Rough Edge: Various Artists: Armageddon Over Wacken 2004 CD Review

VARIOUS ARTISTS

"Armageddon Over Wacken Live 2004" (Magick Records; 2005)

If you're a regular visitor to this website, then you've either been to or you've dreamed of going to the Wacken Open Air Festival. It's a huge music festival held every year that's filled to the brim with the very best in hard rock, heavy metal and all the in-between genres therein.

This three CD set captures live performances from the 2004 show, the Festival's 15th, and a simple listing of the talent captured herein should be enough to grab your attention. Featured on this CD are ANTHRAX, DESTRUCTION, CHILDREN OF BODOM, CANNIBAL CORPSE, MAYHEM, DEATH ANGEL, DIO, DORO, MOTORHEAD, NEVERMORE, BRAINSTORM, BLAZE BAILEY and many more. And those are only on the first two discs. The third disc, entitled "Underground," features such lesser-known but just as deadly rockers as VANGUARD, RECKLESS TIDE, DR. ROCK, SUFFERAGE, ZODIAC MINDWARP and many others.

Even with over three hours of music here, the only complaint I can think of is that there's never enough of anyone. The bigger names tend to have two songs each while most of the bands on the CD only have one. While it's an incredible, virtually unmatched line-up, it always leaves you wanting more. There's only so much you can do with 40 bands and only 3 CDs.

Then again, that's probably the point. As enjoyable as this set is for those of us who couldn't make the shows, it'll make a great souvenir for those who did. And it may lead to some of these lesser-known bands garnering the attention they so richly deserve.

A great collection from a legendary show, "Armageddon Over Wacken" is more than three hours of solid metal noise.

For more information, check out www.wacken.com.

Rating Guide:

A classic. This record will kick your ass.

Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.

So-so. You've heard better.

Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.

Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.

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