This excellent compilation brings home (to converts and newcomers alike) just how consistent, and consistently brilliant,
Goldblade
have been over the years. A solid 16 tracks are drawn from throughout the band's career, skipping through a handful of label changes and cherry-picking some of the most incendiary singles of the past decade. From the earliest days,
"Black Elvis,"
their second single, and
"Strictly Hardcore,"
their self-explanatory third, are the oldest cuts here, alongside key album tracks
"Living Outside the Capital,"
"Glam Rock Star,"
and the vivacious
"Dream the Vicious Dream, Baby."
"AC/DC,"
"Punk Rock!,"
and
"Who Was the Killa?"
lead the charge into more recent pastures and, while longtime fans may bemoan the absence of the anthemic
"Goldblade Make Me Wanna Fuck,"
one should remember that this collection revolves around the band's best music, not its best titles. Three cuts from
's most recent album,
Rebel Songs
, close the set --
"Fighting in the Dancehall,"
"Psycho,"
and the self-deprecating
"All We Got Is Rebel Songs."
Well, that's maybe all they have. But listeners get a lot more than that from the band. ~ Dave Thompson