The One Thing That Still Holds True

Judas Priest Painkiller

2012-01-29T16:00:00.001-05:00

A couple months ago, I went to see Judas Priest in concert. The Epitaph tour. It is supposed to be their last tour, and quite possibly it was my last chance to see them live. Since I'd only seen them one other time, I was really looking forward to catching them again. The setlist was pretty cool, as they played at least one song from each of their Halford albums. Halford's voice isn't what it once was, but to see the band do songs like Never Satisfied, Beyond The Realms of Death, Starbreaker, and Blood Red Skies...it was pretty fucking awesome. For me, the highlight of the show was Night Crawler from the Painkiller LP. It was an unexpected surprise, and kicked the ass of those standard songs that Priest feel the need to play over and over and over.

Back on Black recently repressed the majority of Judas Priest's catalog on vinyl...skipping Rocka Rolla and Sad Wings, and ignoring the Ripper years. Last Christmas, I picked up a vinyl copy of one of Priest's last classic albums, Painkiller. Damn, this album is so good. It doesn't compete with their 70's output, but it sure tops what they were doing with Turbo. Unlike my past purchases of Back on Black titles, I didn't get this one on colored vinyl. There was a limited pressing on red vinyl, and I was disappointed to open mine and see it was on black vinyl. Oh well, it still feels good to finally own this on vinyl.

Fire, Ice and a Test Press

2012-01-25T18:04:00.000-05:00

A while back, Triple B Records put up a bunch of rare vinyl in their webstore to fund some up and coming releases. I picked up a couple of things, but I was also pretty tempted by the test press they had available for the Fire & Ice Collections album. It was priced at $100, and in the end, I thought it was too high, so I passed on it.

A month or so later, there was another one up on eBay. I had my eye on it, but when it sold for $66, it was still too rich for my blood at that time.

November rolls around, and I find another one up on eBay. This time it is being sold by Ryan Groat, the band's guitar player. Now I'm determined to finally own a copy. Sale price, $38.00. Sweet deal.

Nothing too exciting with the packaging. Just a white sleeve with a sticker up in the corner.

Limited to 15.

Four Bars

2012-01-24T11:21:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking about picking up some Black Flag vinyl for a while. Great classic band, and I seem to be listening to them more and more nowadays...kind of rediscovering the greatness of those Rollins albums. Some of it I've never owned, some I've owned on CD...some on cassette. I figured it was time that I owned some vinyl, so I picked up a few for Christmas. Yesterday I saw the latest posts from Marcus and I realized that my copies are shit. I now want colored vinyl.

In My Head. Nope, never owned this before. I downloaded it years ago, but I always preferred the early years of Black Flag, and I never really warmed up to the band's last album. In fact, I've probably listened to it a total of 5 times in my life. Back when I was on a Stoner/Doom kick, I gave this album a spin and liked what I heard. It was time to own a proper copy.

I Can See You. I didn't even know this record existed until a couple years ago. I remember seeing it down at Newbury Comics in Boston. I was completely stunned as I'd never heard of it before. It is the band's last studio recordings, and since I'd paid so little attention to In My Head, it shouldn't have come as that big of a surprise that I'd never heard of it before. I didn't pick it up from Newbury's at the time, as I wanted to find out more about it. I didn't want to buy it only to discover it was some crap instrumental/poetry record. I downloaded it to preview it, and loved it even more than In My Head. Out Of This World is one of my favorite latter day Flag songs.

Even though I've always preferred the early stuff from Black Flag, the only thing that I ever owned from this period was The First Four Years....on cassette. Embarrassing.

The vinyl that I got, has the b-side label offset, so center hole gets punched through one of the song titles.

TV Party 7 inch. Finally some Black Flag colored vinyl!

One of my more embarrassing confessions. The I Can See You EP was a surprise, but I figured that it had to be the last songs of Black Flag that had somehow escaped me. Not true. Say hello to the TV Party record. Sure, I knew this existed, but like Nervous Breakdown, Jealous Again, and Six Pack, I assumed that the songs from the TV Party EP were included in The First Four Years compilation LP. I never double checked as I was pretty sure in my assumption. Amateur. Somehow, over the past couple months, I stumbled across the track list for TV Party, and realized that I had never heard of the songs from the b-side. Mind fucking blown.

Grabbed this copy on orange vinyl from REVHQ with my latest order. Time to slowly start working on the other colored vinyl for this band.

Stay Cruel

2012-01-23T19:23:00.002-05:00

I remember when Cruel Hand's Lock & Key album was released a little over a year ago. Meh, it was okay, but not nearly as good as the Prying Eyes LP. Time has improved my perception of this album. Listening to Lock & Key these days, I can't help but be impressed with how great this album is. HARDcore.

I picked up my second copy of this LP when Bridge Nine was having a Black Friday sale. Cruel Hand albums were on sale for $6.00, so I grabbed the sea foam green pressing (limited to 700). In hindsight, I should have picked up the grey vinyl as well to complete my Lock & Key collection.

Overlooked

2012-01-22T17:50:00.004-05:00

I have this Overlooked 7 inch in my pile of new vinyl. I got it a month or so ago, and I know that I ordered it from Life To Live Records, but I can't remember what it was that made me decide to add this to my cart.

Since I've received it, I've found comparisons to Suicide File and Panic. Overlooked do seem to have that early 2000 hardcore sound, and I couldn't get enough of that stuff when I placed the order...that could have pushed me to pick up this 7 inch. Solid.

375 on grey/mixed colored vinyl.

Ghost of Christmas Present

2012-01-21T20:23:00.000-05:00

It isn't very often that I head out to shows these days, even more rare that I make it out to a Metal show. However, last night was one that I could not miss. Ghost and Blood Ceremony in Boston. Yes, I even skipped the Step Forward and Disengage show that was happening the same night. While I love those two Hardcore bands, it would have taken a Chain of Strength reunion to keep me away from making it out to catch a date on Ghost's first US tour.

