Various Artists -- 'Punisher' soundtrack [review]

Various Artists
"The Punisher"
Wind-Up records


Soundtracks are usually a hit-or-miss proposition. Usually the collection is too diverse and thus listeners buy them for one or two tracks and end up skipping the rest. A strong collection can do a good job of using established bands to lure in people and get them to check out the lesser-known bands. There's also the lure of obscure tracks or collaborations (for example, last year's "Freddy Vs. Jason" featuring a previously unavailable song from Slipknot along with an anticipated new track from Killswitch Engage featuring a new lead singer). When the collection falls flat, the few high points are overcome by tracks that feel too out-of-place (for example, last year's "Underworld" with anticipated Page Hamilton and Wes Borland tracks, but little else to offer).

Featuring a whopping 19 tracks, "The Punisher" soundtrack features five standouts and a slew of supporting players.

Leading off the collection is the first taste of the new Drowning Pool lineup featuring ex-Built-XL frontman Jason "Gong" Jones on vocals. While the band's previous efforts sounded angry, "Step Up" is a straight-up rock/metal track. And it sounds mean. Not angry, mean. The band feels retrofitted, like a throw back to early 90s metal (early Pantera or Skid Row), complete with guitar solos. Jones' vocals at times have a hint of Drowning Pool\'s prior lead singer to them, but also sound like a mix of John Bush (from Anthrax) and Max Cavelera (ex-Sepultura, Soulfly).

One of the more interesting tracks off the soundtrack is the anticipated collaboration of Damageplan and Jerry Cantrell. The song, "Ashes to Ashes," was recorded last Thanksgiving while Damageplan were still finishing off its debut album. The song has a old school Alice in Chains (Cantrell's former band) feel to it, and features Cantrell and Damageplan vocalist Patrick Lachman trading off singing duties between verses and choruses. This song is definitely one of the album's high-points.

Edgewater's debut single, "Eyes Wired Shut," is another standout track. The band's melodic rock is reminiscent of mellow Staind mixed with a more pop-centric rock sensibility (think Three Doors Down or The Calling). The guitars are driving during the verses and catchy during the chorus and the band seems destined for heavy rotation on commercial rock radio.

The soundtrack also features an almost-reunion of Evanescence bandmates Amy Lee and Ben Moody, albeit on different tracks.

Moody teams up with Jason Miller and Drowning Pool frontman Jones for "The End Has Come," a slow-burning rock track that has a definite Evanescence feel to it (especially the band's earlier work), complete with ethereal guitar during the opening and verses, and driving riffs during the chorus.

Lee teams up with Seether on the re-recorded "Broken" (off Seether's 2002 release "Disclaimer"). While the song kicks off like the original, Lee joins in on the chorus and takes over the second verse alone. Lee adds a pleasant dimension to Seether\'s sound without taking the track over and making it sound like an Evanescence tune.

Rounding out the rest of the soundtrack is an astounding collection of tracks from well-known -- Nickelback, Hatebreed, Puddle of Mud, Queens of the Stone Age, Trapt -- and more obscure -- Strata, Submersed, Seven Wiser, Atomship -- bands. And the collection runs the gamut from heavier tracks (Drowning Pool, Hatebreed, Chevelle) to more mellow rock offerings (Seether w/ Lee, Smile Empty Soul, Mark Collie's acoustic closing track). In all, it seems there's something for all your rock needs.

Red Tape -- 'Radioactivist' [review]

Red Tape
"Radioactivist"
Roadrunner Records


Red Tape feels like a throw-back band. Listening to the group's Roadrunner debut, "Radioactivist," feels like crawling into a Hollywood club circa 1987 and rocking out to whatever dirty-rock band was on the stage.

How exactly the band fits into Roadrunner Records is a bit of a mystery -- it isn't metal enough to fit into the label's older mentality, not pop enough to fit in with the band's on the label in the vein of Nickelback, and doesn't fit in with any of the newer metal acts (Killswitch Engage, Soulfly or Slipknot). In fact, "Radioactivist" has the same punk meets metal feel of Amen's 1999 self-titled (only) Roadrunner release, except more organized and less noisy and chaotic.

