Various

Various: The Best of Taste of ChaosThe Best of Taste of Chaos (2006)
Warcon Entertainment

Reviewer Rating: 1.5

Contributed by: InaGreendaseBrian
(others by this writer | submit your own)
Published on January 24th 2006The Best of Taste of Chaos is an excessively long compilation with relatively vague intentions, yet quite literally proclaims itself to be "the most definitive post-hardcore collection to ever be assembled." The 2-disc set reads like a "who's who" of the newest wave of said genre, showcasing everyon.

The Best of Taste of Chaos is an excessively long compilation with relatively vague intentions, yet quite literally proclaims itself to be "the most definitive post-hardcore collection to ever be assembled." The 2-disc set reads like a "who's who" of the newest wave of said genre, showcasing everyone from Armor for Sleep and My American Heart to Thursday and the Dillinger Escape Plan. Several initial problems lie within, the first being that many of these bands' more nerdy fans are likely to list 'post-hardcore' as a secondary or further genre (Rise Against would certainly fit better under a 'melodic hardcore' or 'punk revival' heading, while Deftones have always been considered a staple of the alternative rock scene). Additionally, further questions are raised: What exactly is this the best of? Are these the best bands 'post-hardcore' has to offer? The best songs the genre has to offer? If it's the latter, these are the 'best of' as according to who? Warcon Records interns? Sure, the release is in conjunction with the kick-off of this year's Taste of Chaos tour, but this is the only clear message offered by the makers of The Best of Taste of Chaos. Those intents aside, many of these songs are either singles or hard-to-find tracks, both of which are almost never amongst a band's "best" songs.

Now granted, unreleased/rare tracks can certainly be a treat for fans, but the "rarity" of a track sort of starts to lose its luster once it starts to materalize on multiple albums. Underoath's "I've Got Ten Friends and a Crowbar That Says You Won't Do Jack" is a bonus track from the vinyl release of the band's massive-selling 2004 full-length They're Only Chasing Safety, but it's already appeared on Volume 1 of Smartpunk's Music on the Brain compilation series; a year and a half ago, in fact. I don't believe Billy Talent's relatively solid "Red Flag" has seen the light of day, so kudos for that in the least.

However, a good portion of the track listing are mere singles, which means to fans a collection of overplayed, easily available songs, likely currently free downloads on those bands or labels' respective media pages or even on other compilations. Sure, most of Best of's peers maintain a similar flaw, but it's double-edged in some cases here: Thrice's "Stare at the Sun" is taken from an album that isn't even the newest effort from the band! It's very obviously a compilation all about the "now," so why the representation of an older release? It seriously boggles the mind to try and figure out why Warcon didn't secure the rights to a track from Vheissu, which hit retail shelves a good three months before Best of's release. You'll also hear Thursday's "War All the Time" (a barely audibly "remixed" version), Rise Against's "Give It All," From First to Last's "Note to Self," Fear Before the March of Flames' "Should Have Stayed in the Shallows," Every Time I Die's "Kill the Music," and Alexisonfire's "Accidents." The only single that makes any sense is the Dillinger Escape Plan's "Unretrofied," because it's inarguably the band's most accessible song.

How about songs we know for sure have appeared on other, popular compilations already? There's Rise Against's "Give It All" of course, an earlier version of which can be found on Fat Wreck Chords' first Rock Against Bush offering. How about Matchbook Romance's acoustic "In Transit (For You)," not only taken from a nearly two-year old EP, but a song that's included on the soundtrack to Masters of Horror, which predates Best of's release by merely three months. MR has a fair-to-assuredly hyped new album coming out one month after Best of's street date; couldn't something from that be included, which would be a serious selling point? Even if it had to be a (yet another) single ("Monsters")? This again brings up the point of timeliness, a trait of which Best of is sorely, sorely lacking.

