No Drummer Jokes, Please
Drum Nation Volume One was, without a doubt, an absolute corker of a compilation. With stick masters like Wackerman and Bozzio leading the helm, it was a formidable collection of some of the best drummers around today.
Drum Nation Two does not let up on the proceedings, mainly because the best drummer on the face of our planet is on it. If you thought "Ah, Joey Jordison!", please vacate by the nearest exit. I do of course mean Dream Theater god Mike Portnoy, whose song "Meetings" annihilates anything you've ever heard coming out of some drums. I could rave for hours about how one track justifies the creation of this album, but I shall force myself to tell you more about another drumming prodigy here.
To be honest, I'd never even heard of Mr. Josh Freese before, maybe I have a gaping hole in my music knowledge, but either way, he certainly knows how to make some noise. "Baby Faced Assassin" absolutely annihilates you. There's no other way to put it.
Aside from these, the album offers consistently strong tracks, with nothing standing out as being a poor effort.
One last note, Jens Johansson provides Keyboard Wizardry for Portnoy's track, and believe me; I'm waiting for Keyboard Nation...