4 out of 5

Label: ? (Digital release, listed as Tortuga, but that seems unlikely)

Produced by: ?

I don’t think I rely on hyperbole too much, and this isn’t intended to be: if you like a Scissorfight song, buy their albums. Every album. Every EP. My only caveat is as an SFight “purist” of sorts, as I’m really only considering albums before their hiatus and reformation, but that’s still a good handful of releases, with each one providing exactly what you want – somewhat ironic, somewhat not, dunderheaded stoner metal rock, with some of the stankiest bass, kicking drums, memorable riffs, and one of the best growl-voiced vocalists of all times who knew how to manhandle that “is he serious?” tone perfectly – each release gives you this, with each release also being wholly identifiable Scissorfight, and also finding a unique sound within that framework. Mantrapping is polished perfect; Jaggernaut is folksy pop; Balls Deep is rough-as-fuck metal; and etc. I think the only thing I don’t commonly put on is the Victory Over Horeshit single because its short, but if you give me a playlist, that’ll be on there.

So I’ll “yes please” to a Greatest Hits, with the understanding that almost all of the band’s songs are hits to me. But I’m also trying to say: this is a great collection; if you like any of it, you cannot go wrong with any of it. In that sense, maybe GH is a waste, because the sequencing is a little rough – it feels like a mix tape; tracks butt up against one another – and the remastering, though absolutely cleaning up the old stuff, favors the Jaggernaut sound that downplays the low-end and makes it all pretty crisp. That sounds great…! …Though that era-appropriate, clipping bass is kind of part of the other songs, so I equally miss it. You do get one update of a Balls Deep track, though, which is interesting, if maybe falling into that same category: the roughness of that disc is arguably essential.

I feel like I’m ragging on this, and I am, but it truly is a great set of tunes, plucking from every SF release prior to their reformation, and shaking up the order and styles so even if it doesn’t ebb and flow like an album, there are nice changeups throughout.

In short: best stoner rock group of all time gives you a taste of how good their output was. Absolutely worth it, if only as a gateway to binging their whole back catalogue (at which point this set maybe becomes obsolete, until you want to begin that cycle again.)