Dystopia - The Aftermath (1999)

   Dystopia was an extraordinary band formed in the early '90s. They sparked attention in the underground scene by their exaggerated style that was a mix of crust punk and sludge metal.
   "The Aftermath" is a compilation album that collected the songs of their late EP's and split albums to shock the audience with an over one hour lenght. The mix of the two styles worked very well, and showed wider perspectives of diversity than ordinary crust punk or sludge metal. There is no sign of the monotone, endlessly repeating simple themes, and the common speed changes also made their music quite enjoyable. It may be a wonder why aren't there many other bands trying this combination. The concept and the lyrical background is very similar, politics, societal problems, hate and antisocial behaviour are related to both styles. In the performance of Dystopia these topics sounding very dramatic. The intense musical background assisted by the angry, and the same time very desperate screaming vocals are quite effective together. Their music showed a new level of the mix of bitterness and anger with an often sarcastic touch.