Music: Various Artists: The Music of Artisanship and War Volume II

Our Take

At some point or another, just about every record label puts out a compilation of some sort. But whether or not fans will support a particular label’s compilation can depend on the quality of songs it offers and variety of artists. Canadian label Diminished Fifth Records is now on the second volume of their The Music of Artisanship and War series, and offer plenty of acts from the Canadian scene that listeners may or may not be familiar with. And thanks to the strength of the material offered, this is definitely a release worth checking out if only to get an idea of what the metal scene in Canada has to offer.

Diminished Fifth is a relatively newer label with only five artists on their roster so far, but they made sure to grab as many talented acts for this compilation as they could. The resulting disc has 19 different artists encompassing genres such as death metal, stoner rock, and thrash which gives it plenty of variety. In addition to this, eight of the nineteen songs are previously unreleased ensuring that listeners who are already familiar with some of these groups will be able to find something new. I have to give the label credit for doing this, as quite a few compilations I’ve reviewed in the past have featured songs that can be found on numerous other releases. But of course, none of this matters if the songs aren’t worth listening to right? Thankfully, Diminished Fifth seems to have had a good ear when picking the artists and songs as nearly three quarters of the material here is worth checking out.

The Music of Artisanship and War Volume II is a compilation with a purpose, and it definitely succeeds. The Canadian metal scene (particularly its underground circuits) may not be as well known as its American counterpart, but this release showcases that many of these artists can certainly hold their own. I plan on checking some of the groups on this disc out further in the future, and if you’re looking for some new bands to listen to that are related to metal in some way, this compilation has more than enough variety to satisfy.

http://www.diminishedfifthrecords.com

Chris Dahlberg
November 10, 2008