Various Artists - Beat:Cancer

Beat:Cancer is a 24 track, various artist compilation album put together by Mark Haigh (Draconic Elimination Projects) with the help of Ryan (Dirty K) in the mastering and Vlad McNeally (Kallisti Design) with graphic design.

All the money from the sales go to the Cancer Research UK charity. I can't imagine anyone reading this hasn't been, in some way, affected by cancer either personally or family or someone we know. So, the cause is a good cause. And considering the pricing of the various formats available, this is a "bang for bucks" album that pays off, and how.

While the inherent problem with compilation albums can be getting a good flow from track to track, in my ears there doesn't seem to be that problem here. The album is made up of exclusives and remixes and provides enough diversity of styles to keep anyone interested for the 24 tracks running at just over the 1 hour 50 minute mark.

For the DJ's amongst you, this album would be a great addition to the crate. The BPM count ranges from 85 to 150 and with the various electronic sub genres, including Industrial, EBM and Noise, there would be no reason why you couldn't find a track off this comp to fit in any set.

A run through of the 24 tracks would take some time and bore you to tears more than likely. I believe it is enough to say that this is a strong compilation that deserves to be bought for all the good reasons of charity as well as hearing bands that you may not have heard before, which, in the end, is what a great compilation should do.

In am going to rate it a 8, based on value for money, variety, and it's for a great cause. Jul 25 2013