Recorded during the 2004 installment of Wacken Open Air (arguably the biggest metal festival going), this 3CD set features luminaries from all fields of metal, broken down to cater to the specific styles on each disc.

Disc 1 contains thrash/death acts such as Anthrax, Death Angel, Mayhem, Children Of Bodom, and Destruction among others. The John Bush led Anthrax run through both ‘Indians’ and ‘Only’ to varying degrees of success thanks to a murky soundboard recording that sees a guitar cut out during the onset of ‘Only’. Bodom bust out ‘Sixpounder’ in all of their neo-classical glory, while Cannibal Corpse is again relegated to playing songs off of their newer offerings (‘Gallery Of Suicide’ is the aired track), thanks to German laws that prohibit the airing of cuts off their first 3 albums.

Disc 2 starts with two Dio classics – ‘Holy Diver’ and ‘Don’t Talk To Strangers’, both of which see Dio starting to slow a little in his delivery. Nevermore is featured with the mediocre ‘Enemies Of Reality’ track, while Motorhead gets two cuts – ‘We Are Motorhead’ and ‘Life’s A Bitch’. Other notables include Blaze Bayley duet with Doro Pesch to the Maiden classic ‘Fear Of The Dark’ and the underrated Brainstorm airing ‘Hollow Hideaway’.

Disc 3 is full of signed, but barely visible bands such as Gun Barrel and Vanguard, neither of which have made much of an impact in the states. Raunchy’s ‘Summer Of Overload’ highlights a collection of forgettable offerings from bands that may never make it past side-stage status at Wacken.

A half-decent soundboard recording renders this a worthwhile purchase, although a handful of these acts are well past their prime and are clinging to what little credibility they have left. The fresh, exciting offerings of Children Of Bodom, Mnemic, Brainstorm, and Raunchy are really the standouts on a roster of acts that are next to royalty in Germany, but are mere afterthoughts in the States.