Metal For The Masses

Vol. 4 (Century Media)
by Scott Hefflon

A sweet double disc from Century Media, the folks who regularly bring us some of the best real metal around. 20 songs on each disc, a few edits and demo tracks, and inclusions from Nuclear Blast and Liquor and Poker to boot. There are Hot Topic and Revolver logos on the back, sure, but no one’s perfect.

You can pick yer fave household name band, you can find yer underground faves (sometimes called opening bands, but the underground loves to champion a small unknown and then turn their back on them when they actually start to sell records), and unlike a lot of “this comp shows what’s so wrong with music these days,” this sucker hits a lot of highlights, and the lowlight are just something to painlessly FF passed. This accomplishes what it should: You get a new track by some of yer faves, and you can at least hear what all the fuss is about on “those other bands” and decide for yourself if you think they rule or are overrated shit “the masses” are just falling for cuz they’re idiots.

Bands: God Forbid, Manntis, Diecast, Brand New Sin, Agents of Man, Shadows Fall, Arch Enemy, The Haunted, Behemoth, Old Man’s Child, Naglfar, Strapping Young Lad, Nevermore, Eyes of Fire, Into Eternity, Cryptopsy, Watch Them Die, Napalm Death, Despised Icon, Immolation, Dimmu Borgir, Soilwork, In Flames, Meshuggah, Bleed The Sky, Darkane, Mnemic, Hypocrisy, Exodus, Cathedral, Fireball Ministry, Nebula, The Hellacopters, The Illuminati, The Black Halos, Crash Kelly, The Theives, Scott Reeder, American Heartbreak, and Backyard Babies.
(www.centurymedia.com)