Everyone that does not know SLAYER can close his/her browser right now and go see Teletubbies. I can't even imagine someone saying he/she is a metalhead not knowing this band.

Presentations, history lineup changes and  releases don't have any meaning. So, as long as we are waiting for the new album from this great - for most of us - band, their latest DVD French Connection is here. And when we talk about DVDs in the present time, and not VHS, we are waiting to see high quality image, good Dolby stereo (if not a surround one) sound and some goodies (art gallery, an interview or backstage footage).

So, what's going on in this DVD? This is a recording of SLAYER's performance at France's Eurockeennes De Belfort festival in July 2003. But, even though I really like and respect SLAYER I don't even want to think that they saw the DVD before it hit the stores. Even from Disciple someone can understand that this is something average. The quality of the image reminded me of the old days with the VHS cassettes: The four(?) cameras give a blur and noisy image that in a monitor bigger than 22 inches will be impossible to see. The sound is another aspect. Probably the ones responsible for this release counted on the die-hard fans of the band and didn't care about the package. The sound is not the one that you expect from SLAYER.

First it was the idea not to close the sound from the console and every time they are changing a guitar, we are listening the usual sound that we have when we unplug a guitar. Furthermore, it doesn't sound as loud as we hoped to be. Even Araya seems that, sometimes, is trying not to be that loud (maybe bad equipment?). As for the other three men: King is the one that we all know and Dave is the one that keeps everyone in the tempo. He even gives that something extra to the Bostaph-era songs. But the disappointment of that night is Hanneman. I don't know if he just wasn't at his day or too much alcohol was running at his veins but he made most of the mistakes by losing notes and, if you listen to his solos, they all sound the same. If you add that the songs are not hiding any surprises and that you won't find any extra goodies, not even a small interview, then you can understand what's going on here.

I can't understand the purpose of French Connection. I don't even know if this release is an official one or just it had to be out in the stores due to an agreement with the ones that held the festival. I'm sure that die-hard fans and the ones that were in this festival will buy it. As for all the others, let us stick to the older DVDs and their albums and just wait for a proper live release with Dave behind the drums.

P.S.: This rate is about this DVD and not for the songs or the band...