Ten: Battlefield

If it seems like you’re seeing a lot of releases by British melodic rockers Ten lately, it’s because, well, they’re releasing a lot of stuff. Since signing to the Rocktopia label – a partnership that has apparently ended already – we’ve seen two full-length albums (2014’s excellent Albion and 2015’s less impressive Isla de Muerta), and an EP (2015’s The Dragon and St. George). Now we have Battlefield, a two-disc collection that puts all of the material from Ten’s Rocktopia years in one set.

Battlefield: The Rocktopia Records Collection includes both Albion and Isla de Muerta, plus the Japanese bonus tracks that accompanied each album, as well as all the rare tracks from The Dragon and St. George, and features new artwork.

Here’s why this is a good thing: If you’ve been lazy about picking up these releases individually, or didn’t want to pay the import price for the Japanese pressings, Battlefield gives you all of Ten’s output over the past two years in one nice package.

Here’s why this is a bad thing: If you’ve been a loyal Ten fan and bought Albion, Isla de Muerta and The Dragon and St. George as they came out, Battlefield has to feel like a punch to the gut. To get those Japanese-only bonus tracks, you essentially have to re-buy three titles you already own. It would be a nice gesture if the band/label made those tracks available to purchase digitally.

Depending on your situation, Battlefield is either a welcome collection or a bad case of double-dipping. Setting that aside, Battlefield has a lot of great melodic rock songs and some rare bonus tracks, so it’s definitely a worthwhile purchase if you’re a Ten fan. It also makes for a nice introduction if you’ve never heard the band before.

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