The show was worth the two hour drive by myself. The show just felt like something special. I love Blood Ceremony, but they still exceeded my expectations on the stage. Alia O'Brian was pretty hot, and the band sounded amazing. When the guitar riff kicked in for the song Oliver Haddo, it put a huge smile on my face. Ghost was an amazing spectacle. Musically they weren't as impressive as Blood Ceremony, but you still could not take your eyes off their satanic pope front man, Papa Emeritus. He was a commanding presence on that stage. Even their cover of Here Comes The Sun from The Beatles, was incredibly haunting. All in all, it was a hell of a night out.

After catching Ghost live last night, I figured that it was a good time to post my latest copy of their Opus Eponymous LP. This one was a gift from my Mom at Christmas. 500 pressed on clear with purple splatter.

This is my fourth copy of this album. I typically don't purchase multiple copies of Metal albums for my collection. Usually one is enough. That does not seem to be the case for Ghost. After setting up the four copies of vinyl for this picture, I found myself overwhelmed with the desire to head over to Rise Above, and grab another copy.

Double Team With The Ladies

2012-01-19T12:22:00.000-05:00

A few months ago, I finally got around to checking out The Ladies. I fell in love, and set out to pick up a couple more. They were a little older, but they were still fast and tight.

The Hole Sailor 7 inch was released in 2009 from No Way Records. It has Dirty Pictures Of Your Mother...of which, I'm a big fan.

I don't think I've ever heard someone say, "You know what we need more of in Punk Rock? Drawings of a big veiny penis.". Nope, not ever.

The vinyl is bluish green, but you don't really get the full effect unless you hold it up to the light. 200 pressed.

The first 7 inch from The Ladies was originally released by Riff Raff in 2008. Grave Mistake repressed it the following year. One run of 500...all on black vinyl.

I did multiple searches on the internet, but I was unable to find the songs for this 7 inch to download. Not a problem. I have no issue with taking matters into my own hand, and doing the job myself.

Keeping Up With The Parade

2012-01-18T12:50:00.001-05:00

Two years ago, I started working on my Rain On The Parade collection. Twelve years after it's initial release, I picked up my second copy of the Full Speed Ahead 7 inch from Marcus, and the chase had begun.

Now I've never been able to really focus on collecting one band. There are so many records that I want, that I can't help but get distracted. Marcus has worked to keep me locked in on Rain On The Parade. I'm pretty sure that for every ROTP record that I've bought since I started collecting the band, I've been tipped off by Marcus to the ebay auction. This latest record is no exception.

This is the third press of Full Speed Ahead from My War Records. Blue cover and yellow vinyl, which I'm pretty sure is limited to 400. Thanks for keeping me focused, Marcus!

Paranoid Government Warning

2012-01-16T10:06:00.000-05:00

Early on, Government Warning were such a great band. No Way Out, No Moderation, and Arrested were all great records. 2009 came around and they released the Executed 7 inch...meh...it was just okay. The sound was a little different...the guitars and vocals a little too distorted.

A couple months ago, I picked up the last Government Warning LP, Paranoid Mess from REACT! with one of my orders. Released back in 2009, it was the only GW record that I was missing, so I figured that I'd pick it up.

Paranoid Mess continues down the path started with Executed. It isn't bad, but it really doesn't move me like those first couple of records.

American Nightmare Demo

2012-01-15T12:08:00.000-05:00

American Nightmare. I don't dig them nearly as much as a lot of people. They are pretty good, I guess, but I never really lost my mind over them. Fact: I've never even heard the We're Down Til We're Underground LP. The high point for me, with American Nightmare, was their first few recordings...the demo and first two EPs. I rarely listen to those records nowadays, but at the time of their release, I really liked them.

When I was in the Bridge Nine webstore a couple months ago, I saw that they had the vinyl pressing of the demo for sale. I only owned the cassette copy, so I figured that I'd pick up the record for the hell of it.

In fact, the major selling point for me was that it was pressed on "random" colored vinyl. The description on Bridge Nine stated that "no two records look the same". It sounded like a cool concept, so I ordered two copies just to see how they looked.

While they might not look exactly the same, the differences are pretty small. I wasn't impressed by the "random" colors. Big deal. I guess I'll put one copy into my pile of shit to throw up on eBay someday.

Test Press Alert

2012-01-14T10:36:00.000-05:00

Back at the end of October, Six Feet Under put up a bunch of eBay auctions. One of the records was the test pressing for the new Alert 7 inch. Within two days, the auction was up to $63.00. What the fuck? There were still five days left. Kids need to calm the fuck down. I was really struggling with some money issues, and when the record sold for $72.00, it was too rich for my blood and I was out.

Mike Puffer sings for Alert. Mike is a pretty nice dude, and we've spent some time at shows hanging out and talking. A couple weeks after the SFU auctions, Mike sent me a message, asking if I was interested in buying an Alert test press directly from him. I was still broke, but the price was lower that the one that SFU sold...plus it was coming from Puffer. I don't like turning down these offers, so I accepted.

The test press comes with a special cover and is limited to just 13.

I thanked Puffer for the offer, told him that the payment had been sent, and let him know that the only pressing I was missing for the Find Your Way 7 inch was the one that Six Feet Under did for the Sound & Fury fest. Much to my surprise, Mike threw a copy in with the test pressing he sent me.

Limited to 54 and packaged with a special cover for the fest. Awesome record, great dudes, straight edge.

Damage Scars

2012-01-12T06:27:00.002-05:00

I was really into the "Ebullition sound" of the early to mid 90's. I bought a lot of my records from Kent McLard's distro, and I ate up just about anything he carried or put out with Ebullition. Some of those bands didn't really stand the test of time, and a lot of them have fallen off my playlists. Still, when I pull out something from likes of Shotmaker, Downcast, Current, or Iconoclast, I'm reminded that there were some real classics from those days.

While I no longer actively search out newer bands that play this style these days, Damages seem to have made their way to my turntable. Introduced to me through their REACT! 7 inch last year, I was kind of impressed that bands like this are still around, and how well Damages can pull off this sound.

In addition to the REACT! release, the label was also carrying the band's Scars 7 inch in their webstore. I don't really know a whole lot about this band, but I believe this is the first 7 inch from this Canadian band. Listening to it now, and damn, it makes me want to pull out my copy of the Navio Forge LP. Cool shit.

H2O Go!

2012-01-10T21:18:00.001-05:00

I don't know of any band that is more hit or miss than H2O. I like the band, but every other album seems to be a clunker. No doubt about it though, they came out strong with their first album.

