When I was a kid, my dad used to make me listen to "his" music to prove to me that the metal I was listening to actually came from his generation. Turns out he was right (I guess parents aren't always wrong). Iron Butterfly was one of the bands he had me listen to then, and here I am this many years later still listening to them.

The magic of Iron Butterfly lies not in the way the members look or the publicity they receive (which is the way most popular bands get ahead today). Instead, the magic lies in their music and the new Iron Butterfly - Concert & Documentary: Europe 1997 demonstrates that to the fullest extent. The music part of the DVD is actually comprised of several songs that you can choose to play all together so it becomes one cohesive showing. The videos aren't just clips of the band playing live either. The editors mixed in things like a clock for "Time of our Lives," car scenes in "Easy Rider," and many other things that just fit the theme of the music. It makes it much more enjoyable to watch and helps pull you into each song individually. You also get a live recording of the full version, all 26 minutes or so, of "In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida."

These guys are old now, but their music hasn't lost any of the power that it had back in the 60's and 70's. I have always considered Iron Butterfly to be the most relaxing metal I ever listened to. It's like hippies playing metal. It's definitely heavy, but strangely relaxing at the same time. There is a power there that most bands crave even now. In fact, no less than 10 different bands (maybe more, that's just all I found) have recorded covers of "In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida" or used samples from it for inspiration, including such metal bands as Jag Panzer, Blind Guardian, and even Slayer. It's pretty easy to tell that Iron Butterfly has been a major influence on heavy metal throughout the years.

The main DVD only runs a little over 100 minutes, but it is all music. You could even put it in and listen to it as one album if you wanted. There is also a bonus interview on there as well, which is almost 40 minutes long. The first 4 minutes of it is a very beautiful song. Then it goes into band stories, including Steve Howe from Yes who discusses opening for Iron Butterfly in London and what it was like back then. You even get to hear the full story behind the name "In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida".

Don't be shocked by the case and the disc menu; yes they do look homemade, but I swear it's authentic. If you're a fan of Iron Butterfly, you should definitely go pick up Iron Butterfly - Concert & Documentary: Europe 1997 today. It's a must have for your collection. Even if you've never heard of them though, I still recommend you pick up this DVD. It's very relaxing yet very powerful music that will speak to you in some way.