After hearing some of Red Tape's demo tracks in 2003, I had high hopes for the band's debut on Roadrunner Records. While initially taken aback by the heavy punk influence apparent throughout Red Tape's music, the punk edge gives a nice dimension to the band and effectively causes them to stand out from the pack.

Fronted by lead singer and guitarist Jeff Jaworski, the band is comprised of bass player Twig Von Wussow (who also adds backing vocals), guitarist Mark Meraji and drummer JD.

In the band's official bio, Jaworski talks about the band's revolutionary vibe: "We're thrash-punk. The term "hardcore" has changed. We're hardcore in the early 80s sense. If it were 1986, we'd be a hardcore band. Nowadays, the meaning has changed."

Upon first listen, "Radioactivist" feels like a punk album -- it's only after you let the music sink in that you start to realize you're hearing so much more. With only four of the album's 15 tracks clocking in at anything more than three minutes (and never exceeding four minutes), each song feels like a frenzied, sonic assault. Jaworski's vocals are enveloped in music heavy with distortion and feedback, yet each song comes across like a sing-a-long anthem reminiscent of Black Flag or Bad Religion.

From the searing, opening riffs of "Damage Control," to the steady blistering back-beat drumming of "Droppin' Bombs on Your Moms," Red Tape seem content to tear through each track with a take-no-prisoners attitude.

The disc's standout track has to be "Stalingrad." Opening with a killer, semi-distorted bass line that's eventually joined by an equally distorted high-pitched guitar riff, Jaworski snarls through the verses before the sing-a-long chorus. By the closing repeated chant of "No sleep to Stalingrad!" It's impossible to not be banging your head along with the band.

Other strong songs include "El Salvador" and "Divebomb" -- the former featuring a crazy start/stop tempo that feels more and more frenzied the further you venture into the track; the later focuses on a strong guitar riff that leads listeners down a rabbit hole of anthemic venom of Jaworski singing "No future's what I see. That's why I live so carelessly."

Since the band's inception five years ago, it's shared the stage with the likes of Sworn Enemy, Tsunami Bomb, The Hope Conspiracy and Bleeding Through just to name a few. The constant touring has won over new fans and this latest release is also sure to do the same.

Soil -- 'Redefine' [review]

Soil
"Redefine"
J Records


Released Sept. 11, 2001, Soil's major-label debut album, "Scars," was a brutal, fast-paced hard-rock/metal amalgam that was hailed by some as one of the year's best offerings riding high off the success of the band's single "Halo."

The band -- vocalist Ryan McCombs, guitarists Adam Zadel and Shaun Glass, bassist Tim King and drummer Tom Schofield -- toured relentlessly for "Scars," hitting the road with everyone from Ozzy Osbourne, Rob Zombie and Mudvayne to Static-X and Sevendust. Soil was also one of the featured acts on the second stage of Ozzfest.

The pressure was on to deliver a follow-up that would exceed the foundation the band had forged and, with its new album, "Redefine," Soil takes aim and hits one right out of the park.

As King points out on the band's home page, Soil took everything fans came to expect from the first album and turned it up a notch. "We were on the road for 13 months, and we learned a lot about ourselves. ... When we sat down to do the new record, we wanted to stay true to our sound. We took that energy and passion and brought it into the music."

Kicking off with the explosive "Pride," the band immediately shows that when it comes to rocking out on this latest offering, there's no screwing around. The songs plays out like a faster-paced "Halo" with McCombs tearing through his intentionally-paced lyrics. The dueling guitar work sounds more frenzied this time around, with Schofield and King laying down a nice back-beat.

