Exit-13

This double-disc set collects almost all of underrated weirdo grind band Exit-13’s tunes. Ethos Musick still stands as one heck of a good full-length, with a nice, raw production sound that brings out the drumming of ex-Brutal Truth pounder Scott Lewis wonderfully. From short grinders (the title track) to more experimental numbers ("Legalize Hemp Now!”), this album is wildly diverse and entertaining. The simplistic, sloganeering lyrics are by no means groundbreaking, but are still charming. The Just a Few More Hits EP features material recorded at the same time as Ethos, so it’s at the same level of quality and eccentricity. Disc two starts out with a few post-Ethos tracks taken from split releases, notably featuring Dave Witte on drums. From there, however, it goes back in time, and while the Green Is Good! LP (1990) and the other older vinyl releases are charming and enjoyable in an extremely lo-fi fashion, that charm will only be appreciated by a select few extreme grind freaks. The collection ends with the Unrequited Love for Chicken Soup seven-inch from 1989. Liner notes (anything!) and unreleased songs would have made this a more interesting collection, but this is still a worthwhile look at a vastly underrated band.