Just in time for our rock issue, this little gem appeared with over 900 WAV files, 750 RX2 files, 200 hits, and a couple dozen NN-XT patches and Redrum kits. Files are organized by genre: Alternative, Artskool (heavy), England's Dreaming (punk and pop), New Wave, and New York Underground (sort of a rock grab bag). You get bass, drums, guitar, and synths, along with some vocal effects (screams, yeah, countdown, etc.). Although Raw Power works well as a set of self-contained construction kits, I could also see using the files as accents to other songs.

Don't get this for the NN-XT/Redrum patches; they're more bonus goodies. The WAV and REX files are the stars, and the slice editing isn't too bad. You can stray a bit from the root tempo, but for wider stretches, tweaking the "slice" markers gives much better sound quality with most files.

It's hard to pull off rock loop CDs, but this one's good. Last week I needed a "generic rock bed" under the narration for a video; Raw Power would have been perfect. The loops mesh well together, and the playing is crisp. This CD won't win any awards for innovation, but it's cost-effective and works - if you need some rock "library" music, buy this instead. You'll be able to customize the sound more, and have fun while you're doing it.