For years one of the leading lights of the so-called "post-metal" movement – a descriptor many of the bands associated with it despise – Cult of Luna have been the recipients of numerous accolades and fan worship since they debuted at the dawn of the 21st century. After nearly twenty years in existence, Years in a Day marks only the second live DVD release from the band following 2009's Fire Was Born (an audio-only live album, Live at the Scala, was also released in 2010).
Years in a Day captures the band during an extended two-hour performance recorded last year in Paris at La Gaîté Lyrique, with the limited collector's bundle including two bonus CD's of Roadburn performances from 2013 and 2016, making the set a real smorgasbord for Cult of Luna completists. I'm going to be focusing exclusively on the DVD portion as my stalwart indie cred was not sufficient to warrant a hook up for the full package, but what we've got here is pretty much par for the course on live DVD expectations circa 2017: excellent HD video quality (well, for the 1080p digital download version, at least), A-game band performances, and limited, static-y shots that alternate regularly between close-ups of band members and predictable wide shots of the band from somewhere out in the crowd (most likely the soundboard).
Vacillating between extended stretches of somber atmospherics and the expected heavier build ups, Years in a Day is not exactly Unleashed in the East in terms of pop-out-of-the-speakers live action excitement, but the setlist is thoughtfully compiled and flows together of a piece. Nothing is included from the band's first two albums, Cult of Luna (2001) and The Beyond (2003), nor anything from last year's hugely acclaimed colloboration with Julie Christmas, Mariner, but the first hour of the show offers a vivid cross-section of the band's most creative period before climaxing with a full run-through of the masterful Cult of Luna classic, Somewhere Along the Way.
All in all I'd peg this as more for completists than casual fans, but if you're of that bent you'd be mental not to go with the collector's edition, which is strictly limited to 7000 copies and they're already selling now. Order here.
Score: 9/10 (n/a if you're just a casual fan; are there such things with this band, though?)
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