First up, are you interested in the type of bands you would typically find on a Taste of Chaos tour? Yes? Read on. No? Seriously, don’t bother wasting your time. Without getting into what is or isn’t – œpunk’ (you know what it means in a current context), this compilation basically offers a selection of 21 of today’s emo, darker tinged punk and pop punk.

If you happen to be into this kind of thing, then to look at the track listing would probably be the same as reciting most of your favourite bands, it’s pretty much a who’s who of the aforementioned genres, and the individual songs picked are also pretty well chosen inclusions.

Fall Out Boy open proceedings with recent hit, This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms Race, followed by slightly older My Chemical Romance and The Used tracks ( I’m Not Okay and Take It Away, respectively). Tracklisting is at the end of this review, but other big names include Rise Against, 30 Seconds To Mars, Taking Back Sunday, New Found Glory and Bullet For My Valentine.

The CD is backed up with a DVD which is pretty much the film clips of every song on the former. The differences being the curious omission of The Used’s Take It Away, 30 Seconds To Mars’ The Kill and Anberlin’s Godspeed, and replacement with clips from All American Rejects, Alkaline Trio and Saves The Day.

With just about every one of the included bands having released one of their most acclaimed albums and touring Australia within the last 2 years or so, this is probably the best compilation to provide a snapshot of the current era of – œpunk’ (in a more mainstream kind of sense, anyway). A great soundtrack to a teenagers life or perhaps a guilty pleasure you’ll keep hidden from your friends, it’s an excellent little package if you dig this kind of stuff.

CD tracklisting:
“This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race” – Fall Out Boy
“I’m Not Okay (I Promise)” – My Chemical Romance
“Take It Away” – The Used
“Prayer of the Refugee” – Rise Against
“The Kill (Rebirth)” – 30 Seconds to Mars
“Monsters” – Funeral for a Friend
“Godspeed” – Anberlin
“MakeDamnSure” – Taking Back Sunday
“When Your Heart Stops Beating” – +44
“It’s Not Your Fault” – New Found Glory
“Voices” – Saosin
“Do It for Me Now” – Angels & Airwaves
“Take Me Back” – Story of the Year
“Image of the Invisible” – Thrice
“Tears Don’t Fall” – Bullet for My Valentine
“Writing on the Walls” – Underoath
“Calling All Cars” – Senses Fail
“Shakedown” – Behind Crimson Eyes
“Papercut Skin” – The Matches
“My Only” – Goodnight Nurse
“Don’t Wait” – Dashboard Confessional

DVD tracklisting:
“This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race” – Fall Out Boy
“I’m Not Okay (I Promise)” – My Chemical Romance
“Prayer of the Refugee” – Rise Against
“Monsters” – Funeral for a Friend
“MakeDamnSure” – Taking Back Sunday
“When Your Heart Stops Beating” – +44
“It’s Not Your Fault” – New Found Glory
“Voices” – Saosin
“Do It for Me Now” – Angels & Airwaves
“Take Me Back” – Story of the Year
“Image of the Invisible” – Thrice
“Tears Don’t Fall” – Bullet for My Valentine
“Writing on the Walls” – Underoath
“Calling All Cars” – Senses Fail
“Shakedown” – Behind Crimson Eyes
“Papercut Skin” – The Matches
“My Only” – Goodnight Nurse
“Don’t Wait” – Dashboard Confessional
“It Ends Tonight” – All American Rejects
“Time To Waste” – Alkaline Trio
“The End” – Saves The Day