Various Artists - Spectrum Fest (CD)

All Music Guide

Every possible form of extreme heavy metal, from death metal to grindcore to white noise, is represented on Relapse Records' second collection in their Spectrum series. And though some of the music here is quite bland, most of it ranges from good to great, showcasing some of the most interesting music the underground metal scene has to offer. Especially good is Exit 13, featured three times on the album. Two of the songs are remakes of old jazz songs about marijuana, while "Hopped Up" is a grindcore flurry tackling the same subject matter. Their versatility and humor are welcome among some of the more heavy-handed material. Bands like Neurosis and Amorphis are typical of the collection: Their brand of metal is brutal and experimental to the point that there really is not a category that they can be placed in -- they are simply creating new forms of heavy music. Of course, not every band has to be a pioneer, as proved by the (purposefully) hilarious punk flavor of Abscess and the uninte...ntionally funny Mortician. Their generic grindcore is wonderfully entertaining and fun. Certain bands are not well-represented, such as Brutal Truth, which gets two embarrassingly underproduced metal songs that are not typical of the group's good material. And average bands like the Danzig-esque Xysma are given too much space (other Relapse bands such as Monastat 7 or Perfect would have been more appropriate). But give credit to Relapse -- the album also contains the amazing worldbeat track "Father of the Flower," by Trial of the Bow, as well as "Continue (excerpt)," a haunting soundscape created by former Napalm Death drummer Mick Harris. Despite the album's shortcomings, this is a good place to start an experimental metal collection. But for those not interested in the underground world of heavy metal, this would not be a wise investment. - Bradley Torreano, All Music Guide Read more Less