Striking Back With The New School Fury...

In theory, a compilation is an excellent concept but often in execution they fall short due to three salient factors. The first being that the tracks featured are usually (but admittedly not always) to be found on another release by the artist. Secondly, if there is a track on there that you haven’t already heard, chances are its so half baked that only the most fanatical of fans will look to own it. The final, and surely most condemning factor that plagues the compilation is consistency, if there are say, 16 to 20 tracks, how many of those are really going to be good, but more so, how many of those 16 to 20 artists are you actually going to like? Maybe 50%, and that’s if your lucky.

Now believe it or not, through the years, there have been some good compilations, such as the first two East Coast Assault collections, the Animal Truth compilation (which is so out of print, if anyone has a copy they are willing to part with, hit me up) and one known as ‘The Document,’ which emerged from Japan a few years ago. All of these (and many others) were eclipsed when this disc, fittingly titled ‘The Resurrection,’ was bought forth in 2005 and has stood as one of the best played, burned and enjoyed discs in my collection, that shows not only how good it is, but how addictive it can be.

Giving 9 bands two cuts each helps with the disc’s continuity, and even though the running time clocks in at just over 75 minutes, the quality never lets up and most importantly, the majority of the material here is exclusive to this compilation ( post release, some of the songs have gone to be featured on band’s other releases, the only exceptions though are God’s Heritage, Shiver and Canopus, however the latter 2 put out rougher versions, not the crisp, clinical cuts found here).

As you have no doubt ascertained, there is a pattern emerging with the type of Japanese bands being featured here, once again, these bands are all from the notorious 168/178 area of Tokyo and all specialize (be it in different areas) in recreating the new school sounds of mid to late 90s hardcore from both Europe and the States but as mentioned in previous posts, these bands take these foundations, modernize them and then build upon them. Take the opening cut from The Ten Commandments, their demo was total Sentence/From The Dying Sky worship and admittedly, tones of those bands linger in their newer material, but in this incarnation the band are far more bestial, far more intense and far more metal. The Ten Commandments cites Malevolent Creation as an influence and that is apparent here as their two tracks have strong ties to the first 3 MC releases (interesting to note that the band was once called Eve Of The Apocalypse).

Following that opening blitzkrieg comes The Fortress, who, despite the reference to a certain vegan band from Syracuse don’t entirely sound like them. On the contrary, this is how Earth Crisis should have sounded when they recorded Slither instead of the nu-metal abomination it turned out to be. Moving back into a more metal direction is the considerably vehement Extinguish The Fire, who have progressed considerably from their primitive beginnings where they sounded like a very slowed down Sentence. Now they are an intricate maelstrom of new school metallic fury, and trust, this shit rips live.

The final two tracks I have enclosed here from Shiver and Blood Calls We Die, the former is one of the more well known Japanese bands sounding like a more threatening, angrier version of Abnegation. Strangely, Blood Calls We Die sound more like their Godfather’s Statecraft here (particularly from their ‘Until The Darkness Is Gone,’ MCD) but I do hear some other slight influences buzzing underneath, particularly that of the Italian Vegan overlords xAbsencex.


So see what you think,

http://www.sendspace.com/file/dosdxz - The Ten Commandments - Seven Cardinal Sins

http://www.sendspace.com/file/llcax6 - The Fortress - Burn It All

http://www.sendspace.com/file/pli3el - Extinguish The Fire - Absolutely Nobody Freedom

http://www.sendspace.com/file/jnxt5m - Shiver - The Compassion

http://www.sendspace.com/file/amlk5w - Blood Calls We Die - Reveal The Truth

What I decided to do with this one was to break it into 2 posts, so the second part of the Resurrection will published early next week, giving you enough time to fully digest what is on offer here.

As far as I know this one is still readily available, so hit up www.retributionnetwork.com for a copy.