Identity 6

Behold Another World (Century Media)
by Scott Hefflon

Simple numbers are all ya need to see this sucker’s worth the bucks: It’s a sampler ya get free or cheap (mail order/fanclub and connections, baby!), there’re 18 tracks, and it maxes out at just over 70 minutes of metal, most sub-genres represented. While a little skimpy on the classic heavy metal/power metal, the CM-subsidized label Noise is flying that banner high enough for anyone in the know to see (where’s the Noise sampler, fellas?). And although I’m less than enthusiastic about groove-oriented nü metal from CM or anyone else, I realize that’s how you get yer bread buttered, which allows the indulgence of black/Goth/dark metal albums that bite it sales-wise, but are more groundbreaking than anything else going on. Of course, that’s just my opinion, I could be wrong… But I doubt it.

So find a couple names that sound familiar, pick up this sampler, and realize the metal world’s a lot bigger than most think. Personal faves (thanks for asking) are Stuck Mojo (who I keep liking, tho I hate most other rapmetalcore), Krisiun (confusing death that keeps me blinking dumbly like a deer caught in headlights), Dark Tranquillity (I play these dark shapeshifters so often, it’s hard to take a song out of context — play Projector from end to end), Samael (old black metal goes aggro with cool results), Tiamat (death gone power Floydian — wonderful. This is what 90% of Goth metal wishes it was), and Arch Enemy (a little more black, a little more death than their shredding peers, but that’s the point). Others speaking up: Skinlab, Moonspell, Sentenced, Shadows Fall, Jag Panzer, Soilwork, Winters Bane, Mental Home, Merauder, Old Man’s Child, Angel Dust, and Eyehategod.
(1453-A 14th St. #324 Santa Monica, CA 90404)