Rough Edge: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

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VARIOUS ARTISTS

"The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - The Album" (DRT/Nitrus; 2003)

It can be argued whether or not there was a need to remake Tobe Hooper's classic horror film "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." Sometimes, it's best just to leave well enough alone. However, it was probably wise to generate a heavy metal soundtrack to accompany the new film (despite the fact that very little, if any, of the music included on this CD was contained in the movie). Horror movies and metal seem to go hand-in-hand (it's hard to imagine Leatherface carving up a co-ed to the pulsing sounds of Snoop Dogg) and this collection of 18 tunes is yet another opportunity for heavy metal fans to seek out new bands that might be to their taste.

As might be expected, "Chainsaw: The Album" is heavy with tracks by aggressive metal bands the likes of Pantera (whose throbbing "Immortally Insane" opens the CD), Hatebreed, Soil, Motograter, Shadows Fall, Meshuggah, Morbid Angel, Lamb of God and Sworn Enemy. You've got a film about a guy who wears other peoples' faces while carving up his victims with a chainsaw - "aggressive" is an appropriate theme here and the selection of bands and songs, for the most part, works well. Also fitting is Mushroomhead's psycho funhouse sound (on "43").

There are a few songs that just don't seem to fit. Seether, a great band, offer the track "Pig" here and it's a little laidback for the overall concept; not a bad song, just out of place. Finger Eleven's "Stay in Shadow" stands out like (you should pardon the pun) a sore thumb, as does Core-Tez's "Five Months." 40 Below Summer's "Self Medicate" just misses falling into place.

Again, none of these are particularly bad songs; they just don't fit the overall aggressive tone of the CD. All in all, though, this is a solid compilation.

Complete tracklisting:
1. "Immortally Insane" - Pantera
2. "Below The Bottom" - Hatebreed
3. "Pride" - Soil
4. "Deliver Me" - Static-X
5. "43" - Mushroomhead
6. "Pig" - Seether
7. "Down In Flames" - Nothingface
8. "Self-Medicate" - 40 Below Summer
9. "Suffocate" - Motograter
10. "Destroyer Of Senses" - Shadows Fall
11. "Rational Gaze" - Meshuggah
12. "Archetype" - Fear Factory (remix, previously unreleased)
13. "Enshrined By Grace" - Morbid Angel
14. "Listen" - Index Case
15. "Stay In Shadow" - Finger Eleven
16. "Ruin" - Lamb Of God
17. "As Real As It Gets" - Sworn Enemy
18. "Five Months" - Cortez

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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