The Best of Taste of Chaos may appear ambitious from its monstrous, 2-disc size, but what lies within is content that is anything but. The only praise I can give this set is that for mainstream music fans whose knowledge and tastes start at Fall Out Boy and end at My Chemical Romance, it may act as a useful tool for them to delve into underground "rock," or well, "post-hardcore," in the very least bands lying on the argumentative cusp. We all know that there's much more ground that can be unearthed lying below muddy topsoil. As topsoil, The Best of Taste of Chaos is hardly vegetative, so hopefully the majority of its listeners will find themselves eventually digging through it.

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

Atiana (March 17, 2006)

I thought It Fuckin Rocked!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous (March 1, 2006)

Being that Warcon hyped this beast up (quite humorously) doesn't make the bands shitty.
Killswitch, Rise Against, emery, shadows fall, alexisonfire, bleeding through, bleed the dream
in my opinion are all incredible bands(especially live).
And any comment about atreyu can fuck off the only thing bad any1 can say about these guys is their bassist is irrelevant(btw her portrait in black has some amzing lyrics and it would have made the curse a lot better album).

Anonymous (February 20, 2006)

I went to the toc concert on friday in mesa,az and i think it was pretty f-n cool! i've always been a fan of type o and lacuna coil, but this punk thing is a little new for me, and im liking it.

Anonymous (February 11, 2006)

Hmm. Well, if I'm not mistaken, you guys decided to listen to the album, and probably knew some/most of the bands, and maybe you like them too. You can't diss this album without dissing each and every band playing on the tour. So, if you don't like whats out there, then don't listen to it. It's that simple.

Anonymous (January 31, 2006)

Question...have most of you actually watched the DVD and/or been to a TOC show? Most of the comments don't seem to be about the DVD. Instead, most seem to be insulting bands and/or the label you have chosen to give them. If you're not into TOC or the bands on it why are you even paying attention to it?

You can say you dislike something without being rude. Hate to brake it to you but, the world doesn't revolve around your personal tastes. Anyone that feels the need to be hateful over something like music sucks at life and should re-evaluate what it means to be a human being.

If you like TOC and/or the bands that played the show you will might want to consider buying this. Its good.

Anonymous (January 30, 2006)

Yes, because obviously the people who regularly comment on this site have the power to make everyone listen to music THEY LIKE, thereby making all the bands they like the new MAINSTREAM.

Hateful people should get lives and stop crapping on bands just because they're popular. Buying a CD by a band nobody has ever heard of doesn't make you cool, nonconformist, non-mainstream, non-commercial or any of that other self important, elitist, crap you've been telling yourselves. It just makes you someone who bought a CD. You're all less punk then every band you ever called a sell-out because you think you get to decide what punk is (that’s the opposite of being punk people, shouldn't you know that?)

Or perhaps it's because they generally like the music??? shit can you imagine that kind of thing goes on??? fucking eltists.

Anonymous (January 29, 2006)

Wow...this review could have been a lot better. But then again, its just one persons opinion.

Anonymous (January 29, 2006)

fox82 (January 27, 2006)

Using the word "Post Hardcore" is basically a way of trying to give credibility to shitty emo bands. And I guess it's because emo fans are ashamed to using the word "emo".

All these bands blow monkey dick in their spare time. FACT.

KillerBear (January 26, 2006)

Blow me "Taste of Chaos." I think I heard HORSE the Band was on some Taste of Chaos comp. If so then I deffinately think lower of them.

Anonymous (January 26, 2006)

please god,make it stop.....

Anonymous (January 26, 2006)

AKA "The worst music has to offer"

Dante3000 (January 25, 2006)

So wait....is "Post Hardcore" the new Emo/screamo?
I wouldn't even notice most of these bands as posthardcore.
Like the review said most of those bands would fall under a very broad listing for that category but aren't the heart of the genre...
Isn't DEP Math Metal anyhow?
Blah Warcon, you've fooled the kids again and you're all the richer for it.
-Dante

Anonymous (January 25, 2006)

i scrolled down to see if anyone was actually sticking up for this worthless comp. but thankfully everyone is hating it and that brightens my day!

davebrave4 (January 25, 2006)

Billy Talent's Red Flag is also in Burnout Legends for PSP.

sickboi (January 25, 2006)

"but can you name the other font they used for CHAOS?"

