I remember that in the early days a live release was something special. It was something a band often did after a long period of touring and recording. For example ‘Live after Death’ (Iron Maidens first Full Length live release, not mentioned Maiden England) was released after a non stop period of five years touring and releasing albums. The follow up for ‘Live after Death’ came in 1993 with ‘A Real Live One’ and ‘A Real Death one’ (in 1998 re-released as ‘A Real Live/Death One’). In between those releases where four studio albums. In 2002 it was time for their third full length live release. ‘Rock in Rio’ was the first live release in 10 years. But I just don’t understand why there has to be another Live DVD from Iron Maiden, it is only three years (and some months) since ‘Rock In Rio’, in the mean while they’ve released only one studio album. And if maiden is so desperate to release A live DVD I think they’d please their fans much more with a DVD release form the ‘Give me Ed…’ tour a ‘best of tour’ Iron Maiden did in 2003.

‘Death on the Road’ comes in a nice digi-pack, to loose no more quality than absolutely necessary the concert footage is spread out over two DVD’s disc one contains the full concert in stereo and disc two contains the full show in Dolby Digital. The sound on this DVD is absolutely perfect as well in stereo as in Dolby, but it is the picture that makes the show very hard to look at. Why, in Gods name, is it necessary to edit it so damn fast, three to four shots per second is really to much. Some shots only last a few tenths of a second, witch makes the picture very difficult to look at. It even starts irritating me.

Besides the poor editing this DVD is absolutely worth its money.

Besides the usual songs they play six songs from their latest album; ‘Dance of Death’. One of the highlights is absolutely the acoustic performance of “Journeyman”, for the first time in 30 years Iron Maiden performs an acoustic song. It is also very nice they’ve putted songs as “Can I Play with Madness” and “Lord of the Flies” back on the set list. Of course no Iron Maiden show is complete without “Number of the Beast”, “Hallowed Be Thy Name”, “Run to the Hills” and their name anthem “Iron Maiden”, although I’d rather see some songs they don’t play every show (for example; “Sea of Madness”, “Children of the Damned”).

The extra’s is what makes this DVD worth every cent. First there is a seventy-five (!!!!) minute documentary about the making of ‘Dance of Death’ and the ‘Death on the Road’ tour. Every band member tells his own story about the new album, and for the first time the fan gets an open view in the studio while recording the album. Then there is thirty minute ‘Live on the Road’ Documentary in witch you get to see al of the important people who made the ‘Death on the Road’ tour possible, all the instrumental technicians, the tour manager the stage manger, the sound- and light-engineers and so on. As if that is not enough there is thirty minute compilation of fan interviews, a fifteen minute press interview prior to the release of the ‘Dance Of Death’ album and of course both promo video’s (Wildest Dreams & Rainmaker) and a photo gallery.

Like I said beside the fact that it is Iron Maidens second full length live release in three years and the editing of the live footage is not so well, this DVD is absolutely worth its money due to all the very interesting extras.