Various

Warped Tour 2005 Compilation (2005)

Brian Shultz

While, like past years, the vast majority of this year's Warped Tour compilation relies on tracks widely available on label/band website, purevolume and Myspace pages alike, the range and diversity of the bands stays intact as well.

You've got your standard share of singles from the bigger names in the circuit, that being Fall Out Boy's "Saturday," "Checkmarks" from the Academy Is…, Rufio's "Out Of Control," Hawthorne Heights' "Ohio Is For Lovers," "Sydney" from Halifax, Armor For Sleep's "Car Underwater," Silverstein's "Smashed Into Pieces," etc. al. Offered up as well, however, are new tracks from Boys Night Out, A Wilhelm Scream, and Dropkick Murphys, amongst a few others.

Oh, since you're bound to ask anyway, here's your answer in advance:

Like He-man going through a Chinese phone book. After a bout of heightened fertilization in the country. As a new sexual enhancement product has just hit shelves.

The question you're asking? That'd be "how much does that new Wilhelm Scream track rip?" The sub-two minute blast of melodic punk is the highlight of the compilation, with the band's superb vocal harmonies, breakneck pace and splendiferous solo in the bridge all acting to make "Me Vs. Morrissey In The Pretentious Contest (The Ladder Match)" the standout by far.

There are some both pretty genius and entertaining acts of sequencing scattered around the disc as well. Maybe it's just because I like the former's track exponentially better, but Hot Water Music's "Poison" follows up the short fade of FOB's "Saturday" perfectly. Atreyu's metal riffs, however, surging through the speakers immediately after Street Dogs' friendly street anthem "You Alone?" Hilarious. The delicately anthemic "Composing" from Boys Night Out's precedes the heavily Jimmy Eat World-inspired "Take Me Away" from Plain White T's nicely. The Matches' "Dog-Eared Page" follows Strung Out's "Analog" surprisingly well. The 1-2-3 of Underoath, Hopesfall and From First To Last on Disc 1 makes sense. And, you know, "Ohio Is For Lovers" following Strike Anywhere's "To The World" is a bit ironic considering my public opinions of both bands are basically polar opposites.

The black sheep award of the two-disc set belongs to the post-Ellis Island romp of Gogol Bordello's mid-tempo gypsy punk in "Start Wearing Purple." It's a bizzarre, world-influenced track that, per the band's usual sound, leans more heavily to the band's (mostly) Ukranian heritage than American punk or hardcore. However, the definitively Bob Marley-influenced grooves of Bedouin Soundclash's "Gyasi Went Home" is a close second.

All in all, the 2005 Warped Tour compilation leaves its format as is, serving up another 50 tracks of music at a pretty reasonable price. Depending upon your tastes / buying habits / etc., it may be worth a look at at least.