For twenty years, Clan of Xymox and its mutations have operated in the shadows of the gothic genre. Although they've never achieved the level of name recognition that acts like the Sisters of Mercy did, Xymox have the edge in that they actually release records more than once a decade. And as this anniversary disc shows, those records have been, on the whole, pretty good. Furthermore, the current packaging actually improves the feel of the original material. In a single sitting, though, an entire Xymox disc is a bit of a haul -- the midtempo dance rhythms, baritone vocals and synthesizers can get very repetitive. On this collection, with the band's output laid end to end, it's possible to see a progression and variation that is often buried on individual albums. This gives the music a spark of life that is typically muted on the group's regular releases. Furthermore, by touching on the warm ("Consolation") and the harsh ("Innocent"), the disc admirably demonstrates why Xymox have survived despite the genre's ever-changing tastes.

Finally, for long-standing fans, The Best of... includes two remixes and five new tracks, including the excellent "A Day". Retrospectives are often contract obligations, but as this volume shows, they can also provide exciting new insights into a well-established group's material.