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Headbangers Ball: Volume 2
by Zane Ewton

MTV is the last source someone should turn to when searching for what is happening in metal but the second compilation from Headbangers Ball is surprisingly good.  For the uninitiated, this two disc set would be a great introduction to some of the bigger names and also the bands that are making their way through the ranks.

None of the tracks are rare, except maybe the live version of �My Tortured Soul�, the Probot song recorded from an appearance on Headbangers Ball.  The other 39 tracks are culled together from previously released and soon to be released albums.

Disc one features a more mainstream look at metal, with the likes of Korn and Slipknot, who provided �Right Now� and �Duality� respectively.  But Korn sounds old and uninspired compared to the other bands.  Speaking of old, an un-retired Megadeth contribute a new track.  �Kick the Chair� hearkens back to when Megadeth was still a metal band.

Other bands adding songs you have heard before are Black Label Society with the acoustic �House of Doom�, Fear Factory�s �Archetype�, Soulfly�s title track to the disappointing �Prophecy�, Vinnie and Dime�s  Damageplan contribute �Breathing New Life�, Superjoint Ritual sit in the middle of disc one with �Waiting for the Turning Point� and Drowning Pool with new singer add �Step Up�.

Disc two features the bands that are not quite household names yet.  Some tracks that stand out are God Forbids �Antihero�, Children of Bodom�s �Needled 24/7�, Himsa�s �Rain to the Sound of Panic�, The Black Dahlia Murder with �Contagion�, Martyr A.D. track �American Hollow� and �Progenies of the Great Apocalypse� by Dimmu Borgir.

Unlike other genre compilations, this one has diversity and each band stands out from the rest.  Volume 2 is lacking in numetal, which is a very good thing.  Because bands like Killswitch Engage, Lamb of God and countless others are taking metal to exciting places.  All we can do is hope MTV won�t kill it before it really gets started.

Headbangers Ball: Volume 2
Label: Roadrunner Records
Rating: 
Release Date: Sept 28, 2004
 

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