Precious Death - Hardest Hits (2000)
For several years in the mid-90's PD was my favorite band, but as time went on my musical tastes changed. So to be honest I had not heard this band in more than 3 years. The one thing i do remember is that PD was always a hard band to describe in words. PD was just something you had to experience for yourself. With the release of "Hardest Hits" (a best of compilation) I can now recall why this band was my favorite for so long! They have an unusual knack of blending thrash, funk and rock influences and were definitely one of the best and (even more importantly) most original rock acts of the 90's. I guess most people would label this recording as "modern metal" but it really defies classification. With it's ecclectic blend of styles "Hardest Hits" packs a punch with massive "crunch" guitars and a groove that makes todays modern acts pale in comparison. Vocalist Chris Scott can be noted for having an original and emotional voice and for abstract lyrical poetry that, when studied closely, reveals the heart of this band. Also an interesting thing to note is that several of the tracks here have some "rap-core" type stuff going on (now remember these songs were originally released before there even was such a genre as "rap-core"). Musically you can hear influences from bands ranging from Metallica to Faith No More. Vocally there is also some style that reflects the sound of Mark Soloman (but this was also pre-Stavesacre days) but for the most part PD draws heavily on rock and metal influences and will be appreciated by many a heavy music fan the world over. Thanks for some great times PD! --- Review by Norm