This DVD and its content is a product of which they can be very proud.

I was fortunate enough to review Eyevory's debut album 'Euphobia' (issue 61) likening it at times to a more AOR flavoured take on Jethro Tull's Progressive musical endeavours and it's something I have returned to on a number of occasions since. In early 2013 the German band undertook a successful crowd-funding campaign that exceeded all expectations, allowing them to realise their dream of performing with a full orchestra, alongside the added bonus of having the event filmed by a professional crew. The show would act as a showcase and promotional exercise for the material featured on 'Euphobia', which would get a release a few weeks later.

The songs in the set taken from 'Euphobia' are faithful reproductions of the studio versions, complimented and embellished by the power of the orchestra and married with the rawness that a live performance can bring. The rest of the set is made up of songs taken from the band's 2012 'The True Bequest' EP and these too vary only slightly from the original versions, with only minor or extended re-arrangements.

Jana Frank and Kaja Fischer share lead vocals and also play bass and flute respectively. The twenty-five piece orchestra replaces the keyboards and synths that enhance the sound on the studio versions (though guitarist David Merz does take to the piano for a heartfelt rendition of 'Hope'), seemingly adding more depth and consequently generating more of an impact.

The natural combination of Progressive, Folk and Rock styles means the material has lots of variety and everyone in the band gets an opportunity to shine. The mix throughout is spot on and the sound has a distinct clarity, something I have missed from too many shows I have attended in recent years. The stage set-up is very basic and there are no effects or fancy gimmicks to detract from the performances of the four members of the band and the orchestra to their side. The filming side-steps fancy edits or flashy camera work, again allowing the viewer to concentrate on the band, and the eighty-three minute running time passes very quickly. A seventeen minute sub-titled documentary outlines the problems associated in staging an event like this, but it is evident there is a passion and enthusiasm within everyone who took part in its creation.

Some would consider this a bold move for a band so early in their career but this DVD and its content is a product of which they can be very proud.

Dave Bott