Lost Soul - Genesis: XX Years of Chaoz
It’s a celebration, bitches. Show Lost Soul your titties! To commemorate 20 years as a band, this Polish Tech-Death powerhouse has released a colossal double-disc compilation of career-spanning material. For existing fans of the band such as myself, this package is an essential treat that pretty much sells itself. Disc One (Genesis) is a fresh take on old gems, plus a few new surprises. You get 1992’s debut demo Necrophil re-recorded in its entirety. You get select cuts from the impossible-to-find Superior Ignotium (1994), Scream of the Mourning Star (2000), and Ubermensch (2002) LPs, again, all re-recorded for maximum-quality sickness. You also get two songs from 1998’s breakthrough Now Is Forever demo (which would later serve as the Poles’ contribution to both the Disco’s Out, Slaughter’s In and Polish Assault 4-way splits), as well as a supremely beefed up version of “If the Dead Can Speak” and two covers. Their sped-up spin on Metallica’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls” —with drumming faster than Lars Ulrich can think— must be heard to be believed, and to a lesser extent the same can be said for their unexpected choice of “Spitfire” by Industrial/Rap outfit The Prodigy. For posterity and collectors’ sake, Disc Two (Lords of Endeavors) presents original unearthed rarities from the dark past. It features 1993’s Eternal Darkness demo, select tracks from the aforementioned ‘94, ‘98, ‘00, and ‘02 releases, and the previously unheard “Moira.” Obviously, the sound quality of the second disc varies —ranging from “not that bad” to “HOLY SHIT”— but overall it serves as a testament to just how far Jacek Grecki & Co. have come. This blast-happy Death horde may not have always had a studio budget, but they’ve always had wicked fucking chops. For new fans, Genesis probably isn’t the best place to start. A valuable history lesson, indeed, but it’s simply an absurd amount of Lost Soul to attempt to digest all at once. 2005’s benchmark opus Chaostream is more likely the way to go, although my 666th sense tells me that whatever the band does next could very well be their best yet.
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