With the 15 year anniversary of the debut LP, Bridge Nine took the opportunity to repress it again on vinyl. Typically, the label has been re-issuing those classics that were released before I got into Hardcore. Antidote, Agnostic Front, Project X and Underdog. Back when I was buying Armored Saint and Dio cassette tapes, those bands were completely unknown to me, and would not even register on my radar for another 3 or 4 years. The latest Bridge Nine re-issue is different because I was around for the original release.

I remember first picking up the H2O single from Equal Vision in 1995, and thinking that they were a pretty good melodic pop punk band. The label was releasing records from bands like Shift and Serpico, and I thought that H2O fit in with the poppy sound that the EVR was putting out there at the time. Then the album dropped and I was surprised. Holy shit, H2O suddenly sounded like a Hardcore band?!!? Of course the band would walk this fine line of melodic Hardcore for their entire career. Sometimes it worked...sometimes it didn't.

Yes, I got caught up in the H2O excitement with the release of thier covers album, and I felt the need to buy not one, but two copies of the Bridge Nine repress of the first album. A true classic.

Boogadaboogadaboogada

2012-01-09T18:04:00.001-05:00

There was a period in my life when I took music very seriously. It needed to deliver a heavy message at all times, and I had no time for any band that would have been considered silly. 24 year old me would have probably had no tolerance for Screeching Weasel. I listened to a lot of shitty music in the mid-90's, but as long as they were saying something, I could pretend that I liked it. Thankfully, I'm not so uptight anymore, and while I think the message is still important, I can enjoy a band that really just wants to have fun.

Screeching Weasel don't care about Nicaragua. They hate Led Zeppelin, believe in UFOs and wanna be naked...and because of this, their second album, Boogadaboogadaboogada, absolutely rules. Fast and senseless punk rock.

It wasn't until this past year that I'd even heard Boogadaboogadaboogada. Sure, I had their split with Born Against, but I was never too interested in really checking them out. I'm a part of a group on last.fm called the Album of the Month Club. Just handful of people that are interested in discussing punk and hardcore. Each month someone will suggest an album for the group to listen to, and we'll all discuss. One month, Boogadaboogadaboogada was the album of choice. My expectations were set pretty low, but I downloaded the album anyway. 10 minutes into it I knew it was a keeper. The energy on this is incredibly infectious. While it's playing I can't sit still, and feel the urge to bounce around the room like an idiot. I knew that I needed to hunt down a copy.

The album was repressed a few different times, and I was content to grab a copy that Recess Records back in 2008. 500 pressed on grey colored vinyl.

Give 'Em Enough Rope

2012-01-06T17:38:00.000-05:00

Back in August, REACT! posted the pre-orders for second pressings of the Give and Noose 7 inches. I received the package a while ago, but I'm only now just getting them posted. Perfect timing as I currently can't get enough of Give.

To differentiate between the first and second pressings, REACT! went with white labels this time around.

200 pressed on white, and 300 pressed on black vinyl.

Up until this point, I've been pretty laid back about collecting Give vinyl. My collection for Heaven Is Waiting is complete, but that is only because it was on REACT! and I needed everything the label was releasing. I've only got one copy of both the 12 inch, and the I Am Love 7 inch. Hell, I don't even own a copy of Boots Of Faith. I need to begin the hunt to fill in some of these holes.

When REACT! originally pressed the Noose demo to vinyl, they had originally said that it was a one time only press. Apparently the demand was enough, so they did a limited second pressing.

200 pressed on grey vinyl.

My copy has an odd looking black "fingerprint" on it. It's not listed as a transition press, or anything, so I assume that most of the pressing had a similar mark. Still, I wouldn't mind seeing other pressings to confirm.

I took a group picture for Give, and I didn't want Noose to feel left out, so I snapped one of them as well.

Tour 7 Inch Split

2012-01-04T17:19:00.001-05:00

Back in September, Remission and Police & Thieves got together and did tours on the East and West coast to promote their new split 7 inch on Amendment Records. What a perfect pairing for these two amazing Hardcore bands.

Remission travelling up from South America to tour the States was a special occasion, and one that was worthy of a limited tour cover for their new split 7 inch.

Limited to 100. Upon first glance, it looks like they were supposed to be hand numbered, but closer inspection show there was probably an error with the printer and all the cover were created with "1/100" on the back. To fix the error, the band just put a sticker over the number 1. Still, I wish they were numbered.

The 7 inch includes the tour flyer on the back of the lyric sheet. Nice touch. As you can see, the closest they came to me was New York, and I was not going to be able to make that trip. It was too bad that I missed them, but thankfully Amendment Records put up the leftovers in their webstore, and I was able to grab one.

While I was shopping with Amendment Records, I also picked up the oddball pressing of Remission's LP. What we have here is the second pressing of the album on clear vinyl from Amendment, combined with the Euro press cover from Assault Records. This is what happens with a record label has leftover vinyl with no covers for them. They pull together whatever they can.

To differentiate this special pressing, Amendment stamped the Remission logo on the inside of the album cover.

Trial Separation

2012-01-03T18:52:00.004-05:00

A few months back, New Age started taking orders for the repress of Trial's Foundation 7 inch. Some people have received their order, but I'm still waiting for mine. In the meantime, I picked up two copies of the reissue that Panic Records did over the summer.

The Panic Records reissue combines both the Through The Darkest Days and Foundation EPs, and presses them onto one LP. I grabbed the purple and blue pressings, which are limited to 200 each.

I really enjoyed Trial back in the mid to late 90's, but as time went on, I forgot all about them. Prompted by their reunion and these reissues, I've started giving them a spin again, and I'm impressed with how well they have held up over time.

As a side note, the download for this LP contains a few songs that were not on the vinyl. Three covers...Crucified (Iron Cross), Potential Friends (Youth of Today) and Red Hot (Motley Crue). Now I don't really need to hear the Motley Crue cover again, but it would have been nice to include the other two songs on the Foundation side of this LP. They had plenty of room.

2011 Recap

2012-01-01T12:31:00.001-05:00

2011 is now behind us. It's a time for reflection. A time for resolutions. A time for Top 10 lists and my annual recap on how much music I bought over the past 12 months.

