Masif Hard Dance Anthems 1 is the latest in the acclaimed trance and hard dance compilation series by renowned record label Masif. Hard Dance Anthems is the big, hard, faster, darker and dirtier brother of the previous installment Masif Hard Trance Anthems Volume 1. The first was a double disc compilation pieced together by Steve Hill and UK tyro Alex Kidd. This latest release has gone one further than it’s predecessor, adding a third disc to the mix. Steve Hill once again takes reins of the opening disc and is joined on the album by Dark by Design and Luca Antolini.

Steve Hill kicks things off on Disc One with the Talla 2XLC mix of The Anthem by US trancers Filo & Peri. This duo has been making big waves in the world of trance music lately and with releases like The Anthem it’s no wonder. Now before getting too far into this review I should make it clear that I haven’t always been the biggest fan of Steve Hill. His unique style of hard trance and hard dance has always been there or there abouts, I’ve just personally sometimes thought that it erred a little bit on the ‘cheesey’ side a little too often. With this in mind I try and open my eyes & ears to his mix and push away any preconceptions I might have about his style of music.

Like any Steve Hill mix, there’s a tonne of his own releases in the mix, with no less than 9 singles and 2 remixes appearing here, but that’s not such a bad thing. Steve is arguably more widely acknowledged for his production work than his live sets and performances. This mix has a breath of fresh air to it with some releases from the best of trance & hard dance’s up and coming superstars. Sean Tyas, Cally & Juice and Technikal are to name but a few. Some of Hill’s finest moments in the set are his collaborations with UK tyro Technikal. Euro Power, I Have a Dream and Don’t Hold Back are classic hard trance anthems that move and shake the body and soul. Free At Last is the pick though and is the penultimate track on what I think is a roaring first disc. Not to be outdone is the Steve Hill and Cally & Juice remix of Insane by the Masif DJs. Overall this is a stellar mix: the cheese is gone and what is left is 23 slamming hard trance and dance tracks that puts this triple-disc compilation straight into 5th gear.

There’s no time to regather as I throw on the second disc, which has been pieced together by the Italian Stallion and legend of the hard dance scene Luca Antolini. Luca has made his name first & foremost as one of the world’s most prominent trance and hard dance producers and has only recently started to command attention as one of the world’s best DJs and performers. This mix is classic Luca with slamming, uplifting trance combined with energetic, dark, mysterious hard dance. Luca has 10 pieces of production on this disc, not bad for a mix with just 14 tracks on it. We Are kicks things off but it is Cape York by Ricky T that REALLY kicks things off. One of the best tracks I’ve heard in sometime, this broken beat electro-trancer explodes into action with a big-room euphoric kick-in that is spine tingling. Definitely one to keep hitting repeat on. The mixing and programming in this set is second to none. The mix flows effortlessly along the track with Luca firm at the reins.

Last but not least is Gaz West AKA Dark by Design. West has been doing damage all over the world recently with live sets and performances at every reputable hard dance event on the planet. Having burst onto the scene a couple of years ago Dark by Design now is one of THE biggest names in the world of hard dance. This mix is a true reflection of the quality of West’s production and mixing talents. 15 tracks in length, West has a dabble at no less than 13 of them, with 9 singles accompanied by 4 very special remixes. Straight from the outset the mix is deep in 6th gear with some slamming selections. Rotten Egg with Australia’s very own Dr. Willis is a nice way of kicking the mix into a fast and furious pattern of delicious hard dance music. Hill and Dark By Design give Yakooza’s classic Cocaine a face lift, with devastating results. Money Shot, a Dark by Design collaboration with Alex Kidd* kicks off a 6 pack of Dark by Design brilliance. S.T.F.U., Severe Punishment, Stigmata, Psycho and Schranz ‘n’ Tingz complete proceedings and lead into the last but not least track, Wot The Fuck by Alex Kidd & Novacaine with Steve Hill and Dark By Design AGAIN on the remix.

And there it is. We are finished.

Overall this is one of the more impressive hard dance compilations I’ve heard in sometime. Usually in a triple-mix compilation there will be a standout performer that generally upstages a rather lax mix by their counterpart. But in Masif Hard Dance Anthems 1 there is no lax mix. All three producers and DJs have pieced together masterful displays of their prodigious talent. This is a must buy for those who genuinely love their trance and hard dance. A ripper album.