Good. Leather pants good.
Z. Miller | 10/10/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This DVD teaches you how to play four metal classics from beginning to end and is similar to many instructional DVDs in this category. It has features that set it apart from other instructional DVDs, but it is not without shortcomings.
First, the good. The guitar instuctor dude is quite informative and he is pretty thorough in his explanations of technique and how to play the songs. There is also on-screen tab visible as he is showing you the riffs and licks. Another cool feature is that each song has a chord diagram available in the DVD menu. This is helpful when you're piecing it all together, or you just need to reference a chord while learning the song. The aforementioned dude shows you how to play each section of the song, and then there is a performance at the end. The performance is a beatnik style setup in which the guitar dude plays and another guy is there singing the lyrics. The are no bass or drums. It feels a little odd and cheese-a-rific, but the guy can at least sing well. So rock on, random singin' guy.
Now, the not-so-good. I was a little disappointed that there are no backing tracks so you can play on your own. You can still play along with the performance section, though, and join in on the creepy beatnik session.
My biggest complaint about this DVD involves "The Trooper." One of the main reasons I purchased it was to learn the solo in this song. However, when it comes time to learn the solo section of the song, the guy informs you "We're not actually going to learn the solo, but I will show you the rhythm under the solo."
Now imagine you really like the movie Star Wars. Then, when the Death Star is just about to explode, a guy walks out on screen and says "We're not actually going to show the Death Star explode. Instead, here's Ewoks doin' it!" Okay, so it's not quite like that, but you can imagine my disappointment.
Despite this, I really enjoy this title and the variety of songs within. It was my first exposure to Dokken, which I must admit I enjoyed. I would definitely check out the other volumes in this series as well."