The beauty of Soil's sound is that as much as the band can simply throw it down and rock out, they play tight enough to really explore the melody they create and add depth to the music's flow. This is especially evident in a song like "Redefine" where the initial riff is reminiscent of Drowning Pool's "Pity Me," yet as soon as the band is able to establish the song's groundwork, the guitarists lay down some thick, catchy riffs and the chorus sounds like something completely out of place yet exactly what you would expect. And the band is able to throw in a mellow breakdown mid-way through a song like "Redefine" -- with McCombs singing "Somebody to make me feel whole again" -- and gradually pick the pace back up without any of it coming off forced.

"We like songs that grab you, hook you, and don't f*ck around, but at the same time, we love melody," Glass states in the band's official biography.

"Can You Heal Me" has an old Alice in Chains feel to it, from the vocals to the down-tuned guitar riffing. And the band even experiments with Middle Eastern flavor on "Deny Me."

The album's best track has to be the closer "Obsession." The song unfolds like an epic starting out melodic and slow with a steady backbeat and subtle cymbal-work before exploding at the chorus. As McCombs strains out "You are my everything," it adds that extra sense of urgency in the song. The song progresses in alternating slow and fast tempos and, just when you think it can't get any more intense, the closing moments flourish like a Tool song with insane drumming and thunderous riffs before shuddering to a halt.

"Lyrically, these songs are our children, and they've all got their special places to us," McCombs points out. "No matter what your position in life -- whether you're married or not, a dad or not, or what you do for a living -- you keep having trials and tribulations, moral dilemmas, and confrontations you need to face, and whether it was on the road, or at home with my family, I've had my eyes opened up to a whole new realm of experiences. A lot of people have their 'Halos,' it doesn't matter what mine was when I wrote the song."

Overall, "Redefine" is a welcome relief as fans have been anticipating its release since "Scars" hit shelves. Given what the band delivers, two years was hardly long to wait. Simply put -- a great album.

Jawbreaker -- 'Dear You' [review]

Jawbreaker
"Dear You"
Blackball Records


What a hectic trip it was for Bay-area legends Jawbreaker.

In the band's eight years of existence, they managed to build up a strong fanbase, record over five albums worth or material, alienate some of their diehard fans and, in the end, even alienate their record label.

Jawbreaker's debut, 1990's “Unfun," was a great, raw punk album. The honesty and imperfection on the tracks is what drew many of the band's fans. The follow-up, “Bivouac," seemed like a more experimental album at the time, maintaining the punk roots but heading in a more alternative-rock direction with songs “Sleep" and "Big" reminiscent of early Nirvana recordings.

With the release of 1994's “24 Hour Revenge Therapy," the band embraced a more radio-friendly song structure (easy chord progressions, etc.) and created probably one of their more accessible albums. Maybe it was the peaking of the grunge movement, or the rising of pop-punk bands like Green Day or Blink-182, but after “24 Hour Revenge Therapy" the band was scooped up and signed by record company behemoth DGC (David Geffen Company) and given the means (a large contract with creative control) to craft perhaps its finest album, the controversial 1995 release "Dear You."

"Dear You" wasn't what new fans of the band expected; it certainly wasn't what the record company envisioned, and by '96 Jawbreaker was no more. (Posthumously a live album -- "Live 4/30/96" -- and collection of rarities and b-sides -- "ETC." -- were released on Pfahler's imprint label Blackball Records.) Schwarzenbach went on to form Jets to Brazil and the other two band members went on to various projects.

Still, the legend of Jawbreaker lived on, and fans eventually clamored to get their hands on "Dear You," which was out of print within a few years and severely hard to track down. When copies were available, the prices were soaring (I remember finding one in a used CD store for upwards of $24).

Pfahler made his move and eventually bought the rights from Geffen. Giving long time listeners a reason to pick it up again, the "Dear You" re-release is set to include studio outtakes and b-sides (the unreleased "Shirt" along with "Into You Like a Train," "Sister," "Friendly Fire" and a re-recorded version of "Boxcar") as well as the Fireman video and an expanded booklet.

As for the main content of "Dear You," it still holds up almost 10 years later.

The disc's opening track, "Save your Generation," along with songs like "Chemistry" and "Bad Scene, Everyone's Fault" are typical punk-tinged alternative rock songs with a slightly murky sound (thick guitars and noticeable bass work), a sonic direction that was on show throughout "Dear You."

