Century Media is a well known record label that has grown significantly the last decade supporting and discovering most famous bands. So, this release has the purpose to celebrate the label's twenty years of constant activity (time really flies). Instead, of making a rather boring compilation of songs from bands from their armory the label took one step further; they proposed to the current and former artists to cover songs from the label's back catalogue. As it is written the album's booklet the response from the artists was overwhelming and this is proved by the impressive number of the 32 cover songs comprising the two CDs.
First of all I have to say that I am a fan of cover songs; specifically I like the cover works that don't just follow the original version but carry the band's point of view. After listening this compilation I can say that I am something more than satisfied by the result.Most of the bands really worked on the tracks trying to leave (and most of them succeeded) their 'personal' stamp in the originals. ARCH ENEMY took the groovy humouristic The Book OF Heavy Metal from DREAM EVIL and turned into an insane Thrasher. Angela I have demons inside me Gossow screams her lungs out totally ripping the song apart. Just listen to the opening lyrics saying I signed a contract with the devil to see what I am talking about. HEAVEN SHALL BURN boldly chose to cover TIAMAT Whatever That Hurts from their excellent album Wild Honey and let me tell you they did a fantastic job. The track sounds even more dark and depressive without loosing an inch of its heaviness. CRYPTOPSY tried to touch STRAPPING YOUNG LAD's  madness in Oh My Fucking Gof by making the track even more faster. MAROON turned Black for a while covering SAMAEL's Baphomet's Throne while my fellow countrymen FIREWIND impressed me with their approach to NEVERMORE's 'ballad' Believe In Nothing.
What an powerful compination that is! I am talking about NAPALM DEATH's version to HELLHAMMER's Messiah and ZIMMERS HOLE ton heavy work on OLD MAN'S CHILD's Doommaker (excellent title). Based on my standards and taste some covers just failed to draw my attention and interest because they did not escape the originals but it is not the majority.
I think that this is the best 'anniversary' compilation I have heard; the bands really worked on their projects and most of them brought a different air in the original versions. The fact that the two CDs contain new recordings from the bands and most of them are really interesting make this release attractive for all of us who like cover songs.