354 new records and CDs for 2011. The number of LPs was down a little compared to last year, and the number of 7 inches was up, but overall, my numbers are pretty comparable to last years total of 344.

I also download a lot of music as well. When you add in 130 downloads of records where I haven't had the opportunity to pick up a physical copy yet, that brings the yearly total to a staggering 484. Fuck. I listen to a lot of music.

Once again the monthly graph is more a reflection of my blog posts, as opposed to when I actually received my records. Since the blog tends to be a month or two behind, the numbers don't truly reflect the number of records landing in my mailbox. Still, an average of almost 30 records a month, is an impressive number.

I know that I said this last year, but I really want to get my blog posts caught up, so that it more representative of what's coming in.

Compared to years past, the last three years have remained pretty steady on how much new music I buy each year. At least I'm consistent.

I thought that 2010 was a strong year for Hardcore and Metal, but 2011 puts the previous year to shame. I can't believe how many great records were released this year.

Without a doubt, Remission grabs the top spot in the Hardcore Top 10 this year. While I haven't received my Disengage LP yet, I've heard the album and it is so impressive that I had to make a last minute adjustment to the list and add them in at number 3. This years list also sees a few surprises. Crusades, Night Birds and Deep Sleep were all new to me this year, and each one impressed the Hell out of me. Punk Rock...don't stop.

Holy shit, there were a lot of great Metal releases this year. Orchid have not released their album on vinyl yet, and remains a CD only release. They are working on the vinyl release for early 2012, and once it is available, you can expect Capricorn to find a post here on this blog. Who cares about the Black Sabbath reunion...we have Orchid.

One additional point, while I did buy around the same amount of CDs this year, compared to last, I did tend to lean more towards vinyl for new Metal releases. Last year, I think that I bought six new Metal releases on vinyl. This year, I doubled that number.

Finally, we get to what I actually spent most of my time listening to last year. Let me say that the anniversary of Dio's passing, had a big impact on what I listened to in 2011. Black Sabbath and Dio top this list because of that fact.

Thanks again to anyone that took the time to read this blog, and commented on the posts. Music my obsession and I enjoy sharing it and discussing it with anyone.

Step Aside 2011...Bring On 2012

2011-12-30T17:14:00.002-05:00

I started off December with a goal to post all of the 2011 releases that had been piling up in my blog backlog. Sure, I'm still about 25 posts behind, but at least I've reached my goal this month and cleaned up all the new releases...plus 16 posts for November and December ain't too bad either.

Over the summer, Double Cross posted about four new bands that you should check out. One of those bands was Step Aside. I'd never heard of them before, but they certainly looked like a band that I'd be into. When Life To Live Records put up the pre-orders, I jumped in to order all three pressings.

In case you couldn't tell from varsity jackets and X'd up hands on the record cover, Step Aside are a Straight Edge Hardcore band...and they play the style very well. It is probably no surprise that I love this record.

125 pressed on blue vinyl with an alternate cover.

125 pressed on green vinyl.

225 pressed on black.

Written Off / Out Crowd

2011-12-28T07:14:00.005-05:00

I don't get out for shows very often anymore. Finding the time and energy to get out doesn't come easy these days. However, when I heard that there was going to be a small show in Boston recently, surprisingly I found myself excited to go. The bill was full of newer Straight Edge bands. I wasn't too familiar with any of them, but the thought of checking out some new bands seemed like a great way to spend a Saturday night. I'd heard Better Times and Enough, and was looking forward to checking out Caught In A Crowd and Written Off.

My brother decided that he'd tag along with me, so the two of us headed out for a two hour drive to Boston. Trying to find a place to park in Boston sucks, and after driving around for an hour looking for a spot, we got to the show late. They numbered our hands as we paid at the door...number 27 and 28...yeah, this was a SMALL show. I was glad that we made it out to show some support for the touring bands. We missed the first few bands, including Better Times. Enough were great live, but the crowd were pretty reserved. The sound for Written Off was terrible...either too much bass, or not enough vocals. I don't know, but I had a hard time hearing what the band was doing as it was pretty much a distorted mess. After Written Off had played, the church next door complained about the noise, and the show was put on hold for an hour so they could finish up their service. I wasn't looking forward to hanging around for an hour to check out one more 15 minute set, so we took off for the drive home. On the way out, I picked up a couple copies of the 7 inch that Written Off were selling.

Iron Mind Crew Records released the split 7 inch with Written Off and Out Crowd. This is a great record from a couple of up-and-coming bands. The Written Off side dominates this for me. I need to get my hands on the vinyl pressing of their demo.

Written Off were selling the red and white vinyl pressings for this split.

Turnstile

2011-12-27T20:52:00.001-05:00

It has been almost 30 years since I started getting wrapped up in music, and even now, I still get a charge out of finding new bands. I don't want to sit back and rely on the great music of the past. I want to feel the rush when something new moves me. Yes, I still find bands that can give me a sudden surge of adrenaline when a song starts...when that riff sinks it's hook into me...when that chorus has me screaming along from the driver seat of my car on the ride home from work. Music still matters. New music is still relevant.

I didn't really pay much attention to Turnstile when Reaper Records released their 7 inch, Pressure To Succeed, earlier this year. In fact, I didn't bother to check it out until a few weeks ago when I started thinking about putting together my 2011 recap. I downloaded it for the fuck of it, and soon found myself listening to the songs on this 7 inch daily. If Leeway was recording Born To Expire in the same studio when Mental was laying down their first couple of 7 inches, it would sound an awful lot like this record.

I could not get enough of this record, and knew that I needed to get a copy as soon as possible. The only problem was that Reaper was sold out of it, and I couldn't find a copy from my usual distros. I checked ebay, and still came up empty handed. Somehow, I stumbled upon some distro that I'd never heard of before, In Vinyl We Trust, and they had the record in stock. Psyched to finally find one, I didn't hesitate to order a copy.

830 pressed on blue vinyl.

Give It Time

2011-12-26T17:26:00.001-05:00

When I first heard Give, I really wanted them to jump out and knock me on my ass. I dug some of their stuff, but overall, they didn't immediately blow me away. Here we are, a year after I received my first piece of Give vinyl, and about two and a half years since I first saw them live, and I can finally say that I'm starting to "get it". The more I listen to this band, and the more two song 7 inches they release, the more I get into them.