The disc's lead off single at the time was "Fireman," a simple track to showcase the band's sound. The song kicks off steadily building throughout the verses with simple chords that slowly sound more frantic before the false start of a chorus into the second verse -- leading, of course, to the payoff the of the intense chorus. Schwarzenbach glides through his cute yet biting lyrics, like "Dreamed I was a fireman. I just smoked and watched you burn," and "Dreamed we were still going out. Had that one a few times now. Woke up to find out we were not. It's good to be awake."

The down-tuned guitars create an false sense of laid back atmosphere and Bauermeister's bass during the song's bridge is a definite high-point.

"Jet Black" remains breathtaking: Schwarzenbach's murky guitar riffs and deadpan vocals with thick-as-hell bass throughout the chorus compliments Pfahler's subtle drumming throughout the song until the brief explosion at the ending.

"Accident Prone" is probably the greatest song Jawbreaker has ever made. The melancholic lyrics are delivered with more emotion than any band today claiming to be "emo." From beginning to end, the band seems tighter than you ever thought they could be: Schwarzenbach's lullaby-like guitar parts throughout the verses and Bauermeister's intentional and heavy bass lines combine with Pfaler's understated drumming and gentle cymbal work. As the song progresses, the trio suddenly picks up speed through the bridge to the chorus before opening up full-force and tearing through the chorus with a definitely mission in mind. Mid-way through the song everything seems to finally come apart, the drums and guitar accentuate a nice bass breakdown and the band again begins to build up steam -- faster and faster until the intensity is almost too much to handle and a release is achieved through the chorus again -- yes, it's as close to a sexual moment as you can have in a song. Words could never do "Accident Prone" justice and it is definitely the highlight of "Dear You."

For the original tracks alone, "Dear You" would still be a great disc to add to your collection; the added tracks are just the icing on the cake. The "Fireman" video had moderate airplay on MTV's Alternative Nation back when it was released, and while it doesn't quiet translate the band's live energy, it's still worth a viewing.

Remembering Never -- 'Women and Children Die First' [review]

Remembering Never
"Women and Children Die First"
Ferret Records


"This bandwagon's on its last leg. How long will you beat this dead horse?"
-- From "serenading this dead horse"


Remembering Never apparently started off as a joke band, though you'd never guess it after listening to the band's latest offering, "Women and Children Die First."

After releasing "Suffocated My Words To You" in 2001, the band went through "severe line up changes" (according to the band's biography), signed with Ferret, and recorded "She Looks So Good In Red" the following year.

Polishing their sound with constant touring with the likes of hardcore staples such as Between the Buried and Me, Every Time I Die and Dead to Fall (amongst others), the band headed back into the studio and created "Women and Children Die First."

At one point, Remembering Never's sound strongly resembled that of Poison the Well, and many reviews point out similarities between the bands' lead singers, but on "Women and Children," the singing seems much more guttural and Remembering Never's melody is more intrinsically set within the heavy, hardcore style of the band. Also, the acoustic guitar sprinkled around "She Looks Good" is abandoned and forgotten here except for a particularly pointed moment during the bridge in the last track.

The disc opener, "for the love of fiction," really sets the stage for "Women and Children": driving guitars, crushing bass and thundering drumming tightly knit around lead singer Peter Kowalski's intense vocals -- sometimes screaming, sometimes lower, discreet and intentional and sometimes transitioning to wails of emotional.

Kowalski growling out "This is an exaggeration of your mortality" over a wailing lead guitar and accompanying thick rhythm and bass onslaught opens up "a grenade in mouth tragedy," and after the third track, "plotting a revolution in A minor," it becomes clear Remembering Never aren't going to let up.

