Has it been 20 years already since Markus Staiger launched Nuclear Blast Records? Originally specializing in sick death metal like Pungent Stench and Disharmonic Orchestra, the label has branched out into all genres of heavy metal to become one of the real titans of the industry. Congratulations are indeed in order, but I was hoping for something more historically significant and truer to NB's roots than this slapdash and rather average project.

Here we have 10 original compositions all written by ex-Soilwork guitarist Peter Wichers. That in itself is pretty strange. What makes Wichers the man who has his pulse on the Nuclear Blast phenomena? The guy is mostly known for composing squeaky clean "pop thrash". Each of the 10 tracks features a vocalist from a different NB band. Again, the line-up is highly suspect. Newcomers Sonic Syndicate, poppy Soilwork and cyber-metallers Mnemic make the cut. Where are the giants like Candlemass, Exodus, Dimmu Borgir, even Hammerfall? I doubt that Wichers could write any fitting tunes for the singers of these bands.

First cut "Dysfunctional Hours" features Anders Friden from In Flames and sure enough, it is poppy, modern speed metal that's about as underground as Nickelback and packing the same amount of punch. Is this the kind of music that Nuclear Blast built its foundations on? Follow-up "Schizo" featuring Hypocrisy's Peter Tagtgren is a bit better but not much...not a growl in sight from the death metal luminary. Things definitely get kicked up a notch with a scorching "Devotion", which sports Jari of Wintersun. This is more like it. "The Overshadowing" is more melodic death metal, but boasting the tremendous talents of Scar Symmetry's Christian Alverstam. There are not many who can mix brutal growls and AOR croons like this man.

"Paper Trail" is groovy but non-descript metal with reliable John Bush on vocals. Then comes a real abortion, "The Dawn of All", the contribution from Soilwork's Speed Strid. Who in their right mind could call this sickening pop bullshit heavy metal? It is nu-metal, Staind-like GARBAGE pure and simple and it doesn't belong on a label like Nuclear Blast. Rest of the tracks feature singers from Death Angel, Kataklysm, Sonic Syndicate and Mnemic and are bearable if not outstanding. Even the Kataklysm offering seems too digital and cleaned up and shiny.

Nuclear Blast is a great label and will continue to be so, but this "All-Star" exhibition is a misfire and does not represent the true sound quality of NB.