The Killers: Live From The Royal Albert Hall Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.5

The Killers: Live From The Royal Albert Hall Blu-ray Movie Review

I am familiar with the music of The Killers - how could I not be, my local radio stations play a few of their hits practically non-stop - but I don’t think I ever thought about seeing them live. Having just finished watching Live From The Royal Albert Hall though, I must confess that next time the Las Vegas-based quartet stop in my town, I would be amongst the first to enter the venue where they would perform. Yes, they are that impressive live!

Live From The Royal Albert Hall is one very intense show. It was recorded during The Killers' stop in London this summer where Brandon Flowers (vocals, keyboards), Mark Stoermer (bass guitar), Dave Keuning (guitar, backing vocals), and Ronnie Vannucci (drums, percussion) performed a number of their top hits in front of an enthusiastic sellout crowd - "Human", "Somebody Told Me", "Smile Like You Mean It", "All These Things That I've Done", etc.

The Killers have been labeled by the media as part alternative, part neo-punk, a band with a "constantly progressing sound" (Suite101.com), and I tend to agree with the description. Currently, there are only a few other bands out there that I could think of whose music is as unique and as innovative as that of the Las Vegas-based quartet. Sure, when I listen to "Mr. Brightside", "This Is Your Life", "The World We Live In", and "Spaceman", for example, I could tell that the likes of Duran Duran, New Order, The Cure, Spandau Ballet and Erasure (perhaps even a bit of the softer New York Dolls), have been inspirational to The Killers - which, I suppose, is one of the main reasons they have reached a near cult status in the United Kingdom - but these guys definitely have a style of their own.

Would this be enough to dethrone the likes of Led Zeppelin and Nirvana, however - as promised by Brandon Flowers not too long ago (NME.com) - I don’t know. What I do know is that The Killers are on the right track as far as creating quality music is concerned, and there are hundreds of thousands of people around the world that absolutely love what they are doing.

Ready to be killed!

The Killers: Live From The Royal Albert Hall Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080i "live" transfer, The Killers: Live From The Royal Albert Hall arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Def Jam/Universal Music Distribution.

Recorded earlier this summer, The Killers: Live From The Royal Albert Hall is undoubtedly one of the most striking music discs to reach my desk in 2009. The entire show looks incredible - and I don't mean only the quality of the actual presentation; the camera work is beyond impressive. Captured with state-of-the-art technology, The Killers: Live From The Royal Albert Hall is a never-ending panorama of spectacular visuals that give one a true sense of what the atmosphere inside the famous venue was while the Las Vegas-based rockers were rocking their fans. Multiple, strategically positioned cameras provide all sorts of different views at the unique stage, cheering fans and backstage action.

The 1080i "live" transfer is excellent. Detail is terrific, clarity fantastic and contrast outstanding (the stage lighting is truly one of a kind) throughout the entire show. The color-scheme is also very impressive - yellows, reds, blues, greens, grays, blacks and whites will fill up your screen the moment you pop the disc in your player.

Motion-judder is not an issue of concern, though a few times I noticed a bit of mild blurring as the camera was zooming over the fancy stage. There are certainly no disturbing shadow effects to report either. All in all, if you desperately wanted to see The Killers performing live at the Royal Albert Hall this summer, but couldn't make the trip to London, you want to get a hold of this Blu-ray disc as soon as possible!

(Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).

The Killers: Live From The Royal Albert Hall Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are three audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: Music DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Music LPCM 2.0, and Music Dolby Digital 5.1. I opted for the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and later on did a few random comparisons with the other two tracks for the purpose of this review.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is solid. It offers a full and rich sound that will fill up your room and make you feel as if you were at The Royal Albert Hall. Brandon Flowers' singing is crisp and clear, Dave Keuning's guitar solos very easy to distinguish, Mark Stoermer's bass blending well, and Ronnie Vannucci's drums adding a strong rhythm to the energetic music. This being said, at times some of the high-frequencies tend to be a bit subdued, perhaps because of the prominent role the audience has. On the positive side, however, during many of the songs, balance is practically perfect.

Dynamically, the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is undoubtedly superior to the other two tracks found on this Blu-ray disc. I tested a number of different songs - "Spaceman", "The World We Live In", and "All These Things That I've Done" - and the sound is certainly far richer and well rounded on the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. For the record, I did not detect any problematic audio dropouts to report on this review.

The Killers: Live From The Royal Albert Hall Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Note: All supplemental features include optional English, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese and Italian subtitles.

Behind The Scenes - a standard featurette introducing the tech people that make all The Killers shows possible. (24 min, 1080i/60).

Fan's Eye View - a look at the Royal Albert Hall through the eyes of the fans. (4 min, 1080i/60).

The Killers: Live From The Royal Albert Hall Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that fans of The Killers would be thrilled with this Blu-ray disc - it is incredibly well produced and priced right. For some unknown to me reason, however, The Killers: Live From The Royal Albert Hall is not easy to find. I hope Def Jam realize that they have a great product in their hands and begin promoting it as they should. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.