"incisions" is one of the many perfect songs off the disc. From the opening sound of an old-fashioned camera developing (a sound you'll recall from the "Texas Chain Saw Massacre" movies), the song evolves from an eerie, hardcore attack to a hauntingly beautiful metal anthem, layer upon layer peeled back and exposed. Within the first 30 seconds of this four minute plus track, there's a bludgeoning guitar and bass intro, a hint of high pitched guitar noodling sliced up by the start/stop of the drums and the song as a whole; Kowalski initially growls out the lyrics before opening up his throat and letting loose with some insane singing. And that's all in the song's first 30 seconds?! The song continues its breakneck pace, steamrolling to a hault with the lead singer repeating "Die knowing you lived your life on you knees."

The disc's swan song of sorts: the closer "serenading this dead horse," a song encompassing the band's feelings about the downfall of the hardcore scene, the banner of which Remembering Never holds high. Within the disc's liner notes is a letter from Kowalski and the band discussing (in depth) the dilution of the hardcore scene due to trends, less-than-sincere bands and posers. "Now it all seems to be about cool hair and who has the bigger belt buckle," Kowalski writes.

"We've been working on this record since the day we got out of the studio for 'She looks...' and were extremely unhappy with it ... This record is to the memory of hardcore ... but most importantly this record is for you."

"dead horse" alone is a must-hear for any fan of the genre, a perfect hardcore song with all the elements that fans could easily pick out: the driving guitars and forced vocals, the thudding drumming and bass riffs, the more mellow bridges and vocal accompaniment, and smart lyrics: "Shed another tear as I stab you in the chest with pieces of your broken heart. Fuck your broken heart. Why can't you let this die?"

And the exclamation point to the disc is a hidden track: a completely blistering cover of Pantera's "Strength Beyond Strength," complete with Kowalski's dead-on screaming of "Stronger than all" at the song's conclusion with the great guitar riffs, repetitive and fading out.

Closer than Kin -- 'Machineries of Breath' [review]

Closer Than Kin
"The Machineries of Breath"
Punktuation Records


"I sold my soul for understanding
but all I got was apathy,
Keep on screaming to an empty sky as life keeps passing my by.
You take without giving."
-- From "If Demons Could Weep"


If you ever longed for a hardcore band to inject punk sensibility and a metal edge into its sound, then Closer Than Kin is the band for you.

Hailing from southeastern Massachusetts, the five-piece hardcore band is made up of vocalist (and screamer) Nick, dueling guitarists Steve and JK, bass guitarist Rich and drummer Roger (no last names are given in the liner notes). Each musician also offers up backing vocals throughout the album.

For the past couple of years, Closer Than Kin has been building up a steady fanbase touring the United States and Canada with bands like Atreyu, Sick of It All, Death By Stereo, Pennywise, The Misfits and Agnostic Front (just to name a few).

In 2001 the band released a five song demo and sold over 15,000 copies (no small feat). The band also managed to distribute the demo internationally, hitting markets in England, Australia, Chile and the Philippines.

In June of 2003, Closer Than Kin finally released its first full-length, "The Machineries of Breath." The group's bio on its Web site refers to the band's sound as a "blend of hardcore, punk, and straight up metal all meshed together in a chaotic assault of emotion and aggression." While some of the songs are redone from the band's initial demo, there are also a handful of new tracks offered on "Machineries...."

Kicking off with "The Euphoria of Strangulation," the track (and the album as a whole) builds up slowly before exploding into a punk-fueled, five-plus minute diatribe against -- someone (an ex-lover probably?) who did someone wrong. "Strangulation" is a perfect introduction to the band though: traded singing and screaming vocals, massive rhythm-guitar riffing and tons of varied melody. The band sways from a frenetic, bulldozing pace to a pounding, steamroller intensity at the drop of a hat.

Closer Than Kin mesh punk and metal perfectly, presenting the result in a hardcore package that slowly gets under you skin and festers there; with each listen you grow to love the album and band that much more.

