Various

Contaminated 5.0 (2003)

citra

I really don't know where Relapse gets off releasing these double-disc monsters time and time again - each disc filled wall-to-wall with all of the crappy bands on their label (and more crappy bands that aren't on it). I mean, sure there are some choice cuts - that's the case with every album (aside from Billy Joel's 'Attila' project, but that's another story). Occassionally, there's a track on here that reeks of good metalcore, but they're easily drowned out by the 10 songs of unforgiveable filler that fall in between them.

Let me explain a little before you reach for the 'add comment' button: Relapse has been putting out these compilations for quite some time, and only one of them has been somewhat decent (Volume 3). I don't think -any- of them have gotten a positive sales return, despite their priced-to-own sales pitch (most of the cd's have run under $8); they try so hard to fit so many bands onto one compilation that I think they just put on every band that's ever submitted a demo to their label - and that might not even be too far from the truth.

The first two tracks on the first disc are utter trash, and I mean complete. Even after many forced repeat listens, I still feel absolutely the same as I did when I first heard them - bored and disgusted. However, the third track is a very nice cut from Burnt By the Sun called "Dow Jones and the Temple of Doom," a fist-to-the-face hardcore blitz worthy of it's inevitable spot on your next mix CD. The next two tracks are dismissable, even though one is a classic from veteran Dillinger Escape Plan (only due to the fact that it's a terrible live recording and should have been left on some idiot's MD player), and there isn't another good song until Daylight Dies comes along with "I Wait," which is an awesome song reminiscent of Shadows Fall mixed with a little bit of SYL, among others.

Aside from Pig Destroyer's track, that about does it for the first CD. Today is the Day's contribution is up to par with their older releases, but by the time it gets on you're so fed up with this disc it doesn't even matter - it goes completely unnoticed. While I'm sure if you added this to a mix tape along with the aforementioned tracks, it would go fine - so it all depends on your perspective, really.

Onto the second disc. This is really the only disc that should have been included with the album; seriously. A lot of the songs here also fall victim to the 'what the fuck were they thinking' line of reasoning, but some of them really do shine - Cephalic Carnage, Dying Fetus, The End, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Exhumed, and Uphill Battle all really put out awesome tracks that leave you in wonder of what the rest of their stuff sounds like (if you don't know).

So, what I'm really trying to say through all this blather is that Relapse should stop trying to cram so much shit into one package. This compilation could easily be cut by 2/3, and it needs to be. Make your own mix tapes from this double disc compilation, but don't -dare- attempt to listen to it as a whole. I warned you!