Band : (Various artists)
Album title : Cop Off Vol II
Label : Copro Records
Distributor : PHD - Bertus
Release date : 18/05/2009
Release : 3-CD compilation

Hum, how would yoù go about making a label compilation for UK’s Casket Music/ Copro Records? Before you answer that, know that the label had no less than 39 releases during 2008 (25 already in 2009 at the time of writing, with 7 coming out in September), and that their last label compilation goes back all the way to 2001!

Right…so to start with, you decide to go back in time some (in this case, late February 2009), and pick out your best selling acts. I mean, you know, a certain commercial stance can never hurt, right? So, I-Def-I, Isor, and Vert simply hàve to be included…and you even resolve to having Isor featured twice!. And to mmake things a bit spicier, you decide to get This Illusion (which happens to have new material out soon) featured with a track off their forthcoming album. Then you start looking back on what else you’ve released prior to that chosen point in time, and you realize you’ve really got too much on your slate, and as only two CDs will only take you thàt far you come to the conclusion that you’ll need to fill thréé CDs! Hum, and in order to be able to go back in time conveniently far enough, you’re gonna need to drop quite a few bands from inclusion in the compilation, so perhaps you’ll use a combination of commercialism with those bands you had high hopes for (and still feel strongly about). Then you come to a point where the choises you’ve made completely fill up the 3 CD format…getting only to late 2006/ early 2007…and you feel sóme acts still nééd to be included, so you drop some bands in favour of a couple released earlier [including, Forever Never (goin’ back to March 2006), Atomic Ants (Jan. 2006!), and Desecration (goin’ back even further, to March 2005)]. So, now you’ve got yourself a 3-CD compilation album featuring 51 bands and totalling no less than 3 hours and 51 ½ minutes worth of listening time. Should be enough to show to the world what you’ve been busying yourself with in the last couple of years!

Ahrr…a compilation, so you’ll get no rating from me! With myself already having the albums of all these bands at home (or, at least, in promo copy version for the most part – can you believe I actually went out to BUY quite some albums, even beyond those included here, just to have a “complete” version of ‘em!!!), this compilation is actually of little value to myself personally. On top, some of my most favourite acts have been excluded (but I won’t go into that any deeper), but for the all-rounded music fan out there, this compilation surely is a nice introduction to the label!!!

Tony.