Various Artists � Oh Say Can You Scream � Screaming Ferret Wreckords Volume One
Label: Screaming Ferret Wreckords
Rating: 
 

Personally I love compilation discs, often times you can find little hidden treasures on such CD's. Independent record companies have found them to be a valuable vehicle for exposing their artists. Alas, it worked again as I had only been familiar with only one band featured on this disc, and only because we recently received their full length CD to review. 

"Oh Say Can You Scream" is the perfect title for this collection as the disc features music from a wide cross section of the metal underground. Meliah Rage kick things off with a full throttle speed metal tune that easily measures up to anything put out by the major players in the genre. Distrust goes them one heavier with "Breaking the Pain Barrier" a no-holds-barred death metal symphony. Red Right Hand's "Good Day To Die" is good old fashioned power metal with a head banging riff that gets your blood pumping. Candy Striper Death Orgy offer up their tune "Atomictivity", a classic speed metal bone crusher that would do Death Angel proud. Cold Blooded are death metal heavy weights in the making.  Their contribution here, "End it All", should grab any serious death metal fan by the balls and have them screaming for mercy.  Tearabyte's  "Doom Generation" features some killer guitar riffing and Motorhead-esq vocals, very cool stuff. Disdain's "Reign of Terror" intro guitar riffs takes you back to the days when Sabbath reigned supreme, then they kick into a metal march reminiscent of early Anthrax or Exodus. Recognizer has a more nu-metal feel to them during the verses than take on a semi-punk stance for the choruses. Comadose is the only band featured here to venture into the rap-core genre, if that's your bag then these guys have a lot to offer and can stand toe to toe with any other rap-core group on the scene. Suicide Contest's "Ballad of Lew Proudfoot (Manhunter)" is a hodgepodge of styles from the classic 70's sounding guitar solo to the punkish verses and power metal riffs; it's good stuff. 

Serious fans of "heavy" metal should definitely check this compilation out; it's a strong collection of songs from some kick ass metal bands that you might not know about. If you know someone who has been hanging out at the mall a little too much, it might also be a good idea to pick up a copy for them so they can hear what they've been missing.  Think of it as a public service, we can't have people going around thinking Limp Bizkit is metal, can we? Show them what the real deal is all about.