Destroysall - A Tribute To Godzilla CD
It's been nearly two years ago, since the release of this brilliant compilation, but anyway, this disc is so damn good, what makes it still worth to write some enthusiastic words about it. Shifty Records had done some sort of conceptual compilation, dedicated to Godzilla and all his Japanese monster cohorts to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the release of "Destroy All Monsters", back in 2003. Due to the entire concept of "Destroysall" and the responsible label, one can expect an highly interesting compilation, featuring 15 super heavy bands, but the album contains also some musical surprises among all the massive sludge-driven heaviness. Bands like GIGANTASAURUS (super sick stuff - a killer song!), MAMMOTH (featuring Chris Smith of Keelhaul solo), DOT(.), FISTULA (of, course!), and NEGATIVE REACTION, just to name a few, destroying without compromise comparable with Godzilla's afternoon-walk through Tokyo. Among the aforementioned surprises are bands like THE CRUNKY KIDS or HANGNAIL (not the former UK heavy band!), who are playing fast hardcore the vein of the early US-bands. TERMINAL LOVERS, who had already released an album through Shifty Records are also very different from all the sludge bands here, and I like their energetic heavy rock, that is embedded in electronic sounds, what gives "Mr. Astronaut Glenn" a psychedelic touch as well as an industrial aura. I was very glad to find a track from New Jersey's one-and-only SOLACE on this compilation and their contribution, entitled "Mother Godzilla" is again a solid proof of their sonic qualities.
It's "only" an instrumental, but very impressing and maybe they've captured here their most psychedelic moment. The powerful and liquid golden guitarwork is very 70's like and takes the listener on a bittersweet journey, especially when the riffs are changing into a long and beautiful guitar-solo. Whenever I listen to "Mother Godzilla", the track absorbs me! Among the surprises are SPACE FACE with "Leen Grizzard", that sounds as if Red Giant had taken a bath of filth and dirt. Good stuff! The masters of bizarre humour, SLOTH, are featured here, too, with "If I were Godzilla" and they have build the song around samples of Klaus Kinski, taken from the movie "Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes"! The result is unbelievable effective, and SLOTH still remains a class of its own. THIRD DEGREE BURNOUT are the next great band and "Anarchy Fell Through" is a massive sludge monster, but yet melodic and filled with a distinct brutal groove. So, believe it or not, but here are fifteen extreme entertaining bands, playing fifteen extreme good songs, and "Destroysall" is the total opposite of being soporifically or superflous, not only because all tracks are previous unreleased. Hail and praises to Shifty Records for releasing this masterful compilation. Buy this compilation without delay!
(KK)