Sure, I picked up the Heaven Is Waiting 7 inch last year...it was released on REACT!, and my obsession with that label insisted that I buy all available pressings. Then when the Boots Of Faith 7 inch was released by Deranged, it hardly made a blip on my radar. I'm not sure where my head was at, but I ignored the Deranged release, and couldn't be bothered to grab a copy before the colored vinyl was sold out. Triple B recently released the I Am Love 7 inch, and it was perfect timing as I was really just starting to get into the band. Something finally clicked, and I was really starting to dig what this band was doing. Now, with new records due from Youngblood and Painkiller, I couldn't be more stoked on this band.

I Am Love was limited to 200 on clear vinyl.

Police & Thieves : Youngblood & REACT!

2011-12-24T08:27:00.001-05:00

I'm most appreciative of when situations like this happen. Despite not making it out to either the REACT! or the Youngblood Showcase, I was still able to buy a copy of both Police & Thieves special pressings for these events.

First up is the record release pressing of the new Police & Thieves album, Fracturing. Four of these seven songs showed up on the Blizzard Sessions '10 tape from last year, but they get a proper mastering for this release. P&T are from D.C. and they nail that D.C. Hardcore sound from the mid-80's Dischord bands. Holy shit, this record is so good.

The record release pressing comes with a special cover and is limited to 55. Along with the white vinyl, I really like the way this looks.

Number 5 of 55.

For the REACT! Showcase, Police & Thieves did a limited special cover for their Amor Y Guerra LP on Salad Days Records.

"REACT SHOWCASE '11" was spray painted on the front cover for the LP. It is kind of hard to see with the gray on gray, and I think it might have looked better if it was positioned more on the pink.

Limited to only 20, I feel extremely lucky to have a copy of this.

I can't say enough good things about this band. Thanks for the records Carlos. Looking forward to the regular press of Fracturing from Youngblood.

REACT! Showcase 2011

2011-12-22T15:02:00.004-05:00

I love a good Hardcore fest. A day spent checking out bands and cruising merch tables...it sounds like a perfect day to me. Unfortunately I was not going to be able to travel to California for the REACT! Showcase this year...and it is doubtful that I'll ever be able to...but thankfully Aram put the leftover box sets up in the REACT! webstore for those of us that couldn't make it.

Last year, Aram and crew put together a 7 inch box set for the Showcase. For 2011, he went bigger and did one with the last five REACT! LPs.

The box itself is thick and heavy, with a screened front and back. You can't help but be impressed with the level of quality.

The LP box set is limited to 100, with all the records on black vinyl. I assume that the 100 was pulled from the regular black vinyl run for each LP. If I'm correct, then the pressing for the black vinyl on each release would be adjusted, allowing for 100 to be used with the box set.

Inside the box, you have all five LP's bound together, a special issue of Effort Fanzine, all the essays and downloads included with the regular LPs, plus some assorted stickers.

Each LP is housed in only a dust sleeve which is stamped with the band's logo. Looks like I ended up owning a copy of the Skin Like Iron LP after all. I've given it a few spins since I've received this box set, but it has still failed to move me in any way.

The issue of Effort Fanzine that is included is a tribute to all things REACT!. Everyone related to the label is interviewed in this thing...Aram, those that help keep the label running smooth, the bands, even those that help design the records...we hear from everyone. Effort always had great interviews, and while this one keeps things brief, it is still very well done. Worth it for the Ole Johnson interview alone, where he talks about all he went through in designing the Together LP for Get The Most. Such a great story.

Another quality release from REACT!. Now I've just got to get my hands on those special 7 inch pressings that REACT! handed out to the first 88 people at the Showcase.

Iron X Curtain

2011-12-21T14:57:00.002-05:00

When I ordered the Times Together vinyl from Anger Battery, I also grabbed a couple copies of the Iron Curtain 7 inch the label had up for sale. I'd never heard of them before, but since they were described as "raw hardcore in the vein of early Lockin Out Records like Mental or the Righteous Jams demo" I figured that I'd take a chance on them. Good move because this London Straight Edge band, are pretty fucking cool.

Has there ever been a record cover with monkeys that hasn't ruled? I can't think of any. While this cover for the Iron Curtain 7 inch looks awesome, I'm a bit confused because they look like gorillas with tails.

Black vinyl is limited to 100, but 30 of them had the dust sleeve stamped and numbered for pre-orders.

200 pressed on white vinyl.

Second Times Together

2011-12-19T13:42:00.000-05:00

While I do enjoy it that younger kids are still forming bands, and keeping Straight Edge Hardcore alive, I also get a charge when older dudes keep that Youth Crew spirit going strong. Not all of us threw out our BOLD tshirts, and started listening to Sunny Day Real Estate and Iceburn when we got older. No, some of us still cling to our Wide Awake and Turning Point records, singing along to those youth anthems as though they were still relevant in our grown up lives.

Thankfully older guys like Times Together are still kicking around, and putting out solid Hardcore in 2011. I really liked the cool Uniform Choice/Unity vibe of the first 7 inch, but I had no idea that Times Together were releasing a follow up this year.

After receiving the Rearranged LP a few months ago, I decided to check out what else Anger Battery Records had released, and was pleasantly surprised to see that the label had just put up pre-orders for a new Times Together record. In order to try and keep up the collection, I ordered the three pressings that were available.

100 were pressed on clear vinyl, but only 30 of these got the limited pre-order cover.

The limited cover is a nice touch, and is hand numbered on the back.

Number 30 out of 30. Right on!

I love the layout of this record. The block pattern is a great look.

250 pressed on black.

Times Together were going for a Chain of Strength look and feel with this layout, and they nailed it with the back cover. Nicely done.

150 pressed on green vinyl.

Never Enough

2011-12-18T12:09:00.000-05:00

There are a bunch of newer Straight Edge Hardcore bands kicking around right now. Man, it is a good feeling to see that kids are still keeping this music alive. Enough are one of these bands, but after releasing two 7 inches this year, you better sit up and take notice.

