ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP
‘Ultimate Beatdowns Vol.1 - Metal’ (2004)
In case you were wondering the Ultimate Fighting Championship is American
wrestling for those who the WWE, as the WWF is now called, a bit girly.
Replete with bad nicknames, the UFC features such luminaries as Ken 'The
Worlds Most Dangerous Man' Shamrock. See what I mean? A wrestler called
Ken!
Anyway, the album is a mix of classic metal, new metal and the dreaded
previously unreleased metal. So after the faux Wagner intro you're head
about the head with "Warzone" by Slayer and "Blunt Force Trauma" by
Damageplan, both gems, both strangely appropriate, but setting you up for a
fall.
Hatebreed keep the quality going through "Live For This", but then the first
blank arrives with the unreleased "Cowards" by American Head Charge. It
should have stayed that way. Shadows Fall probably kept "Power Of I And I"
in the can for a reason, but I can only assume a reasonable quantity of cash
salves their conscience.
Sepultura's cover of "Bullet The Blue Sky" is probably reaching saturation
point, but is a welcome respite from the rubbish immediately preceding it.
Fear Facotory also score highly with "Slave Labor", although it fails to
reach the heights they previously set. From then on in, with the honourable
exception of Killswitch Engage, it's fairly hard going.
Icepick are probably the best of a bad bunch, with Stemm, U.P.O, Index Case,
Black Flood Diesel and Scars Of Life failing to make an impression. Even
Chimaira, who I have a great deal of time for, miss the mark with the
unreleased "Indifferent To Suffering".
I don't wont to be down on this release, as I would like to think it was
artistic, rather than financial reasons that put so many new acts on the CD,
but most just don't pass muster. At least the compilers have tried to cover
a number of genres, with a smattering of hardcore and death in amongst the
more mainstream numbers, so please don't send round Vitor 'The Phenom'
Belfort to sort me out!
**
Review by Stuart A Hamilton
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