Retro Active

is a collection of outtakes and leftovers spanning 's entire career. Kicking off the disc, and are two of its most distinctive tracks, harkening back to the band's early (pre-success) days with their rough power chords. After paying homage to some of their heroes with a set of covers ( 's ), the band tackles a couple of solid, but hardly groundbreaking ballads -- -- before stretching out (with mixed results) on the folky Taken from the sessions, the classy is another pleasant surprise, and the band reaches all the way back to the beginning by re-recording their first demo Overall, this is an interesting release which marks the end of a long chapter in the band's history, following the death of guitarist and guiding force . While casual fans might find it confusing, fanatics will revel in its diversity and informative liner notes. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia