One of the first bands to be tagged as "positive punk" by the NME, Blood & Roses built a modest reputation for dreary imagery, ominous guitar hooks, and Lisa Kirby's seductively caustic singing. Mixing equal portions of punk, Aleister Crowley, and doomed romanticism, the music is all at once arresting, dramatic, and dangerous. With a respectable catalog that included an EP, a full album, and two versions of a single, Blood & Roses left behind a significant yet sadly overlooked mark on what many now recognize as the seeds of gothic music. "Same As It Never Was" attempts to recompile the blasphemy and venom of the band, repackaged for a new audience in the digital age.

The compilation opens with the entire "Enough Is Never Enough" LP, an impressive forgotten gem of early gothic punk, then continues with selections from the rest of the band's catalog, including previously unreleased songs. The remastering job here is crisp yet also quite loud. There is also some noticeable hiss on most of the previously unreleased songs such as "Crimson Dream" and "Sins Of The Chimera" due to restoration efforts on dodgy old (and nearly lost) source material. Musically, these restored songs are a mixed bag; some are excellent such as the dreamy "Heaven" and almost pop-like "Sleepwalkers," while some others are left feeling uninspired such as "Crimson Dream" and "Sins Of The Chimera." Also of particular interest (or disappointment, really) to completists is the fact that some tracks from the band's official catalog were noticeably omitted, such as the alternate versions of "Necromantra" and "Spit Upon Your Grave," or the "Some Like It Hot" B-side, "Paradise." In fact, the entire "Life After Death" demotape was ignored completely, only serving to abridge the band's history and narrow the listener's perspective of Blood & Roses' entire oeuvre. For the majority of fans, this is an adequate collection that highlights some of the band's brightest and most inspired moments, and liner notes written by former guitarist Bob Short provide further insight into the band's story. Those hoping for a complete collection, however, will have to keep digging beyond what this compilation provides.