Their second 7 inch, Something We Can Build, was released on Iron Mind Records, and landed in my mailbox a couple weeks ago. While I'm not a big fan of the record cover and I think that the production is pretty rough, I'm loving the songs from the 7 inch.

There is something about Enough that reminds me of Fastbreak from the Youth Pride demo days. The band matches that level of youthful enthusiasm and raw energy.

Iron Mind released the Something We Can Build with a special preorder cover that rips off the Crucial Youth 7 inch. It's a good look.

94 pressed on orange, 200 on black, with 50 of the black getting the Crippled Youth rip off sleeve.

Tokyo Straight Edge

2011-12-14T22:01:00.002-05:00

I received the new Inside 7 inch a couple weeks ago, along with the Tremors 7 inches from Six Feet Under. The download code included with the Inside 7 inch didn't work, so I had to rip the mp3's using my USB turntable. The process isn't that difficult, but it's such a pain in the ass compared to a quick download. Because of this hassle, it took me a couple of weeks to hear the record...and thus delayed my post. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever had a download from SFU work successfully.

In case you didn't notice the cover for the record, Inside are a Straight Edge band out of Tokyo. They have a sound that is similar to Foundation and fit in with the SFU roster nicely. The thing with Inside is that they sing in Japanese. I don't know what they are saying, and I can't sing along. Can I connect to a band if I can't plug in and scream the lyrics? Regardless of how well Inside play this style of Hardcore, I wonder how often I'll really play this record.

Six Feet Under pressed 200 on both blue and red colored vinyl. They only kept 30 of the red to sell in The States, and shipped the rest to Tokyo.

Tremors Six Feet Under

2011-12-12T17:50:00.000-05:00

A few months back Marcus posted about some new band called Tremors. I'd never heard of them before, but he had some pretty high praise for the band. Despite the fact that he is a jaded old dude when it comes to new music, and he likes Piebald, somehow I still tend to trust his judgment. He liked the record, so I immediately looked to check it out. The band's song on the Striving Higher comp only sealed the deal. Raging hardcore, full on pissed and ready to explode. This is some good shit, and I needed to get my hands on the new Island Songs 7 inch.

The 7 inch was originally pressed by The Essence over in Europe. They were sold out of the limited color vinyl pressing, so I decided to sit and wait for the US pressing from Six Feet Under. The SFU pressing uses a different photo for the record cover, so of course now I want the Euro press as well. Also, the pressing from The Essence contains an additional song! What the fuck!?! Why leave a track off the US pressing?

100 on green vinyl. 200 on black vinyl.

Don't Forget Your Roots!

2011-12-11T22:34:00.000-05:00

I've said it before, and I'll say it again...I've never been a big fan of a records worth of cover songs. That said, I've always loved the H2O cover songs...the exception being that Madonna cover...damn, I never need to hear that garbage again. 7 Seconds, Minor Threat, Dead Kennedys, Ice Cube, even that bad boys song from Cops...shit was a lot of fun. So when it was announced that Bridge Nine was going to be releasing an H2O album of cover songs, as the band pays tribute to their influences, I was actually looking forward to it.

Brian Walsby, who did the iconic cover of 7 Seconds Walk Together Rock Together album, gives us the H2O version for the Don't Forget Your Roots cover.

H2O's music covers a lot of styles. They can play solid Hardcore, and they can seamlessly switch over to more of a punk rock sound with a ton of melody. So it is no surprise that their covers album includes a wide variety of bands. They cover songs from some bands that I couldn't give a shit about, like Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Rancid, and The Clash (yeah, I said it). They also cover some songs from the best bands ever, and while the Warzone cover is no surprise, Cats and Dogs by Gorilla Biscuits was a great choice, and hats off to H2O for including covers of Embrace and Verbal Assault.

While there is no lyric sheet, it was a nice touch to have something written by the band about what each song means to them.

Prior to the Don't Forget Your Roots LP release, Bridge Nine released three individual 7 inches. Each one is named after the scene that the chosen bands were from...for example, the California 7 inch includes Circle Jerks, Rancid, and Social Distortion, who were all from...you guessed it, California. Again the artwork was done by Brian Walsby, and each cover incorporates different icons from each scene and the bands involved.

I loved that all the 7 inches had a common theme and look running through them, and picked up one of each.

Since Bridge Nine refuses to post the pressing info when they put up vinyl pre-orders, I was left pick blindly on which colored vinyl I would buy. Seems like I picked the most common color for all of them. Damn.

1,000 pressed on yellow vinyl for California.

1,000 pressed on "orange" vinyl for New York City.

1,000 pressed on red for D.C..

Saxon's Call To Arms

2011-12-09T12:30:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I'm pushed to by new vinyl simply because the price is too good to pass up. This is typically the case only with Metal, because as the blog history will show, I have no problem throwing cash at Hardcore records. But these days, I'm making a more conscious effort to buy vinyl for Metal releases as opposed to falling back on the cheaper, more accessible CD format. I still collect CDs for Metal and Hard Rock releases, but now that I'm fully taking advantage of my iPod, I have very little reason to buy new releases on CD when there is a vinyl option.

I recently downloaded the new Saxon album, Call To Arms, and I was really impressed with what I heard. Out of curiosity I wanted to check to see if it had been released on vinyl, so I started searcing around the internet to see what I could find. I found it, but at the time it looked like the vinyl was only released in Europe. I wasn't excited about having to pay import prices for the vinyl, but when I stumbled upon a copy at deepdiscount.com with a very reasonable price, I jumped on it. Of course now when I check, I can find the album from a few other US sellers, all with decent pricing. I guess I didn't need to rush to purchase right away.

Saxon were major players in the early 80's with the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, and I would say that Call To Arms can hang with Saxon's classics like Denim and Leather and Wheels of Steel. Yes, it is that good. I'm impressed that a band that has been around for over 30 years, and released 19 albums can still produce a records that stands up next to some of their classic material.

A Recommended Crusade

2011-12-08T08:38:00.001-05:00

Occasionally people will recommend some music to me. It usually doesn't turn out well. I'm pretty particular in what I like and don't like, and while I appreciate the effort, these people typically don't really understand my tastes. The blogger community, however, usually makes some solid recommendations. You dudes know your shit. I get a charge when a fellow blogger writes about record that I had never heard of, and ends up turning me on to a great new band. Marcus did it with The Rule Of Nines in my last post, Dobek pushed me to check out Urban Waste, and this time around Mark introduced me to one of the biggest surprises of the year...Crusades.

