Band: I Killed the Prom Queen
Album: Sleepless Nights and City Lights
Label: Stomp/Metal Blade
Length: 52:20 (CD)
Rating: 3.5/5
By: Stuart Paterson
Date: May 25, 2009

Now-defunct Australian metalcore band I Killed The Prom Queen may not be a household name, but to their fans -- particularly the Aussie ones -- they were well loved. This final release, comprised of a full-length documentary and a live CD, is a fitting tribute with appeal that should stretch beyond their core fan base.

Perhaps needless to say, the main focus of this release is the DVD. It’s an hour and a half-long documentary that blends live footage from their final tour with band interviews and behind-the-scenes clips of them having a good time on tour. In itself, that’s a fairly standard formula for a music DVD, but what sets this one apart is the content.

At first, the live performance seems like it’s going to be pretty standard, but halfway through their set, the security guards posted at the foot of the stage get into a minor brawl with some rowdy concert-goers. The fracas interrupts the song and vocalist Michael Crafter gives them hell for ruining the show. The incident repeats itself during the encore, and security almost comes to blows with the band. The fact that IKTPQ chose to include this particular set, as opposed to one that was flawless, says a lot about the band and the film’s director, who both clearly recognized the dramatic impact of the outbursts.

Surprisingly, there’s also a lot of drama in the interviews, with each band member alone in various studio and home settings, talking about their experiences with the group. That means they’re free to express themselves without immediately alienating their comrades. There isn’t a lot of back-stabbing, thankfully, but when they talk about the trials of cycling through three different vocalists -- one of whom apparently did back-stab the band after his departure -- the film moves from a rote music documentary and becomes a genuine human interest story.

And therein lies the wider appeal. On the surface, this package will likely be desired solely by the band’s fan base, but truthfully, it should be of interest to anyone who enjoys metalcore, hardcore, deathcore or any other ‘core,’ regardless of whether or not you know the band per se. You might not come to love their music, but you’ll be interested to hear what these guys have to say about their rise to relative success and the sudden break-up that annoyed and bewildered fans and led to the reunion tour from which this material comes.

The live CD that’s included in the pack is worth having, but, unfortunately, it’s fairly bland. The sound quality is just slightly sub-par and music itself is the usual metalcore fare. The members of IKTPQ are all fine musicians, but the songs they write are standard at best, with the possible exceptions being the tracks culled from the band’s second (and last) studio album, Music For The Recently Deceased. They’re noticeably tighter than the band’s early work because the group poured their hearts, souls and hard-earned bucks into its creation, even flying to Sweden to enlist the help of metal producer Fredrik Nordstrom (who has worked with Opeth, In Flames and Arch Enemy).

Given the impressive direction in which I Killed The Prom Queen were headed when they decided to break up, that decision is all the more lamentable. Hitting #27 on Australia’s Aria chart was just a first step, but luckily for old and new fans alike, IKTPQ don’t rule out possible future studio albums. For now, though, they’re indefinitely on hiatus with each member pursuing his own project.

Get this two-disc set if you’re in any way interested in heavy music, because it’s worth it just to hear the band members talk about their experiences. There are also a number of bonus features, including extra interviews, the concert on its own and a video montage for their song, “When Goodbye Means Forever.”