The band's lyrics drip with contempt -- tales of social injustice and broken hearts, songs about misery and hate. Musically, Closer Than Kin runs the gamut from driving, punk-laced riffing, to metal-tinged drumming and guitar noodling, and freely mixes and matches throughout the disc throwing in acoustic guitar and melody for dressing. The band sometimes sounds similar to From Autumn to Ashes on tracks like "When Toys are Traded for Tears," throws out a bass line similar to Megadeth's "Peace Sells" on "3 Words 3,000 Tears" and even conjures up comparisons to the Misfits on tracks like "Dead Flowers for a Dead Lover."

A definitely standout on "Machineries" has to be "The Uncertainty of Sanity." The acoustic track runs a little over a minute and a half and bleeds into the next track, but really showcases some great guitar work and soulful, emotional vocals. It's great for a band like this to stretch ever so close to its boundaries and still maintain a sound concurrent with what it hopes to present (in this case, brutal, pummeling hardcore music).

"The Machineries of Breath" has gradually become one of my favorite releases of 2003, and any fan of hardcore, metal or punk could find something to like in this release.

Slayer -- 'Soundtrack to the Apocalypse' [review]

Slayer
"Soundtrack to the Apocalypse"
American Recordings


Slayer.

Every fan of heavy metal has listened to this band.

Even people that don't listen to heavy metal are familiar with the name.

Over the years, Slayer has consistently built a strong catalogue and even stronger fanbase, from 1983's "Show No Mercy" on Metal Blade Records to their debut on American Recordings, 1986's "Reign in Blood," to newer albums like 1998's "Diabolus in Musica" (one of my all-time favorites) and 2001's "God Hates Us All," Slayer has cranked out some of the most blistering, awe-inspiring tracks of all time.

Singer and bassist Tom Araya, guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, along with a rotating line-up of drummers (most notably Paul Bostaph and Dave Lombardo), have been tearing through the metal scene for over 20 years. Surely it was time to put some sort of career retrospective out.

Enter: "Soundtrack to the Apocalypse."

"Soundtrack to the Apocalypse" is a box set of Slayer material spanning its years with American Recordings.

There are two different versions of the box set: a four disc set and a limited edition five disc set. The four disc set consists of three CDs worth of "greatest hits," rare and live tracks, songs from soundtracks, overseas releases and a DVD of performance footage spanning 20 years. The limited edition consists of the same thing but comes in an "ammo box" and also features a banner, backstage pass and fifth disc that features a full concert.

So, is this a box set worthy of one of the greatest (metal) bands of all time? Let's take a look at each aspect of the set and then at the set as a whole.

Disc 1

The first disc acts as a "greatest hits collection" off the band's first four albums for American Recordings (the band's Metal Blade catalogue is ignored). There's a nice remix of "Criminally Insane" and crisp transfer of "Raining Blood" (both off the "Reign in Blood" album). From the live version of "Chemical Warfare" (off 1991's "Decade of Aggression") to the chunky, riff-heavy "Seasons in the Abyss" (off the 1990 album of the same name), Slayer's older stuff sounds as good as ever.

Disc 2

Most of the second disc continues chronologically, touching on Slayer's next four albums. There's a whopping five tracks from Divine Intervention (with "Serenity in Murder" and "Dittohead" standing out as the stronger cuts), three off Slayer's "Undisputed Attitude" ("Gemini" was a nice pick), three off "Diabolus in Musica" (including "Stain of Mind") and three off of "God Hates Us All" (with the obvious inclusion of "Disciple" with a chorus of "God hates us all...").

The remaining tracks are where the meat of the collection finally starts to get exposed.

First up, there's Slayer's cover of "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" off the soundtrack for the 1987 movie "Less Than Zero." It's not a bad cover per se, but I remember thinking at the time of it's initial release that Slayer could have really made this a creepy-ass, heavy cover.

Also from the realm of movies, there's "Human Disease" from "Bride of Chucky" and "Disorder" off the "Judgement Night" soundtrack.

The tracks off the "Judgment Night" soundtrack featured heavy metal bands and rap artists joining forces (Cypress Hill and Pearl Jam; Biohazard and Onyx). In this case, Slayer teamed up with Ice T which wasn\'t such a stretch at the time since Ice T was also fronting the metal band Body Count.

