Various Artists – Very Serious Smokin’, Volume 2 [1996; Gravity]

Jungle, trip-hop, and psyhouse are the main styles of this compilation,
with the biggest names appearing on it being those of Cujo (Amon
Tobin’s first project), Tosca, and Francis Bebey.

An atmosphere of chill grooves with some clever sample play and an expansive percussive range pervades the collection, with drum’n’bass flavors evident but rarely taking control for more than a few measures.

Well-handled momentum and track positioning keeps the flow moving smoothly through the hour or so of the eleven tracks, sliding into and out of the higher energy portions without a stumble. There are a few ear-worms (with Trankilou’s “Chicago Babe” probably taking top honors in that regard), and while most of the artists included have few releases to their name, all of the picks that made it are high-quality.

Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood, a.k.a.,
Friday the 13th: The New Blood – Part 7

(1988)

Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)

Jason X, a.k.a., Jason X: Friday the 13th, a.k.a., Jason 10 (2001)

C.H.U.D. II: Bud the Chud, a.k.a., C.H.U.D. 2, a.k.a., C.H.U.D. II (1989)

Death Bed: The Bed That Eats (1977)

Buried Alive (1990)

Profanity – Hatred Hell Within [2014; Rising Nemesis Records]

Opening with “Melting”, this three-song EP (the band’s first release in a little over a decade) of brutal tech death metal unloads a barrage of triggered drums, guitar shredding so fast and precise as to suggest programming, and raspy grunts. The bass provides a near-constant wall of background low-end, with a few solos to its credit, and the concerted thunderous outpouring of the instruments moves with some surprisingly fluid twists at times. An impressive return from the band, though the over-the-top nature of the slamming and blasting does give it an occasional silly vibe.