*** 1/2 VARIOUS ARTISTS, “Spawn” soundtrack, Immortal/Epic

Contrary to popular belief, rock and dance have been colliding for decades, from Prodigy to the late, legendary New York house deejay Larry Levan, who dropped a little Led Zeppelin now and then. In fact, some pop historians argue there is no distinction between the two: Rock was dance music, at least until the ‘60s.

Here, then, is a dark, raucous reunion--a radical celebration of rhythm and roll that pairs hair bands and punks with techno tweakers. “Spawn” was dreamed up by Immortal Records founder Happy Walters and produced face-to-face or via studio remixes. It’s a 14-track companion to the sci-fi movie of the same name that is based on a futuristic comic series. And it comes off unashamedly metallic.

Some of the pairings--Marilyn Manson and the Sneaker Pimps, Mansun and 808 State, Incubus and Greyboy--mix like Jekyll and Hyde, balancing chemical beats against a barrage of industrial noise. Other artists push each other into even harder, deeper territory. Filter and the Crystal Method have a grunge-adelic hit in “Trip Like I Do.” Goldie and Henry Rollins turn out a chillingly dark drum-and-bass song about HIV in “T-4 Strain.”

Compilations have become the postmodern medium for music. And “Spawn” reflects our musical time--a time of tension, a time of change.

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