I Love Metal / I ♥ Metal compilation (1999)

Obviously, with bargain bin in the blog title, things would eventually delve into the realm of tribute albums.  Not only tribute albums, but novelty tribute albums.  Some punk/ska/alternative bands cover '80s metal:

1. Reggie & the Full Effect - Raining Blood (Slayer)
Initially, when I heard the opening riff, I thought this might have some novelty value and uniqueness as a more electronic take on Slayer.  Then the distorted shouts of the vocals began. 

2. Avail - Iron Fist (Motörhead)
Pretty good musically.  I suspect the vocalist realized he couldn't emulate Lemmy, so there are
just generic gruff vocals.

3. Less Than Jake - We're Not Gonna Take It (Twisted Sister)
Sped-up, punkish, and lightweight, which is actually what I had envisioned most of the covers would be like.  Not good or interesting, though.

4. Hot Rod Circuit - Sin City (AC/DC)
The playing is competent, but has none of the dirt or grit of the original.

5. The Get Up Kids - On With the Show (Mötley Crüe)
Emo vocals.

6. Jejune - No One Like You (Scorpions)
Along with the later Girlschool cover, this is the most musically-faithful rendition on the comp.  They try to do it straight up, but the vocalist really doesn't have the chops for it.

7. The Killingtons - Animal (Fuck Like a Beast) (W.A.S.P.)
This is such a lethargic version that it sounds like a legitimate, non-cover alternative song (don't misconstrue that comment as being positive in any way).  And the chorus lyrics aren't even right.

8. Supernova - The Trooper (Iron Maiden)
This may have been an attempt at a freewheelin' rock'n'roll version, but it's devoid of energy.  Unfortunately, it's not devoid of intrusive electronic sounds during the whole thing.

9. Mephiskapheles - Necromantical Screams (Celtic Frost)
They nailed the Frost guitar tone, and I thought the sparingly used ska horns and intentionally-ridiculous-to-mock-the-original operatic backing vox were the only truly humorous elements of this entire compilation.
Vocals really bring it down though, as they're forced and monotonous.

10. Lounge - Living After Midnight (Judas Priest)
Lame pop-punk version.


11. Electric Frankenstein - Not for Sale (Girlschool)
Unexpected yet pleasant surprise both in song choice and execution.  Vocals are weak but great instrumentally.

12. Modest Mouse + Califone - South of Heaven (Slayer)
Acoustic nonsense.

13. Gardner (special live bonus track) - Flying High Again (Ozzy Osbourne)
Too easygoing; severely lacking in energy.

I was actually going into this expecting most of the covers to be hyperactive and simplified punk versions played at more manic tempos, but to the contrary, quite a few songs suffer from having no power or energy.  There's a lot less in terms of experimentation and parody than I would have guessed too.  This isn't quite the equivalent of throwing a dollar into the gutter, but looking at the layout (a school binder covered in pen graffiti) was more fulfilling than a lot of the musical content.

Starwood - If It Ain't Broke, Break It! (2004)

Three of the four Starwood members are from Lizzy Borden, including Lizzy himself.  I've seen the album touted as kind of a modern take on '70s/'80s glam rock, which would have been alright, but I was quite disappointed that it didn't seem very retro.  A couple of the choruses hint at the '70s, but this just doesn't have the over-the-top execution or hooks of '70s glam, nor the sleaziness or bite of  the '80s glam bands.  The older Lizzy Borden material shows more of a Sweet/Kiss/Alice Cooper/Slade/etc. influence than this!
In a way this reminds me of the more commercial fare on Lizzy Borden's Master of Disguise, though Starwood is nowhere near as experimental and suffers from modern production values.

Between the Frost - Instinct of Surliness (1998)

 

Dear readers, I kid you not, I staked this CD out for close to a year, waiting for it to move from the regularly-priced used CDs into the dollar bin.  And when it did?  Oh, the relief.  Oh, the elation.

Anyhow, somebody's been listening to Storm of the Light's Bane.  Yup, total Dissection-styled black/death here.  The vocals (done in a black metal style) are quite high--they don't quite reach anything like a Dani Filth level where they actually cause annoyance, but given the amount of black/death bands who emulated Dissection, the vox aren't doing the band any favors when there are so many options for this sound available.