Last of the Sane

Last of the Sane marks the return of Earth Crisis to their first real label home, Victory Records, after a brief stay at the somewhat bigger and more metal Roadrunner imprint. The record is a collection of covers from the likes of Black Sabbath, the Rolling Stones, and Slayer, as well as demo versions from the band's own earlier career work. The group sounds a little more genuine during their treatments of actual punk tracks, like the Dead Kennedys' "Holiday in Cambodia" or the Misfits' "Earth A.D." The classic Led Zeppelin cut from Physical Graffiti, "Wanton Song," is the better of the highly restylized classic rock and metal cuts. Demo versions of "Broken Foundation" and "Gomorrah's Season Ends" are as fiery as anything in the band's catalog and a real bonus to this mostly covers collection. Some might argue that Earth Crisis had lost a bit of their edge by the time of this return to Victory — and the release of this record, along with Slither— and that argument might indeed be correct. But no matter where it fits in relation to their early career work, Last of the Sane still has to be considered a solid, heavy offering worthy of recommendation.