NYC's Nausea, America's answer to definitive UK anarcho-punks Crass, dispensed socially conscious anti-government musical propaganda to anyone who was willing to lend an ear during the late '80s and early '90s. Fueled by a fear of nuclear warfare, hatred for the Reagan and Bush administrations and disgust with organized religion, they pumped out bitter crust punk with a steadfast left-wing message. It sounds like standard stuff these days, but these NYC crusties were doing it at a time when most kids thought hair metal was the shit.

While Vol. 2 isn't as essential as the band's 2001 compilation The Punk Terrorist Anthology, Vol. 1, its 30 audio tracks and solitary video don't disappoint -- particularly the fourteen tunes that made up an unreleased 1988 7" and LP. The raw, vitriolic crust in tunes like "Smash Racism" and "Godless" are classic Nausea: the band doesn't mince words on these touchy topics, and the male/female vocals make for a unique musical signature. "Home Sweet Home" isn't a Motley Crue cover; it's an indictment of the fascist government for destroying less fortunate people's homesteads. There are hints of crossover metal and soulful ska on "Divide & Conquer" and "Sacrifice", respectively, which should give you an idea of where the band might have headed if they'd stuck around for a few more years.

Vol. 2 also includes a couple of covers -- a great version of the Subhumans' "Religious Wars", complete with Amy Miret's tuneless vocals, and an angry make-over of the Business's street-punk anthem "Real Enemy". There are also plenty of live recordings and demo versions of popular Nausea tunes, and the video of "Fallout (Of Our Being)" provides a brief glimpse into the punkers' past, interspersing footage of the bands with B-roll of bombs, missiles and mushroom clouds.

These Lower East Side punks may not have received the props that they should have during their tenure, but a quick sampling of Vol. 2 will enlighten you as to why they're regularly cited as an influence today. Vol. 2's unreleased material and demo tunes offer an interesting look at Nausea's past, but if you're just getting into them, you're better off picking up Vol. 1 first.