Lightning Strikes Twice - A Retroactive Records Label Sampler

With the large number of releases that Retroactive Records puts out each year, this compilation is a pretty good idea.  It gives you a tastes of songs from 21 different releases running in at almost 77 minutes for only $4.99.  And the list of bands is nothing but impressive...and definitely a trip down memory lane since most of their releases are of the re-release variety.  You'll find tracks here from X-Sinner, Haven, Daniel Band, Whitecross, Bride, Circle of Dust, The Lead, Lust Control, Six Feet Deep, Final Axe, Stairway, and many others.  It's a wide ranges of styles, however, it mainly stays within the metal genre.  I won't go into a long, detailed song by song review since most of these albums I've either reviewed or will be reviewing here shortly, but suffice it to say, you definitely get a bang for your buck if you enjoy classic hard music from the past with a few modern songs mixed in as well.

Retroactive also includes a write-up about each band/song that explains that song or the release that it was taken from, plus the date of when they re-released or released each album.  If you're having a hard time figuring out which Retroactive releases to purchase, this is definitely a great place to start, at a cheap price.

Rating: 80/100

Review By: Matt Morrow

Label: Retroactive Records

Total Songs: 21

Total Time: 76:37

Tracklisting: 1. X-Sinner - Getch Ya, 2. Final Axe - Metal Missionaries, 3. Stairway - Bondage, 4. Emotion - Fakin' My Face, 5. Haven - Blood of the Lamb, 6. Daniel Band - Walk on the Water, 7. Daniel Band - Reality, 8. Servant - Heidleburg Blues, 9. Servant - Water Grave, 10. Whitecross - Salt City, 11. Bride - Blow it All Away, 12. Jupiter 6 - Through the Speakers, 13. Circle of Dust - Regressor (Ingressive Mix), 14. Lucid - Stayin' Alive, 15. The Lead - Tunnel Vision, 16. Lust Control - If You Fail, 17. Six Feet Deep - Congruent, 18. Heaven's Rage - Answer, 19. Mainstreet - Blood in My Veins, 20. Floodgate - Save Me, 21. Mammuth - Blind Man Walking.

Best Songs:  Tracks 1, 5, 11, 13, & 17.

Band Lineups: N/A

Band Website: http://www.retroactiverecords.net