Honestly, I would have never thought to check out Crusades based on the album cover. It certainly gives the feel of some Norwegian Black Metal band,or maybe something with a crust punk feel, like Tragedy. I'm generally not interested in either of these styles, and I wouldn't have given this band a second look. But from Mark's post, he described them as more of a Pop Punk band. Now, I generally couldn't give two shits about Pop Punk either, but this band seemed to have a strong stance against religion, so I thought that there was a glimmer of hope. If there is something I can get behind, it is a band spitting in the face of god.

Now I wouldn't classify Crusades as Pop Punk. When I think of that label, I think of Blink 182 and Green Day. No thanks...pass. No, Crusades would fall more in line with the melodic punk of the early 90's...a good hard edge, but with some great hooks and a sing along chorus. In fact the band really reminds me of a great, often overlooked band called Sticks and Stones.

Razorcake Records was the only place that I could find the red colored vinyl pressing. Great looking colored vinyl with a gatefold cover which includes the lyrics and various quotes against organized religion. This album could end up in my Top 5 for the year. So good.

Not Another Set Of Rules

2011-12-04T19:40:00.004-05:00

The Rule of Nines is one of the great finds of the year. While the songs on this record were recorded back in 1995, they never really saw the light of day until the singer discovered an old demo tape earlier this year. He thought that it would be nice to see them released on vinyl, and Irish Voodoo Records helped him out.

I'd never heard of the band until Marcus posted about them on his blog. He spoke pretty highly of the record, and to make sure that people checked them out, he posted their video as well. That sealed the deal for me. The song ruled, and I quickly placed an order.

If you got in quick, you were one of the lucky few to get the "Badlands Edition". It was limited to 25, and comes with a special cover.

I thought that it was pretty cool that Marcus got number 9 for The Rule of Nines. I received the next one in line with number 10. I like it when I get sequential numbers with friends. I'm a nerd like that.

The regular press comes with a different cover, still pressed on white vinyl, and limited to 100. Yeah, even the regular press of this record is pretty limited.

My copy also included CD with the three songs, as opposed to a digital download card. Ha ha ha...so 90's...I love it.

The disappointing thing about this whole thing is knowing that the band recorded two other songs, but when the band switched singers back in the 90's, those songs were trashed and may be lost forever. Seriously, these three songs are amazing, and reminds me of how good early 90's hardcore was. It would have been nice to hear what else they put together. Highly recommended.

Back On Track

2011-12-03T09:59:00.000-05:00

A couple of years ago, I caught Backtrack at the Triple B Showcase. It was my introduction to the band, and 2 minutes into their set, I hated them. The dancefloor was dominated by guys that wanted to throw punches and practice their karate kicks, and nothing ruins the good vibe of a show faster than that for me. To me, Backtrack were just another tough guy band, playing a style of Hardcore that I couldn't hang with. Then I heard their song Soul Sucker on the America's Hardcore compilation and I started to change my mind. I downloaded the songs from their Deal With The Devil EP, and to my surprise, I was really liking it.

When Reaper Records announced the preorders for the new Backtrack LP, Darker Half, I was immediately interested. The album was available in a couple different package deals with options for hats and shirts...but I didn't care for any of that. I just wanted the vinyl. I went with the least limited option, but at least the vinyl looked good. 1,000 pressed on black and white split.

I'm loving the album. Such a great NYHC sound. I managed to catch the band live again a couple weeks ago, with Take Offense. Yes, the dancefloor was still full of bros looking beatdown...seriously, there was one point where one of the bands was playing nothing but guitar feedback, but this one guys was still throwing punches like it was a huge mosh breakdown...it was laughable. Either way, I was able to have a much better appreciation of Backtrack's set. Great band.

The record comes with a big lyric sheet, and I'm not sure if it was intentional or not, but it reminds me of the cover from first Sick Of It All album.

Ten Of Hearts

2011-11-30T12:43:00.003-05:00

I wasn't planning on doing this post today. I've been working like mad, trying to clean up my backlog of vinyl, and update the blog. I'd reached 15 posts for the month, and I had figured that was enough. Today I got looking at the stack of new vinyl that I've received, and I figured that if I could get this post out of the way, then I could concentrate on only new 2011 releases for all of December. Here we go. 16 posts this month. This ties my personal best for the number of posts in a month.

Bridge Nine recently released the 7th pressing of Have Heart's The Things We Carry. The purple colored vinyl isn't as nice looking as the last few pressings, but hey, I'm not about to turn my nose up at another copy of this album.

I now have 10 copies of this album on vinyl. It may seem excessive, but it doesn't beat the 11 copies I have of Champion's Promises Kept. Come on, Bridge Nine, keep 'em coming.

I figured that for my 10th copy of this record, it was time for a family photo. I was working from home today, so on my lunch hour I pulled out all my Have Heart LP's. I would have needed a full day off to include all my Have Heart 7 inches for the photo as well, so instead I just stuck with the full length albums. Yes, I'm aware that I'm missing a couple pressings of the live LP, and a few of the second album. I've been so laid back recently when it comes to collecting Have Heart vinyl. After taking this picture, it motivates me to pick it back up again. We'll see what 2012 brings...

Down and Pressed to Purchase Locally

2011-11-29T11:55:00.001-05:00

I've come to really like Downpresser. They have a bit of a tough-guy New York sound that I usually stay away from, but I seem to be getting into this style more and more lately. When I'm out for a run, and this shit is blasting from my headphones, I can go for miles and conquer any hill. Bring it.

The band released their first record around 2008 on Streetcleaner Records. The label seems to be long gone, and to find their Perverted Justice release, you are left to scour ebay...so that's what I did.

I downloaded a copy of Perverted Justice about a year ago. Last month I was sitting around at home listening to it on my computer. I was really digging it, and figured that it was time that I track down the vinyl. A quick search on ebay turned up a copy. I checked the listing, and to my surprise the seller was from my hometown. The user name tipped me off that it might be someone that I knew, so I sent him a quick message to ask if it was him selling it. Turns out it was, and he offered to sell it direct to me for a reasonable price. Funny how things work out like that sometimes.

