Apocalyptica

When Apocalyptica first came out with an album of Metallica songs played on four cellos it seemed unlikely that this was anything but a novelty act, though an intriguing one. Ten years later and the Finnish band are down to a trio, have released five full-length albums, toured North America, and now put together this two-disc retrospective collection. The first CD offers selections of Apocalyptica’s covers and original material; the second gathers together tracks the band recorded with various guest vocalists, including Sandra Nasic (Guano Apes), Ville Valo (H.I.M.) and Nina Hagen. Amplified: A Decade of Reinventing the Cello is a solid introduction to Apocalyptica, but the main appeal for current fans is more likely to be the two vocal performances taken from "special edition” or "revised” versions of Cult and Reflections as well as two unreleased songs — a Slayer cover and a collaboration with Max Cavalera (Sepultura/Soulfy) and Matt Tuck (Bullet For My Valentine). The two-disc idea works well, allowing the distinct tone of the instrumentals an album to themselves while disc two provides a little more popular appeal.