Bolt Thrower

Since Bolt Thrower and Napalm Death were two of the longest-serving bands on Earache, these two special releases come as no surprise. The Bolt Thrower is a collection of previously released EPs and live tracks, collecting the out-of-print Cenotaph and Spearhead EPs, along with the band’s two song contribution to Rareache, the commemorative collection that marked Earache’s 100th release. The same cannot be said of Bootlegged In Japan. Released in response to the appearance of this show on bootlegs, either the band or Earache decided to release this as a warts and all document of the band live in Tokyo during their 1996 tour. If you ask me, this would have been better left in the vaults. While their studio albums have been getting better and better since 1996’s Diatribes, it seems their live show has been doing the opposite. This is a great example of why bootlegs should sometimes remain bootlegs. This one is only for the die-hards.