Rounding out disc two are songs available off the overseas releases of "Diabolus" and "God Hates Us All" (two each) -- with "Wicked" being one of the stronger tracks on the entire set.

Disc 3

The third disc consists entirely of rarities. There's live tracks from the very early days (the disc kicks off with "Ice Titan" live from 1983) all the way to 2002 ("Bloodline" live in Sweden), rehearsal stuff, home recordings (a couple of home recordings by Jeff Hanneman -- "Raining Blood" and an early version of "South of Heaven") and a rough studio mix of "Piece by Piece." There's also a track Slayer did with Atari Teenage Riot complete with industrialized techno that seems totally out of character for the band, but at the same time not a terrible song.

Disc 4

This is the DVD of the box; it contains 15 live tracks spanning the band's career. From "Die by the Sword" (live from 1983) to "Disciple" (live from 2003), the disc offers a glimpse into the evolution of Slayer, from an 80's big-haired, thrash band in a small California club, all the way to grizzled, tattooed, head-shaved, arena-touring, metal veterans.

The earlier clips are pretty rough. The video is as clear albeit somewhat grainy, but the audio is murky at times, with a lot of bass; the sound is ambient instead of coming off the sound board (which is what is done when the show is specifically being taped for release). Obviously these shows weren't taped to be put on DVD and released, but they do their job showing the band in its beginning stages. Though the clips are seen out of context (I know it's California, 1983, but what club? And is Slayer the opener or headlining?), it's still amazing to see them packing the house with what appears to be die-hard fans. "Aggressive Perfector" is particularly fun to watch.

The later clips are great both sonically and visually. "War Ensemble" and "South of Heaven" (live from Michigan in '91) feature great live energy. The ESPN performance of "Bloodline" is solid, even if the band was performing in a cramped space. "Disciple" and "God Send Death" (live from France, 2003) sound good, although the band was performing on a dark set so there's not too much to look at.

In addition to the live footage, there's two other "gems" to be had. There's some home video footage of the band accepting the Heaviest Band Award at the Kerrang! Magazine Awards in 1996, and an electronic press kit for "Diabolus in Musica." While the award thing is a little too lengthy for what it was (the band simply said thanks and that was it), the EPK is great to watch -- spliced between interview clips from all band members is rehearsal and live shots of the band performing what was, at the time, new material. But it also gives a little insight into the album in general and where the band was at that point in its career. The EPK is definitely the highlight of the DVD.

Disc 5

The deluxe edition of "Soundtrack to the Apocalypse" also features a fifth disc: a full-length concert from the band's Anaheim stop on the God Hates Us All tour (2002). This was Slayer's first tour with original drummer Dave Lombardo back in the fold (he had left the band in the early '90s). The CD comes in a "Blood pack" sleeve -- essentially a slip case that's filled with fake blood and floating skulls -- that looks pretty cool.

As for the set list, the band dug way back for this one. After kicking off with the two opening tracks off "God Hates Us All," the band essentially played all their classics. Sure, they fit in "Stain of Mind" (off "Diabolus in Musica"), but the rest of the material had been aged at least 10 years (maybe this had to do with Lombardo re-entering the fold). It's nice to know the band can still bust out old favorites like "Chemical Warfare" or "At Dawn They Sleep" (featuring a kick-ass mini drum solo) and not miss a beat while "Seasons in the Abyss" and "Raining Blood" still sound as strong as ever.

The Extras

The limited edition of "Soundtrack to the Apocalypse" includes a wall banner and a replica backstage laminate. Both versions of the box set come with a booklet featuring tons of pictures spanning the band's career, along with interviews with each band member and producer Rick Rubin. The booklet is pretty big in the deluxe version of the box, so I'm not sure how it is packaged in the regular version (from what I saw on the shelf, the regular version seemed to be packaged in what was, essentially, a double CD case).

