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Armenian rockers Ayas released their one and only full-length album Yerkink u Yerkir ("Earth and Sky" in English) in 1986, only having a demo Dazan Bacht ("The Cruel Fate") three years later and disbanding shortly after due to keyboardist/vocalist Arthur Mitinyan moving to Moscow. They reformed in 2008 after he returned, and now Swedish label/crusaders of underground preservation I Hate compiled all the band's material in this luxurious 2-disc set, and while not all the material is first-rate, it was worth digging back up.

Musically, Ayas combine the dirty stylings and falsetto screaming of Mercyful Fate and the rocking, old-school Metal of early Judas Priest and even Rainbow. The material is raw and the sound primitive, but there's the odd progressive bent to some of the songwriting that really gives this band an identity beyond their influences, and that tends to overcome the demo-level production made from cheap equipment. It could have done with a remaster, but if you're a sucker for obscure Metal with verve and determination, then this is a compilation to get your hands on.