Mustasch must be one of Sweden's best kept secrets. How any countries with a population of little more than 9,000,000 can boast to have the vast array of musicians from every genre imaginable producing music of such quality that many are considered pioneers of their particular musical movement? Let alone having an act capable of gold selling status and a Grammy under their belts? Yes we're still talking about Mustasch, who perversely are looking to their greatest hits album as the springboard to launch their career outside their native Sweden where they have achieved just about every accolade imaginable, yet still couldn't be picked out of a line up in most of Europe.

Notorious for being certain case cows for many bands, the addition of a greatest hits album to most discographies to my mind is always to be viewed with an element of cynicism. However given Mustasch's relative low profile you do sense that the release of 'Lowlife Highlights' is seen, by the band at least, as a means to an end in introducing themselves to a largely untapped audience rather than for any financial benefit.

'Lowlife Highlights' offers up a whopping 18 tracks all taken from the bands EMI years, and includes all the bands signature tunes, from 'I Hunt Alone' to 'Down In Black' to 'Dogwash'. Stylistically Mustasch are purveyors of rhythm driven riff heavy hard rock. Employing a head down blinkered approach to trends, choosing rather to follow their collective creative hearts than some misguided sense of what is 'now'. To this end Mustasch are old fashioned in their style and in the music they produce, but they are damned good at what they do.

Ralf Gyllenhammar has the sound of a less Jim Morrison influenced Ian Astbury and his riffing, ably partnered by Hannes Hansson, evokes a feeling of a timeless groove with it's Bad Company / Free flavour. It is hard to see many people not finding something to their liking on 'Lowlife Highlights', with it's balls out fist clenching approach to Metal what isn't to like?! Exposure will remain Mustasch biggest challenge but given the breaks I think it is fair to say that Mustasch could show a few of the Rock fraternity elite a thing or two in how it's done.