By Mislav Forrester
Writer
Thousand Foot Krutch – Live at the Masquerade
Alternative rock
June 7, 2011 / Tooth & Nail
After about 15 years together, Thousand Foot Krutch finally release a live CD/DVD. The setlist, as would be expected from the title, tends to favor songs from their latest album, such as “Welcome to the Masquerade,” “Bring Me To Life,” “E For Extinction,” “Scream,” “Fire It Up” and “Already Home.” “Set It Off” is represented by the closing encore “Puppet”, and “Phenomenon” only contributes the hit “Rawkfist.” “The Art of Breaking” ‘s “Move” and “Absolute” are over by the fifth track, and “The Flame in All Of Us” contributes its title track “What Do We Know?” and “Falls Apart.” The emphasis on the most recent album is understandable, but it seems a shame that “Phenomenon”, a very consistent and high-quality album, is so underrepresented. It would appear that Thousand Foot Krutch is turning its focus away from rap and towards hard rock.
While “Welcome to the Masquerade” is a great studio album, its songs do not seem as engaging in a live setting, for both the band and the audience, as do those from “The Art of Breaking or Phenomenon”. The performance is extremely tight–just about every note is in place (sometimes with the help of pre-recorded tracks)–and while this is not necessarily a bad thing, a little more deviation from the studio versions could have colored the show in a positive way. The camera work could have been more interesting; much greater emphasis is placed on the touring guitarist (not even a permanent band member), while the bassist who presumably sings the back-up vocals is seldom shown up close. The drummer is only represented from one side, so his close-ups quickly become rather monotonous. On the other hand, the light, fire and steam show is quite impressive.
Overall, “Live at the Masquerade” is a pleasant testament to the success of Thousand Foot Krutch, but the rather short set list and emphasis on medium-energy songs leaves a little to be desired in a live DVD. There are also no special features at all, so what you hear (and see) is exactly what you get. Recommended for serious fans, but casual fans may be better suited to the studio albums.