“Strait Up”

Various Artists

Compare to: Korn, Sevendust, Chris Cornell

****

In 1990, the Seattle supergroup Temple of the Dog recorded their only self-entitiled album as a tribute to Andrew Wood, frontman of Mother Love Bone. Flash forward 10 years: elite hardcore tribute album “Strait Up” is recorded in honor of Snot lead singer Lynn Strait.The two albums have a lot in common. Some of the biggest names of the early and late ’90s — Chris Cornell, Eddie Vedder and Stone Gossard in Temple of the Dog and Jonathan Davis, Fred Durst and Max Cavalera on “Strait Up,” respectively — pay homage to talented artists who died tragically on the verge of blowing up the music industry.These are not the only similarities; “Strait Up,” just like “Temple of the Dog,” is an intense, poignant album.”Strait Up” features pained, mournful lyrics that are a far cry from the usual male angst that shows up in hardcore. “We hold the memories and cherish every day we had/ But we would give it up in a second just to have you back,” Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor screams in “Requiem.” The track alternates between the masked man’s growled verses and choir-like choruses; the contrast is startling.The record isn’t the standard tribute. Rather than re-recorded Snot songs or completely new ones, “Strait Up” features tracks the band had been working on just before their singer’s death with new lyrics by the reigning kings of hardcore.A naked Strait stood on Limp Bizkit’s giant toilet during an Ozzfest performance in 1998, and Durst reveals his anguish over losing a friend in “Forever.” The track finds Durst pouring his soul into vocals a la “Three Dollar Bill Y’all,” recalling a time when Bizkit was a good band.Other artists on “Strait Up” include Serj Tankian of System of a Down, Brandon Boyd of Incubus and Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray. Even the father of heavy metal, Ozzy Osbourne, shows up with a brief eulogy.”I’ll see you on the other side, God bless you always, love, Ozzy,” the former Black Sabbath frontman says.No tribute album can be complete without a ballad; “Temple of the Dog” has “Say Hello 2 Heaven,” and “Strait Up” features “Angel’s Son,” with vocals by Sevendust’s Lajon Witherspoon. Oddly enough, the song is reminiscent of early ’90s Chris Cornell.”Strait Up” could very well be the “Temple of the Dog” of the current musical climate. The Mother Love Bone tribute didn’t win success until four of its contributors — Mike McCready, Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard and Eddie Vedder — formed a little band called Pearl Jam. A few of Snot’s former members are now in an up-and-coming, critically acclaimed band called Amen. It’s just another similarity between two touching, musical eulogies. — Jon Dahlager