It's hard to believe that the guys from Epitaph Records are at it again with a 9th Punk O Rama CD. Since 1994, Epitaph has kept on providing fans with their latest music on these great compilations. Punk O Rama 9 is unique because it features more artists from genres other than punk. This shows how much Epitaph has grown as a label by pursuing different types of acts and not just sticking with the safe old tried and true. Variety is the spice of this compilation, From First to Last's powerful, incredibly-drummed "Ride the Wings of Persistence," the Matches' slick-alternative sounding "Sick Little Suicide," and the Weakerthans' emo-flavored "Plea from a Cat Named Virtue." There's also edgier, hard-hitting cuts like Scatter the Ashes' "City by the Sea," Refused's older screamer hit "Liberation Frequency," and the Special Goodness' "Life Goes By" which kind of reminded me of Shudder to Think.

The CD also swings with Rockabilly cuts like Tiger Army's "Temptation," the female-fronted HorrorPops' "Miss Take," and the Dropkick Murphy's original-sounding Irish duet "The Dirty Glass." I was also surprised to find two hip-hop songs on this compilation. There's Atmosphere's hoppin' "The Key to Life Vs. 15 Minutes of Fame," and Eyedea & Abilities fast-rapped "Now" which kinda had the same flow as a Bone Thugs & Harmony song. Also included was Error's industrialized, Nine Inch Nails-esque "Burn in Hell" which even had vocals that resembled Trent Reznor's. And of course, there are great songs from Punk O Rama regulars like Bad Religion, Pennywise, Rancid, Pulley, and Hot Water Music. There's also a DVD included which has videos from bands on the CD as well as bands like Randy and Converge who didn't appear on the compilation. These compilations are always inexpensive and with Punk O Rama 9's CD/DVD combo it's definitely worth every cent.