The ninth volume of this longstanding compilation series is a comprehensive cross-section of the artists on
Epitaph
and its associated labels
Hellcat
and
Rhymesayers
. Kicking off with
Bad Religion
's fold-returning
"Social Suicide,"
the set breaks up the
emocore
chokehold of nameplates like
From First to Last
,
Matchbook Romance
, and
Scatter the Ashes
with
hip-hop
from
Atmosphere
(
"The Keys to Life vs. 15 Minutes of Fame"
) and the rousing
punk revivalism
of
Rancid
Dropkick Murphys
. (The latter's fun, bawdy duet
"The Dirty Glass"
is a collection highlight.)
Refused
offer technical, visceral takes on the
post-hardcore
aesthetic, while solid contributions from
Nekromantix
Tiger Army
HorrorPops
point uninitiated cherries toward the
psychobilly
funhouse. The majority of
Punk-O-Rama, Vol. 9
is culled from current releases; however, there is an unreleased live track from
Death By Stereo
, as well as
Hot Water Music
's
"Seein' Diamonds,"
a melodic
Jawbreaker
-type number seeing its first domestic issue. Fans of
Dillinger Escape Plan
vocalist
Greg Puciato
who may have missed
Error
, his
industrial
dalliance with
Brett Gurewitz
and assorted pals, will enjoy the wack
KMFDM
smack of
"Burn in Hell,"
Eyedea & Abilities
'
"Now"
helps close the set with rapid
raps
and cut-up
OutKast-ian
rhythms. [
also packed a DVD with video content from many of its musical contributors, as well as acts like
Randy
Converge
.] ~ Johnny Loftus