and all the Bands are getting copies as soon as we have some more trays so we can put some more together.

By Stephanie Grey
Don't let its dreary appearance put you off - this compilation from Palmerston north-based collective $lave Recordings has a silver lining. In their own words, $lave Recordings formed in response to "the difficulties of being an active original musician or artist within a corporate dominated society. We support all forms of original music and art, and are opposed to all forms of discrimination". 'Dawn of a Grey Winter' lives up to the cause as an open door to metal, ska, punk and emo and a style the locals love to call swamprock. There are songs from bands that are on fire right now (Black Chrome, Hoopla! Wall of Silents, Black Pudding) and others from bands that have burnt through. The beauty of this 17-track compilation lies in its documentation of the disbanded - in the gutsy stomp-rock of the Molotov Vote, in gruff love from Impish, and a surprise heartbreaker from Kid Kerosine.

This week we go Off the Beaten track to Palmerston North, home of the Slave Collective. By calling on various resources, skills and talents, the Slave crew provide a stable social and financial platform for bands to create and gain exposure. Slave is home to local metal bands like Cathedra and Hellborne plus a range of other diverse acts on their Dawn of a Grey Winter compilation. In this podcast, we check out 'Amphetamines' by Hellbourne from their own self-titled album; plus The High Plains Drifers with their raw gem 'This Trail Means Trouble' and high energy act Wall of Silents with 'Strange Voices and a Dead Girl' from Dawn of a Grey Winter. To find out more about the Slave Collective go to: www.slave.co.nz.

Rockin!