A SHOW BEYOND MAN AND TIME

RPWL, as many of you might know, was a band that started in 1997 as a Pink Floyd cover band. Their debut album God Has Failed (2000) shows it very clearly. But the band was able to shake this influence off and evolved, developing their own sound right on their second album Trying To Kiss The Sun (2002).

Last year, after a new change in their line up, they released their first studio album in 4 years called Beyond Man And Time (2012). This is also their first concept album. With their new line up: Yogi Lang (vocals), Kalle Wallner (guitars), Markus Jehle (keyboards), Werner Taus (bass) and Marc Turiaux (drums), they took their new album on tour where they were playing the record in its entirety. In February 2013 they decided to play one last concert of this show and record it to be released as a live album and DVD. A Show Beyond Man And Time (2013) was recorded in Katowice (Poland) and it was released on 25th September by Metal Mind Productions.

To be honest, Beyond Man And Time (2012) didn't catch my attention completely, I heard the album but anything didn't really click on me. But this DVD has changed my view on their music!

A Show Beyond Man And Time (2013) is a completely astonishing concert, visually and musically. RPWL has never played so well live and the video production is completely amazing.

Yogi Lang decided to take his characters of the history to the stage, so he has many outfits throughout the show. He impersonates a blind man, a scientist, a hunchback, a prophet, a fisherman and even a shadow! On top of that, Yogi's voice is on its peak, powerful, flawless and full of emotion.

On the production side, the audience had many screens on the stage and plenty of visual effects and tricks were used to enhance the story such as musicians going into shadows or Kalle Welner even lighting up the cigarette of his own image on the stage screen. Everything was brilliantly directed and lighted with a blue light most of the time (as on the cover).

Also, as a present for the audience (that packed the theater) RPWL prepared a surprise and as the last number of the night the band played 'Roses' from their album World Though My Eyes (2005) with a special guest: Ray Wilson (ex-Genesis).

As extras the DVD has an interview with member of the band Yogi Lang and Kalle Wallner, a photo gallery, Desktop images for your computer, discography details and the band's commentary track of the show!

If you couldn't catch RPWL live on this tour A Show Beyond Man And Time (2013) is, without a shadow of doubt, the closest you will be to one of the band's concerts. A brilliant production, flawless musicianship and an item that every Progger should have in their collection!

Highly recommended!

(Originally posted on progshine.net)

German band RPWL started out in the late 1990's, initially as a Pink Floyd cover band but soon deciding that it would be much more worthwhile to explore material they made themselves. With Yogi Lang and Kalle Wallner as core members RPWL have steadily issued material since they made their debut with "God Has Failed" in 2000. "A Show Beyond Man and Time" is their third live DVD production, and was released through the Polish label Metal Mind in the fall of 2013.

Metal Mind is a guarantee for high quality productions, and in the case of RPWL's DVD "A Show Beyond Man and Time" all important aspects of a live DVD have been combined to perfection. High quality video and audio capture, a steady and inventive hand utilized for the video editing, and the band is having an excellent day both as musicians and performers, the video backdrops and effect screens further elevating the experience. As far as live DVDs go this one is a perfect one.

This DVD was filmed with that same Metal Minds Productions team that have produced many projects oh that genre in the past and continue to do so at low cost for the artists. The show is 90 minutes of the complete concept album " Man Beyond Man and Time". This album was not intended to be a concept album at first but became one when musical ideas were popping out. This concept is based on the story of the responsibility of the man through different characters like the scientist, the fisherman and the blind. The band decided the only way to keep the audience close do that story was to create a dynamic visual experience with Yogi Lang costumes, projections, and big screens. The musicians were hiding behind those screens creating some Chinese shadows. As for the music, the live versions of that album was a real success and gives me the impression that the album was better than I could remember. For those who don't know how the band sound, the Pink Floyd influence is huge with more edgy guitars tones and a little Ozric Tentacles influence in the first part of the show. For the first time, Metal Mind has done a discrete surround sound where you can hear a lot of keys sound in the back to complete the visual experience and make it a nice addition to your collection.