Spartan Riddim – Various Artists

Spartan Riddim runs as a lean 11-track showcase, with 10 voices cutting over the same 2007 cut, so the interest is in how each singer pushes the groove rather than any one star turn. The names suggest a rootsy, militant edge — “Light De Fire, ” “The Fear, ” “Grim Reaper, ” “Beat Them” — and the titles point to the kind of stern, streetwise reggae that leans on heavy bass and a hard, marching pulse. Farmer, Gounz Man, Mystic and Revelation each bring a different shade to that tension, while Simple’s “Show Them” gets an extra mix as a bonus track, which hints that it was the tune the producers wanted to keep in circulation. Zebulan’s “Beat Them” closes things out and feels like the right final statement for a riddim that keeps its energy tight and its message blunt.