Band:	Various Artists
Album:	Better Undead Than Alive
Style:	Doom metal
Release date:	2003

Disc I
01. Void Of Silence- The Undead Overture
02. Aborym- Digital Goat Mask
03. Diabolicum - Heavens Die
04. Thee Maldoror Kollektive - HOD (Sounds For The Un-Masses)
05. Rakoth - Return Of The Nameless
06. Bloodshed - Death By Hanging
07. Enid - Exemption
08. Negură Bunget - Vazduh
09. Handful Of Hate - Hell's Carnal Scream
10. Ephel Duath - Embossed
11. Aghora - Immortal Bliss
12. Atrox - Lay
13. Void Of Silence - The Ultimate Supreme Intelligence

Disc II
01. Manes - Redeemer
02. Thee Maldoror Kollektive - Xaos DNA Released
03. Rakoth - L'Honglath (Facing The calm)
04. Unmoored - Cinders Veil
05. Atrox - Dead End
06. Enid - Land Of The Lost
07. Bloodshed - Act Of Retaliation
08. Abortus - Dollar Signs Smile
09. Aborym - Love The Death As The Life RMX
10. Diabolicum - Thermonuclear XTC
11. Void Of Silence - Undead Manifesto

The young italian label code666, interested in the darker side of metal music and in all kind of experimantations, now decided to publish this compilation which features all the bands in its roster. It ranges from the most important bands of the label such as the post blackster Aborym, Thee Maldoror Kollektive, Ephel Duath and the great Void Of Silence (the elite of the Italian Post Black Metal bands) going through the fresh proposal of original bands such as Enid or Rakoth, or the gothic metal of Atrox and Aghora, to the Death Metal of Unmoored and Abortus [?]"We are planning this release since the very beginning of the label, this means an hard work for us and our bands to create this double CD, with the constant aim to compose the first "code666 soundtrack"?as you'll notice, all the songs are linked together in one long track for each CD, and each tune spot has been carefully selected to fit the mood of the whole soundtrack "[?]

That was the aim of the creators of that compilation as they tell us inside the CD's booklet. It was an ambitious aim indeed, and, in my opinion, they achieved it. All the songs are in fact well linked between each other, even if the genres are often pretty different: how to link an Aborym blasting song to a gothic track from Atrox? Anyhow, the positioning of the tracks is well structured, avoiding harsh matchings, and the overall impression is of a really complete soundtrack.
Obviously the strong point of the compilation are the bands, whose average quality is really high, and the songs that we can find are not only good remasterings of some album original, but we can also find many unreleased songs written purposely for this compilation. Moreover, in the CD2 we can find a ROM track with a huge multimedia section with all kinds of information on the bands, a video, pictures, songs, hidden games and so on, which gives the compilation an additional value. I find it a really good product, capable of offering an overlook on the label roster and of giving some good moments of good music. I don't know the selling price of this double CD, but if it isn't too high, I suggest to give it a try.

I will finish my review using, once again, the contribute of the written words of Emiliano Lanzoni, Label Manager:
"Usually a Record-label Compilation is not that interesting for the fans, I know?It's just a promotional tool, mainly directed to the Businnes Partners instead of being an appealing product for the fans. But ther are some exceptions of course, and "Better Alive Than Dead" is one of those."