MTV2 Headbanger's Ball: The Revenge (CD - 2006)

Audio Mixers: Tony Gammalo; Colin Richardson; Ronald Prent; Dave Fortman ; Eddie Wohl; Eric Rachel; Eskil Lovstrom; Herman Li; J.R. McNeely; Adam Dutkiewicz; Karl Groom; Kevin Shirley; Matt Bayles; Mike Fraser; Andy Sneap; Paul Orofino; Andy Wallace; Pelle Henricsson; Ryan Williams; Steve Albini; Terry Date; Tim Palmer; Barry Conley; Ben Grosse; Ben Schigel; Rob Caggiano; Jens Bogren; Dallas Coyle; Eddie Mapp ; Josh Wilbur; Machine; Doc Coyle.

Photographer: Dave Hill .

This is the 2006 volume of MTV2's HEADBANGER'S BALL series, the previous volumes of which have been certified gold. The folks at HEADBANGER'S BALL know a thing or two about metal, and THE REVENGE shows it. A near-definitive overview of the genre in the early 2000s, this two-disc set collects an array of contemporary heavy metal and alternative metal under one cover.

Experimental bands like the progressive, gothic-influenced Italian act Lacuna Coil are included, as are theatrical rap-metal acts like Slipknot, thrash metal acts like Bullet for My Valentine, and industry veterans like Iron Maiden. The stylistic range is impressive, and there is plenty of intensity and thunder on every track, making this a great bet for even the most casual metal fan.

During the '80s, Headbanger's Ball was one of the anchor shows during what many consider to be the glory years of MTV. Featuring Riki Rachtman as the host, Headbanger's Ball would show the videos that many at the PMRC and other organizations considered too graphic or obscene to be featured during prime-time/family-hour viewing. Rachtman also featured in-depth interviews with some of heavy metal's top acts, asking the hard-hitting questions one would expect to ask while interviewing bands barely coherent enough to stand up, let alone do an interview. But sometime during the advent of the alternative nation, Headbanger's Ball began to lose a bit of its steam, and was relegated to infrequent production and other channels as the station branched out and expanded its empire. But circa 2006, Headbanger's Ball appears to be back with a raging vengeance, especially if this two-disc compilation has anything to say about it. Chock-full of today's hard rock and heavy metal all-stars and up-and-comers, MTV2 Headbanger's Ball: The Revenge doesn't hold back any punches and delivers exactly what it promises: the audio equivalent of a shot of Jack Daniels and a kick in the face from a steel-toed boot. Contributions from such legends as Iron Maiden (a live recording of "The Trooper" easily bests most of the young rascals here), Korn, Opeth, and Black Label Society go head to head with the best of the new school. Fans of the program may be disappointed that there isn't much attention paid to the past's rich treasury of bands, but this isn't about paying homage to what the program and the movement have done in the past ten years. More importantly, The Revenge is about where Headbanger's Ball is going. Not exactly a definitive document of today's hard rock landscape, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a compilation that punches as hard as this one. ~ Rob Theakston minimize