Are You Ready To Rock with Chris Osterman of Iron Kingdom

Iron Kingdom is readying their latest record, On The Hunt, which you can pick up via Bandcamp, in Canadian Dollars on digital, or you can get the CD at their Online MERCH store.

But for now, let's talk about delicious live records.

1. Every major band worth its salt has released a live album. 

Tell me about your favorite A list band's live record and your favorite underground live album.

I’d have to go with Scorpions - World Wide Live,  that record got me hooked on the band, all the leads and the way Klaus worked the crowd, the energy, the song selections, really the whole package made me dream of seeing them live.  

As for an underground act, I’d probably have to choose Crystal Viper - Defenders Of The Magic Circle (Live in Germany)

2. Kiss, Metallica, Led Zeppelin, etc, all have released several live sets. Tell me about a band who's gotten you to purchase multiple live sets and why?

I got into buying a bunch of live albums from Deep Purple, as you probably know, they were very much so a jam band when playing live.  

Naturally, I found the live versions had some really cool experimental things going on that the albums didn’t always have, and it would change from live set to live set, so ya, I have a bunch of their live releases along with live DVDs and I find myself going back to listen to them year after year.

3. Now, it's time to take a stand. Would you rather have an album like Kiss's Alive! where the tracks were doctored into perfection or would you rather have a Jimi Hendrix Live At Berkeley set where they just mixed and mastered the tapes?

Well, I’ll be honest,  I think many live albums have been doctored, and some more than others of course, but this is the entertainment industry, and people want a polished product.  

I can’t say I prefer a “doctored” live album because I certainly wish the artists performed exactly how I hear it, but I also know the album needs to slay, and sometimes an edit here or there or an overdubbed vocal line can really make a difference.

4. In the early 90's, Anthrax released a live album called Live: The Island  Years. Due to reasons beyond Anthrax's control, this one just never felt right to me and I soon unloaded it. Tell me about one that disappointed you when it came out?

I’d probably have to go with the Manowar - Hell On Earth IV DVD, now I can’t bash them musically, as that was not disappointing for me.  

What really disappointed me was the interviews and documentary side of the film.  I found that I really didn’t like much of their personality, opinions or mannerisms when watching the DVD.  

It kinda bummed me out about the band as a whole, but I definitely still listen to them and enjoy them, just not as much as I had previously.

5. What's the right length for a live album?

Well, I think with live albums you can really just keep listening and listening if it’s done well.  I find an hour of live material is pretty easy to go through if the band has established itself and performed well with lots of great material. 

On the other hand, the EPs are great for newer acts who are still building up their material.  We actually released a Live EP limited to vinyl only, entitled Iron Kingdom - Unleashed At The Kraken (Live In Seattle), it showcases a few of our early tunes at one of our favourite bars in Seattle.  

I’d like to think we are still currently building more and more songs for our live shows, and maybe one day we will revisit a live album but do an LP or DVD with material spanning a much longer career!