Various Artists
Godspeed
Reviewed by Doug Van Pelt
Wanna hear almost the entire scope of Christian hard music of an entire continent in one CD? Most of Australia's Christian metal talent is right here on Godspeed - the first release on Steve Rowe's new label.
"Shut Up & Listen," the first cut here, is so full-on powerful that it's worth the price of this 17-cut compilation CD alone. Here's a tune slathered with the power of Phil Anselmo or Marc Salomon and he can sing pretty well, too! The band is Cry Mercy and they are so hot it makes me want to make the trip down under just to see those guys live. They turn out to record the best cut on this disk, but there are plenty of other hot acts on here as well.
Of course, Mortification shows up with a heavy demo version of "Time Crusaders," featuring new drummer Phil Gibson. Being the biggest metal act out of Australia, they've inspired several other death metal acts, which appear here - Disincarnated, Deracination, Embodyment, Metanoia, and Screams of Chaos. Screams... is a fun piece done by video producer extraordinaire Neil Johnson and friend Steve Rowe. Deracination plays a doomy death metal rip-off of the "I Want To Be A Clone" rhythm (I thought I was hearing a cut on the Steve Taylor tribute album).
Another highlight here is Beheadoth, a Christian counterpart to the European black metal movement (holy un black metal). It's a one-man project by Unpaganuth Necronomoccultociduth. There's some good classic metal here too, with Harbinger and the L.A. sounds of Doxology.
There's several other artists on this compilation, like the "Sex Pistols meet the B-52's" band Rockin' Rabbis; and Rosanna's Raiders, but the one cut that blows everything else away is "Shut Up & Listen," which would have fans of Pantera Crying Mercy.
For ordering info, write: Christian Music Products, PO Box 2777, Barker, 3122 Australia.