Assessment

Well, the set kicks off with "Angel of Death," and it's such a great thrash-based song and a perfect way to kick off things. Slayer has just always been such a strong, riff-based metal band, and all of these tracks are great reminders. The "Decade of Aggression" live tracks are still phenomenal -- the live version of "Hell Awaits" is full of fury with great King riffs throughout. In between you've got gems like "Raining Blood" (with a great opening of rain and drums before the riffs and double-bass kick in) and "Seasons in the Abyss" (another one of my Slayer favorites). Also nice to hear the great Araya scream on songs like "Aggressive Perfector."

I'm particular happy with the inclusion of "Bitter Peace" on disc two, just because it has one of the coolest openings of any Slayer song -- the slow, plodding drumming and down-tuned guitar slowly picking up steam before plowing into the opening riff (great opening track for "Diabolus" too). And the guitar riffs mid-way through the track are particularly venomous. It's great to have "Death's Head" following because you expect the heavy bass and guitars of this tracks opening right after the abrupt ending of "Peace." Drummer Paul Bostaph shines on the "Intervention" tracks but instead of having such a heavy focus on this release I would've preferred a cover or two off "Undisputed Attitude," or maybe something else off of "Diabolus" or "God Hates Us All." The Ice T track is pretty interesting too, as it's substantially different from T's Body Count stuff, and he adds a weird element to the band that almost makes them sound slowed-down. Plus, it's weird hearing Araya moved down to background vocals.

The sound quality on disc three is questionable, but that's what you expect given the source material. The vocals on "Seasons in the Abyss" threw me off at first, and the rawness of the garage recordings is fun, but overall this is a hit-or-miss collection of rarities. The Atari Teenage Riot track really caught me off guard, but was pretty good.

As for the DVD, I was pretty disappointed with it. What was there was fine. The club shows sounded raw but I "get it" and still enjoy watching those clips (I had the same problem with the old clips off Fear Factory's "Digital Connectivity"). Still, I was dying for the band's actual videos. And maybe a couple of interview clips or something. Even something off a Headbangers Ball, or some festival stuff -- ANYTHING. As it stands, the whole thing clocked in a little over an hour, so there was obviously room for more.

The setlist for the live disc is strong. The sound quality is great and it stands unedited (with Araya comments throughout the set including a nice rant against the bouncers at the front of the stage). Plus, it's a nice capture of the energy the band has live (better than the other live clips sprinkled throughout the set apart from the "Decade of Aggression" tracks). In short: a strong live disc.

I loved the booklet that accompanied the set, but was mixed with the rest of it. I guess collectors would be into the banner and laminate, but I'll just keep those things in the box. I never understood the point of the laminate anyway, it's just a replica. (Now if you could keep it for potential fan meet-and-greets down the road, it would be a different story.) I just look at these things like prizes in a Cracker Jack Box: they kind of fun to get but useless overall.

OVERALL

Well, first off, the Metal Blade stuff is largely ignored except for live tracks or the DVD (although the studio version of "Aggressive Perfector" was a nice addition). The set could have been a lot stronger even if there was just an EP as the sixth disc with five or six tracks on it.

As for an anthology of sorts, the first 2 discs do a great job of spotlighting the band's career. Slayer's music hardly sounds dated, and the energy from the earlier tracks is comparable to anything being released today (there's a reason Slayer's considered one of the greatest metal bands of a ALL TIME).

The rare stuff is probably something only diehard fans would really be into, although there's nothing wrong with any of it. The DVD fell below expectations which is the biggest problem with the set overall. As for the bonus disc: there's nothing quite like seeing (or in this case hearing) Slayer live, and the set list is a great mix of old and new tracks.

You get the sense there could've been more included here. The band supposedly had done a rumored 50 or so tracks during the sessions for "Undisputed Attitude." There were also rumors of older tracks getting re-recorded at some point. I suspect there were a couple other unreleased tracks that could've been dug up.

There's some nice touches here. The CD's themselves are black (on the underside -- instead of shiny and reflective like most retail CDs). The box itself is what it is, the booklet is great to look through, and while I question the value of the extras, they were nice inclusions.