If this DVD is sold at a more-than-reasonable price, 80s Metal-unatics shall act fast and grab an obscure piece of American Power/Thrash Metal history. Achtung: only for 80s US Metal fanatics. The quality and the live script are hardcore enough...
HADES did not eventually make it big in the Metal world. They were formed early enough in the 80s (to be more precise, late in the 70s), so as to strike some good recognition in the uprising of heavier Metal music, while their lineup featured two names willing to fight for the US Metal Major League: Dan Lorenzo (THE CURSED, NON-FICTION) and Alan Tecchio (WATCHTOWER, NON-FICTION, SEVEN WITCHES). Maybe their blend was brutal enough for classic metalheads/epic warriors and kinda mild for lustful thrashers, not to forget that their playing/songwriting was complex enough and many of their lyrics were dealing with politics. On the other hand, such crossover acts like METAL CHURCH, VICIOUS RUMORS and OVERKILL shot to kill. Anyway, talkin' ‘bout HADES is enough talking 'bout one of the most valuable ‘Metal' acts in the US Metal scene in the 80s. More than remarkable, their Resisting Success (1987) and If At First You Don't Succeed... (1988) albums pair still offer lessons of how to play complex yet 100% Metal and full-of-attack music.
The good people at the Keep It True festival made HADES a reunion offer they couldn't refuse. Yes, it's a bit of a ways off - April 2010, reads a bulletin' at the New Jersey-based defunct quintet's MySpace page. Alan and Dan and Ed and Jimmy (ex-ATTACKER) will be there and try to re-capture the spirit they had 22 years ago like in Boston that night, as widely seen in the DVD herein reviewed. OK, the footage ranges from poor to average; so does the sound. But, for HADES devotees the case is to read between the lines.
And what would a HADES fan see here? The band playing like demons on crack, speeding and thrashing their setlist with unrestrained vigour and merciless envy in front of an equally demonized crowd. HADES were on tour with MANOWAR, NUCLEAR ASSAULT, WARGASM and MELIAH RAGE that time and - judging from the billing alone - the speakers should have had a tuff time goin'. At the time, HADES had just released their second full length album (earlier 7 singles had  pre-showed a more classic Heavy direction for the band) and both the musicians and the fans were hungry for metallic warfare. The setlist captured on DVD (shot from somewhere in the frond rows, I can imagine) consists of songs including ruthless Metal tunes like Opinionate!, Diplomatic Immunity, The Leaders?, I Too Eye and Nightstalker. A hostile rhythm section, some hardhearted riffs/leads and Alan's shrieking vocals sum it up to a killer performance by the band. A core fan shall realize that to the blink of an eye.
Bonus goodies: Alan and Dan and former members speak about HADES' history (a 45-minute interview, woah!), while '80s stuff' slots pump out non-stop (some real onstage performance treasures in there!). It's an in-depth talk featuring the dreams, aims and initial split up of the band (with the parallel/further development of the more down-tuned NON-FICTION). HADES did release a string of albums in their reformation period (1995-2001) worth your attention if you're fond of the natural/era-connected evolution in Metal songwriting/sound/production (the promo video for Ground Zero N.Y.C. from 2000's The Downside CD is included here).
Repeat: If you expect some multi-angle 'pro' footage you'll just get quite the opposite product. Still, that's not the case here; Cruz Del Sur offers a rare visual product building up to a HADES total collection. A band that suffered enough (from lineup changes to bad luck). This DVD shall bring again thoughts of cynicism in the minds of 80s metalheads regarding who should climb on top those days in the Metal world. Shit...such an intelligent Metal band.
P.S.: The rating applies to fans of the band and only.