Various Artists: Spawn: The Album

In the spirit of 1993's underrated Judgment Night soundtrack—which teamed rap stars with purveyors of hard rock and metal—comes Spawn: The Album, which pairs aggressive rock bands with electronica's biggest names. But while there are some strong moments here and there, the compilation falls victim to its biggest inherent flaw: With the exception of stars like The Prodigy and Orbital, almost all of the DJs lack the personality necessary to avoid being overshadowed by growling, angst-addled vocalists. Consequently, you wind up with lots of tracks like "For Whom The Bell Tolls," which is little more than a DJ Spooky remix of a Metallica song. The joy in this sort of novelty collection is in witnessing the personality clashes, but that's lost when so many acts in both genres lack personality. (Besides, how much of a stretch is it to pair electronica bands with electronically inclined industro-rockers like Filter and Stabbing Westward) Ultimately, Spawn: The Album may also end up suffering from Judgment Night's saddest malady—the marriage of a prominent, high-concept soundtrack and a shabby, poorly received film.