Sunday Sesh: A Tribute To Tribute Albums
Alternative Title: Attributes Of An Apt Tribute.
Tribute albums – humble homages, or aural adulterations?
Discuss.
Just kidding…I do have a little more to say about the topic. But not much. Firstly though, you need to hit play on this killer cut The Chasm laid down for the 2001 Kreator Tribute Album – Under The Guillotine.
Prior to this week, I’d not been privy to this particular Kreator tribute. You see, I’m fairly ambivalent to the whole tribute album thing; and this collection is a perfect example as to why. Sure, there are couple of really excellent adaptations which are skilfully crafted with obvious attention to transposing the original artist’s intent, but for the most part, it’s just another bunch of other largely forgettable, objectively inferior attempts at direct covers. Some even sit on the verge of seeming like a fucking insult to the band being paid ‘tribute’. Even a late appearance from Abigor cannot redeem this severely lacklustre homage. As far as Kreator tribute albums go, it’s definitely inferior to the collection from the year 2000 featuring Mystifier, Angelcorpse, Krisiun, and Centinex. Guess we can be thankful there’s only a few of these obscure relics, right?
Wrong. For some fucking reason these things were out of control during the late 90’s/early 2000’s. Why? Were they financially rewarding to the labels/bands? I don’t know. Maybe they were borne out of a need for easily obtainable, relatable, and palatable content? Honestly, I don’t even really care. All I wanna hear is someone doing a version of a classic track and NOT ruining it. When compiling a tribute album of covers for our 30th anniversary tribute to Slayer‘s Reign In Blood, I sifted through a tonne of B-grade horseshit in order to create a track-by-track playlist of just the 10 songs on that record. An experience where the reward barely justified the effort. However I figure with the countless hours of combined listening we as a community have no doubt amassed, we could save each other a shitload of time and share some of the memorable moments we’ve found on tribute albums throughout our time.
Personally, the last tribute album I can even recall hearing about was that sprawling Summoning homage from a couple of years back which featured Sojourner, Caladan Brood, Eldamar, Mesarthim, and a cabal of other caped celibates stretching from here to Hobbiton. Although, come to think of it, I am still waiting to see what develops from the latest Goatsound Recordings reinterpretation album, where Jason Fuller (Blood Duster) was aiming to have 28 bands (including Contaminated) drop in during a single day to each tackle a track from Napalm Death‘s classic Scum, with all proceeds going to a women’s refuge charity.
Anyway, that’s my bit.
Share your favourite tribute album tracks and opinions on the existence of such things in the comments below.
