This 18-band compilation really makes me wonder why it's so difficult for the big labels to put together a decent alternative rock compilation CD. If some guys from Jersey can pull it off, why can't they?
Ed. features eighteen bands from the northeast U.S., ranging in style from folk to hard-core rap. I won't say they're all worth the price of admission, but the dogs are few and far between. As an indication of the quality of this release, five of the eighteen bands found herein have already signed record deals. It wouldn't surprise me to see a few more sometime soon. Bands you may have heard of on this project include SO7 (now known as Aleixa), Ghoti Hook, Cricket, Black Cherry Soda, Jawbone Hill, Morella's Forest, and Four Living Creatures.
Best tracks, for my money, include SO7's eerie brand of synth pop, Cricket's Ramone-styled punk, Four Living Creatures' gothic-tinged weirdness, and the hard core rap of Dodavahu. Oddly enough for a project of this nature, the folk entries were universally the weakest.
It's good to see the Christian music scene developing a legitimate underground. Ed. is one of the strongest offerings to come out of it so far. Care to see where CCM is headed? Check this out. Oh, and DC Comic fans take note, Steve Crespo did the cover artwork.
Other coverage for this album
Heaven's Metal #53Reviewed by Doug Van PeltHere's an 18-song disc with several cool bands on it, including Jawbone Hill, Dodavahu, and Four Living Creatures. Focusing almost entirely on alternative music, some of the bands get pretty hard, like SO7, a female-fronted band from Montclair, Virginia, and A Few Loose Screws, who come off fast, furious, 'n' fuzzy. This disc is a bargain at $10.
