Originally released on the cool Level Plane Records back in 2004, this debut full-length from Louisville heavy hitters Coliseum harkens back to a time when they really did hit heavy. And although I applaud the band's more recent output for reaching and stretching into new terrain, I damn near never listen to it, finding it lacking the energy and drive of this early material. So here you have the original 27-minute declaration of Lemmy-influenced d-beat punk, although it's nowhere near as metal or as crusty as that may sound.
This reissue, celebrating the band's signing to Deathwish Inc., includes eight extra tracks from the band's early era, which are fun, but end up serving the same purpose all reissue bonus tracks do: to get in the way and kill the momentum of the original album, which smokes start to finish without any addendums. It doesn't quite reaching the pure glory of 2007 follow-up full-length No Salvation, but it definitely showcases a band on their way to something special. And a geeky side note relevant to few: the remix by Toxic Holocaust's Joel Grind here does give some fun metal cred to the proceedings.
(Deathwish Inc.)This reissue, celebrating the band's signing to Deathwish Inc., includes eight extra tracks from the band's early era, which are fun, but end up serving the same purpose all reissue bonus tracks do: to get in the way and kill the momentum of the original album, which smokes start to finish without any addendums. It doesn't quite reaching the pure glory of 2007 follow-up full-length No Salvation, but it definitely showcases a band on their way to something special. And a geeky side note relevant to few: the remix by Toxic Holocaust's Joel Grind here does give some fun metal cred to the proceedings.