I'm gonna go with "MS SHIT SERIF"?

Anonymous (January 25, 2006)

Various - The Best of Taste of Chaos
Posted by crazytoledo on 2006-01-24 20:18:35

Ya it is pretty bad.

Anyone notice the top font is porclein, which is the font used for 'Atreyu' on the cover of 'the Curse.'

good eye, but can you name the other font they used for CHAOS? and is it just me or does all of Warcon's stuff look horriable / graphically speaking?

civperc (January 25, 2006)

Heh, yeah I noticed that too. Jeez that aesthetic is SO played out.

swingline (January 25, 2006)

no, no one cares to learn the names of horrible fonts.

crazytoledo (January 24, 2006)

Ya it is pretty bad.

Anyone notice the top font is porclein, which is the font used for 'Atreyu' on the cover of 'the Curse.'

Anonymous (January 24, 2006)

No one' has mentioned the cover art yet?

Damn. Are all punknews readers blind?

Scruffy (January 24, 2006)

It's just a tiny taste of chaos, not the actual chaos itself.

Anonymous (January 24, 2006)

http://img364.imageshack.us/my.php?image=calcutta6be.jpg

Anonymous (January 24, 2006)

This shit is too easy. Another stale, mainstream "worst of" collecting songs by every band who thinks they're gonna be the next Tommy Tutone.

-Will

Anonymous (January 24, 2006)

Warcon here's a hint FUGAZI POST HARDCORE your shitty bands=not.

Anonymous (January 24, 2006)

"Chaos" has never meant so little in the history of the english language.

Anchors (January 24, 2006)

Warcon needs to cease existing.

Anonymous (January 24, 2006)

yet quite literally proclaims itself to be "the most definitive post-hardcore collection to ever be assembled."

Oh man, thats the best joke I've heard all day. Classic material.

Anonymous (January 24, 2006)

There was a best off? hmm must have had different bands on the CD then.

joeg (January 24, 2006)

that's a pretty generous score there.

Anonymous (January 24, 2006)

"taste of ass"

ha ha ha.

Anonymous (January 24, 2006)

im sick of atreyu and their microphone swinging, makeup, shitty lyrics and taste of chaos.

kingofpain (January 24, 2006)

To the comment below, just ask someone to send it to you.

Anonymous (January 24, 2006)

oh, quick question:
what program are yall using to get the new Larry & D4 albums?

Anonymous (January 24, 2006)

since when is any of this "post-hardcore"?
or is that the point of the review?

mcgregor107 (January 24, 2006)

hey! the care bears where a pretty chaotic group! noheart kept them on there heels..

Anonymous (January 24, 2006)

This has about as much chaos as an episode of the care bears.

---Trav.

Anonymous (January 24, 2006)

I would be excited about downloading the new lawrence arms album, but i just downloaded the new dillinger four cd that just leaked, and that is the greatest thing i have ever heard, but i also downloaded the new loved ones which i am also frothing over, and to top it off i just downloaded the new against me that leaked (6 months before recording starts!).

blade-runner (January 24, 2006)

More like taste of Gayos.

Seriously, this album and the entire t.o.c gimmick are as lame as that juvenile pun.

Anonymous (January 24, 2006)

You must have listed less than half of the bands and songs on the comp.

Hmm.

etwiels88 (January 24, 2006)

fuck, how many compilations are they going to milk off of one tour?

the_other_scott (January 24, 2006)

"if we ignore them will they go away?"

sorry dude it won't go away unti something else shitty comes along to replace it

by the way isn't taste of chaos like a year old? isn't it a little premature for a "best of"?

recordings (January 24, 2006)

billy talents *red flag* has...unfortunately...seen the light of day. its on my freekin burnout revenge game for ps2. not good driving music.

this comp bites balls.

Anonymous (January 24, 2006)

save your money. dont buy this. if we ignore them will they go away?