The advent of digital music has pretty much killed the mainstream music industry. "Major" labels are anything but, and even the successful indies make as much (or more) cash from re-releasing music on vinyl as they do hawking new stuff. I'm not going to get any deeper into this . . . lots of people much smarter than me have written many books on the topic.

Various Artists Relapse 30 Year Anniversary Sampler (Relapse Records)

Relapse has been around for about a year longer than A&A. When it was first launched, the more successful side of the business came from distributing Nuclear Blast imports from Europe. That faded after a while, but Relapse soldiered on. Over the years, I have reviewed dozens of Relapse releases. And while I don't normally review (or announce, really) label samplers, this one is different. There are 241 songs in this sampler. And you can have it for nada, if you like.

And therein lies one of the great things about digital music. Relapse can promote its back catalog without spending a dime on CD or vinyl pressing. And it's one hell of a catalog. Mastodon kicks everything off, and before this set finally grinds to a halt with the Soul Rebellion Orchestra there are tracks from Merzbow, Neurosis, Exit 13, Buzzoven, Cherubs, Zeke, Iron Reagan, Iron Monkey, etc. I think you get the idea. One track from each artist that has graced the label (and its sister, Release) over the years.

Well, I think that's true, anyway. I haven't been as high on the Relapse priority list in recent years (as the bands I referenced probably indicate), but this gives me plenty of new noise to ponder. Am I gonna love every last second? Oh, hell no. My taste in the extreme is not your taste in the extreme, and so on and so forth.

Which is why 241 songs for $0 is a steal. If you have even a passing interest in noise, industrial, electronic, hardcore and, of course, every brand of metal known to humankind, there will be plenty here to tempt. Maybe this will inspire a purchase or two. That is the point, after all.

Yes, it takes up 3.2GB on your hard drive. That's 0.32% of a terabyte. Your drive has the space. Your ears have a need for pain. Indulge them.

Jon Worley