For fans of the coveted material from Oregon’s Dead Moon, Echoes of the Past will be a highly sought after and enjoyed disc, but for those unfamiliar with the late-’80s/early-’90s punk/grunge outfit, this double disc is a daunting and exhausting listen.
Surely this describes most large compilations of defunct groups’ material, but the screeching quality of both guitars and vocals is too much to take. That is not to say that there is not material on these discs, spanning 49 tracks, that isn’t worth checking out – in fact, it has some great moments where the vocalist Fred Coles’ very soul seems to be exposed in his voice.
Unfortunately, unless Dead Moon are your favorite band and you live for the day that you find all of their out-of-print, self-released, vinyl-only releases, these echoes are better left in the past.