Traces of Death III

All parts of the Traces series are great! Of course this is for particular tastes, but those who like it, like it a lot!



If you were fascinated by the "Banned from Television" series or more circulated material like the Real TV show and all the "see it to believe it" programs on the tube, then Traces of Death is the obvious next step. More demanding than Faces of Death, this compilation is a highlight reel of some of the best moments of mondo, news footage, and curios from around the world. Gore is the forefront for any traces tape, and if you like to be shocked or to "test yourself" this is a lot of fun, especially in a group setting! However, be forewarned that the images you will see are all 100% REAL and yes, disturbing as all heck. Without spoiling it, let's just say you might want to prepare yourself for scenes containing decapitation, castration, animal sacrifice, and of course cold blooded murder. I am not recommending that you watch this front of any unsuspecting friends or family as you will be treated with a likely tempered response. I think it is fun because of the way the subject matter is handled. Some people complain that the addition of Death Metal soundtrack in the latter parts of the series is annoying, but let me say that for me this completes the process and combines all aspects for the true "Death Enthusiast". I think the narration by host "Brain Damage" is both funny but also a little too cheesy. His hidden identity is a real joke, but again makes this a real fun romp for the slightly jaded! Another great thing is that it brings metal heads back to a nostalgic time when Relapse Records was the empire of the metal world, and when the "Death Metal" genre was at its peak. Classic cuts from bands like Kataklysm, Meshuggah and Macabre, will light up any metal head like a christmas tree!

I guess my only complaint is that the whole thing is a pretty hack job. I mean I have made similar compilations on 2 VCRS and think that even I have a better skill at pacing and climax, especially in regards to fitting the music where it best belongs. Yet, all this is a minor quibble. The low-budget basement-cut feel and shlocky 90's production values add to the underground feeling you get when watching the Traces of Death series!

You'll have to search the web to find a copy out there, as you surely won't run into this one at your local video store any time soon! Also check out the updated "Faces of Gore" series by Todd Tjersland for an even sicker experience!!!!!

Play safe, and don't be so serious!!!!!

... well, this confused mish-mash of clips provides just that. This video was clearly thrown together by someone with no more equipment than a digital titler and two home VCRs.

Whilst most of the more famous Mondo/shockumentary films have some kind of context, this is totally abandoned in TRACES OF DEATH in favour of unrelenting, and unrelated, violence. All of the footage was stolen from other Mondos, which should immediately invalidate the narrator's ("Brain Damage", aka Damon Fox, presumably also the individual responsible for editing this mess together) hammed-up claims that TOD is "the world's FIRST all-real shockumentary!".

Some of the movies plundered here include SWEET AND SAVAGE, SHOCKING ASIA, DAYS OF FURY and FACES OF DEATH III. Whilst I wouldn't EVER go so far as to recommend a Mondo film, you'd be better off checking out those original movies rather than this one. The true "art" in Mondo film-making is building a context, and even an (often dubious!) social commentary around the footage in question, creating a (potentially) watchable and thought-provoking shock-fest. TRACES OF DEATH does none of this. It is truly a Mondo for the "Beavis And Butthead" generation. And if this doesn't scare you off, be warned that the entire film has a Relapse Records death/grind metal sound-track...

The best thing about this video is that they put death metal music, bands like Hypocrisy, Napalm Death, Mortician, Kataklysm, Incantation, Gorefest, and more. I love death metal and black metal music. The video is great! This is reality what I was watching nothing looks fake, it looks real. I recommend this video for blood and gore fans.

I love all three parts of this series. I've seen Faces of Death a few years ago...i was surprised how mankind can be destroyed...but now i've seen the three Traces of Death series and i'm totally fascinated by it. I like the last two the most, because i love Death Metal. To everybody who can handle guts'n'gore...CHECK IT OUT!