LAIR OF THE MINOTAUR

Awesome Chicago old-school filth revivalists release a sure-to-be-collectible limited-edition three-inch CD (also available on 7" single, obviously without the video track). It's great for the tchotchke value — can you really have too many three-inch CDs in your collection? But musically, it's a bit disappointing.

First of all, the "extended skin reaping mix" of "Cannibal Massacre" seems to just entail three or four minutes of Doctor Who keyboard bullshit tacked on at the end. And the next song, "Horns of the Witch", is just over a minute long! Even for a three-inch disc, this is a paltry amount of material — if nothing else, two fleshed-out five minute songs would have been a better deal. (The video, all red-tinted and frantic, is a blast, though.)

LAIR OF THE MINOTAUR drag the grimy old corpse of late '80s death metal into the new millennium, sicking up angry vocals (not too far removed at times from the newer style employed by Johnny from UNLEASHED) over riffs that would be at home on a BLOOD FEAST or early CELTIC FROST album. Fans of denim-swaddled grave ghouls like USURPER or even DECEASED should love these guys and their primitive, gritty bludgeon.

You might be better off picking up 2004's "Carnage", or waiting for "The Ultimate Destroyer" to be released this spring, though — unless you've just gotta have that tiny little CD (not to worry, it comes in a full-sized jewel case, so it won't get lost under the couch that easily). What you get here isn't bad or anything, but this EP will probably be necessary for those who are already diehard fans.