews R1 DVD Reviews R3-6 DVD Reviews DVD List Xbox 360 Reviews CD Reviews Audiobook Reviews PS2 Reviews PSP Reviews Xbox Reviews Gamecube Revs GBA Reviews PC Reviews Hardware Revs Concert Reviews Video Reviews Comedy Reviews Book Reviews Screenplay Reviews Movie Downloads Interviews TV Shows PSX Reviews N64 Reviews Dreamcast Revs Laserdisc Revs Short Stories DVDs In Brief Right To Reply Why Widescreen? DVD Links Music Links WS Video List WS PAL LD List Me and my Aortic Valve!

Elly Roberts reviews

CD: Fallen Explosive Evanescence rocked the NEC Birmingham, on their UK debut appearance. With one hit album and three singles successes, they’re rapidly turning the tourniquet on inferior American bands, like Korn and Slipknot. Central to their popularity is their new ‘ Princess of Rock ‘ – Amy Lee. (right) The raven-haired tiny chanteuse, a hybrid of Goth and Grunge, she belts out one hell of a sound. As with many rock singers, the vocal clarity is sadly missing in the din: and it’s a big shame. With consummate easy she fluttered through the lower and upper registers. She is without doubt one of the best female Rock singers on the planet – few of her contemporaries could compete with this level of performance. In addition, she has charisma and presence. Madonna ring a bell? Oh no, she’s way above her in natural talent and in the singing department. Song writing skills are of the highest order, particularly the ballads, which just for the record are hair-raising, eg. My Immortal. Highlights of he show were the three song piano solos, My Immortal, Breathe No More and Thoughtless, as the arena lit up with swaying cigarette lighters. Gentler moods seem to suit her singing better, and they got the biggest applause. This is when she comes from the soul, and not from the head.

The set list.

So, what about the rest of their material ? It’s powerful, and occasionally anthemic, but only occasionally. Rapid chord pounding makes up a great deal of their sound, like Bring Me To Life, Imaginary with little emphasis placed on individual guitar technique and style : and there’s a lot of posturing by a couple of band members. But, when you add the angelic choric background to it, lush with soaring harmonies ; it is quite stunning, and very religious in atmosphere, as found on Tourniquet. Amy Lee, who is the main attraction for the fans, or was it the ’Addams Family Convention ‘, put her heart and soul into every note, as she frenetically strutted her stuff for just over an hour. Yes , it was that short a gig. Nevertheless, they have phenomenal potential. One album in the bag, they are setting the pace, and key to their potential greatness,(and they could be huge one day), is the willingness to evolve at pace as well. Hopefully, their next album will show more maturity, or at least progress, and that evidence is locked away in some of the Fallen CD tracks. There is much to admire about this band, and they are on course to be one of America’s super groups. They have already won two Grammy’s – "Best New Artist" and "Best Hard Rock Performance", and they deserve them, but they’re not the finished article just yet. New single – Everybody’s Fool is out Monday 24 May. More info Evanescence.com

Review & pics copyright © Elly Roberts, 2004.

As of April 2009, Blu-rays and DVDs reviewed by the editor are watched on a Panasonic TH-37PX80B 37" Plasma TV with a Sony BDP-1500 Blu-ray player and played through a Yamaha DSP-AX820 amplifier.

PC games reviewed by the editor are on: