First off, this CD has some pretty kickass cover art by John Clark.  Monster rock art tends to be pretty cheesy, and this doesn’t disappoint, but only in the very best of ways.  Perfect presentation for a compilation that is exactly that, cheesy in the very best of ways. 

Of course on any monster rock comp, there’s gonna be a huge Ramones influence, and it is abundant on The Scared Stiffs “My Mother the Carnivore”.  They didn’t even try to disguise the outright ripoff.  Calabrese, with “Midnight Spookshow” did it better, and are influenced, not a carbon copy.  Alice Cooper shows up as well, evident in Tripwave, “Another Sip”  and Psycho Charger “Invasion of the Ball Snatchers”.  Fantastic song title, by the way.  Push 13 “Always Room in Hell” takes the best of Alice, and does it their own way with some great harmonies, and a rippin guitar solo.  And you can’t forget the standard Social D inspired punk rock.  Ugly Friend do it with “Also Known As”. 

There are a few standout track here that bust away from the formula and do it their own way.  Most notable is Stark “Slut”.  The singer declares in her nonchalant spooky sultry voice that “her fingers do it better”.  Bombshell “What Ever Happened To NYC” is a standout as well, featuring a lead singer who sounds like Columbia from Rocky Horror, and who can resist that pipsqueak voice?