Man, I used to just hate compilations. Granted, it is a cool way to hear a bunch of new bands inexpensively, but the drawbacks are so great sometimes that they're usually not worth even that investment. Realizing this, many labels have tried a few differnt approaches: lowering the cost (Century Media); offering a TON of songs (Nuclear Blast); or giving us rare and out of print material. War Dance definitely falls into the third category. Since most of WAR's (formerly Wrong Again) back catalogue is out of stock, this is really the only way to hear excellent older tracks from In Flames, Eucharist, Naglfar and Cryptopsy. The quality of artists and the songs they chose is also above par, solidifiying that this comp is a must have. Opening with the out of control Blades, we also get Enslave the Astral Fortress from the hard-to-find Vittra release. Newcomers Carnal Forge (Who's Gonna Burn should be available now) really tear it up with their particular brand of speed death, very impressive and one of the shining moments on the album. Darkane is another band to look for. Featuring percussive artiste Peter Wildoer (Arch Enemy, Armageddon), July 1999 and Convicted are excellent tracks, building lots of anticipation on this end for their Rusted Angel debut (out in February 1999). If you haven't yet heard Eucharist, here's the best way to listen to the monumental leap they have made between their last two releases. One of the best records to come out in the last two years, Mirrorworlds is a masterpiece, here represented by the album's opening track. Wounded and Alone, a rare track from the W.A.R. comp is also good, yet suffers from poor sound quality. This problem also affects other tracks, giving the album a peak/valley sound experience which can get a trifle annoying. It's worth it for the aforementioned In Flames though, as until it's re-released, you can't find the Subterranean E.P. anywhere! Arch Enemy's Losing Faith is one of the bonus tracks from the Japanese version of Black Earth, and is pretty colse to the sound of that album, albeit not quite as strong. The Dimension Zero track is unreleased, but I can't fathom why it wasn't put on their Penetrations from the Lost World E.P., which only clocks in at 12 minutes! In Thy Dreams' Forgiven Sins is another one that impresses me heavily. Coming from the NWOSDM school, they're a band to look for. War Dance closes off with an alternate version of The Juggernaut Divine (from Crossing the Rubicon). More great drumming, although it doesn't sound all that different from the album version. All in all, a downright excellent compilation featuring some of the more creative and talented bands out there today. You can't go wrong (again) here!