A rare glimpse of early-00s pop culture at the axis of nu-metal and pop punk, a venn diagram where the overlap between the two circles reads just two words, in huge bold letters: 80s COVERS. Some of these versions were officially commissioned for the soundtrack, and some of the more well-known ones were easy layups recycled from radio crossover success a few years prior (Orgy’s cover of “Blue Monday,” Goldfinger’s version of “99 Red Balloons”) or rare b-sides that actually deserved another listen (Smashing Pumpkins’ cover of Depeche Mode’s “Never Let Me Down Again”). Marilyn Manson rose from a short period of relative obscurity with a cover of Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love” (itself a cover of Gloria Jones’ northern soul hit) that’s actually pretty sick - and the accompanying video cutely outfits Manson and his crew in baggy clothes, icey grills and a dropped Lincoln Continental on switches, predating GHE20G0TH1K by at least a decade. The ghost of New Order appears here twice: in addition to “Blue Monday,” Stabbing Westward turn in a cover of “Bizarre Love Triangle” that eschews their darker industrial sound in favor of something relatively straightforward and fitting for the song. Also includes contributions from Scott Weiland (of Stone Temple Pilots, R.I.P.), Saliva, System Of A Down, Mest, Good Charlotte, Muse and Phantom Planet, first-ever vinyl pressing.

• first time on vinyl
• music label: Enjoy The Ride Records 2017

reviewed by frau farbissina 11/2017