One sided 12 inch on clear vinyl.

If The Youth Are United...

2011-11-25T17:06:00.000-05:00

I've got the worst luck when ordering from Back To Back. Other than the confusion around the Stick Together 7 inch, I haven't been able to order the limited colored vinyl for their releases. I was too late in ordering for Disengage, and then I was out of town for the Not Afraid pre-orders. For the new United Youth record, I was determined to get in early and order any and all pressings for this release. It was announced the record was up for pre-order at 8:00. By 10:15, I was in the webstore only to find that the clear vinyl was sold out. FUCK!

Like everything else that Back To Back have released, I love this 7 inch. A bunch of young kids playing late 80's style Hardcore. I can get behind this.

The photo on the back cover has a great look. Split release with Lockin' Out. Black vinyl. Bust!

Out Of Vogue

2011-11-23T19:19:00.001-05:00

A few years ago, I was introduced to the band Abhinanda. I guess they were kind of big in the mid-90's. I wouldn't know, they had a weird name that I couldn't pronounce, so I ignored them. Onno forced them on me in our Album of the Month Club on last.fm, and I was surprised at how great they were. In 2011, Abhinanda is long gone, but their singer pulled together a new band called Out Of Vogue and released a 7 inch on Salad Days Records.

Out Of Vogue have more of a fast punk/hardcore sound, as opposed to the Refused influenced sound of Abhinanda. One listen, and I was headed to the Salad Days store to pick up a copy. The only way to get the limited clear vinyl pressing was to order the package deal that came with a shirt. Meh, I couldn't justify spending that much at the time, so I went cheap and just ordered the blue vinyl.

150 pressed on blue.

When I received my Out Of Vogue vinyl, I found that David Salad Days had thrown in an extra 7 inch from his old band, Broken Distance. Every time I order from Salad Days, I always find some record or CD from a band that I'd never heard of. Broken Distance were a cool Hardcore band out of Portugal. They kind of remind me of Blue Monday or Go It Alone. Good stuff from a band that I probably wouldn't have heard of otherwise.

Warbringer III

2011-11-22T10:05:00.001-05:00

To say that 2011 was a big year for Metal would be an understatement. I can't believe how many great albums I picked up this year, and many of them on vinyl. One of the most recent albums that I added to the collection was the third album from Warbringer, Worlds Torn Asunder.

The last two Warbringer albums were excellent, and this new one stays true to form. You can't miss with old school thrash. I love this style. Hey Mustaine, quit dicking around and try to release a Megadeth album that's as good as this.

When I purchased this album through CM Distro, it seemed like the only way I could insure that I got the colored vinyl was to order the package deal. It was expensive, and I'd end up with a shirt that I didn't really care for, but I did it anyway. Colored vinyl rules over black vinyl. In the end, CM Distro was sold out of my shirt size, so they reduced the price and I ended up with only the vinyl...which is what I wanted anyway.

Part of the package deal was the Living Weapon 7 inch single. Worth it for the Motorhead cover on the b-side.

Enough Is Enough

2011-11-19T11:22:00.000-05:00

Enough were one of the great Straight Edge surprises in 2011. They released one great 7 inch, When You Don't Think You Can, and have another one ready to drop soon. Throw in their demo that saw a vinyl release this year, and that's a pretty impressive output for a band that I hadn't even heard until about 6 months ago.

Enough played some Southeast Hardcore fest recently and made some limited covers for the 7 inch of their 2010 demo. I'm not a huge Green Day fan, but I can appreciate the Dookie rip off sleeve that they designed. Leftovers from the fest were put up in Enough's webstore, and I quickly grabbed a copy.

Hand numbered and limited to 20.

Thirsty And Miserable

2011-11-18T18:08:00.000-05:00

Over this past year, I've really started to appreciate and search out more and more Doom/Stoner bands. A couple months back I was on a big Doom kick, and I was discussing it with one of the guys at Newbury Comics. The topic of Wino and Saint Vitus came up, and I admitted that I really wasn't familiar with the man or the band. I caught a lot of shit for not being into one of the father's of the Doom sound.

In an effort to save face, I picked up the Saint Vitus 12 inch for their Thirsty and Miserable EP. I figured it was a safe place to start, since there are only three songs...and one of them is a Black Flag cover. Good stuff, and when the band picks up the pace of their songs, it is pretty impressive. I'm going to have to dig in deeper, and check out more from this band.

Still Hope

2011-11-17T12:13:00.000-05:00

Some people are creative. I'm not really one of those people. Doug and Marcus are, and together they released a hell of a record. Doug and his band, Hope Defeated, recorded six songs last year, and he sent them to Marcus and I to check out. We both were digging it, but Marcus took it one step further and offered to do a vinyl release for them on his Endless Quest record label. They took four of the songs and released this 7 inch.

Being fellow bloggers, the Hope Defeated 7 inch was released with a special "Blog Nerds" pressing. The limited Chain sleeve is a nice touch, and very well done.

Marcus made the first announcement of this release on his blog, to insure that readers of his and Doug's blog would get first dibs on the limited "Blog Nerds" pressing. Unbelievably, it looks like there are still some available. I suggest you get in on this while you still can. If you like Hardcore, you won't be disappointed.

The "Blog Nerds" pressing is on red vinyl with stamps for The Endless Quest and We Will Bury You on the A and B side labels. Limited to 60.

95 on white vinyl.

150 on black vinyl.

I consider myself lucky to be one of the chosen few that owns a test pressing for this great record. I'm proud of both Doug and Marcus for the effort they put into this, and it is an honor to have this test pressing in my collection.

Number 11 of 15.

Back To Back And Not Afraid

2011-11-14T07:50:00.000-05:00

When Back To Back Records announced they were doing the US pressing for the Not Afraid 7 inch, and they put up the pre-orders, I was out of town on vacation with the family. Back To Back releases sell out quick, and I knew that I had very little chance of picking up the limited pressing for this.

By the time I got back home, the two different colors of vinyl (both limited to 50) were sold out, and my only option was black vinyl. Black and white, minimalist packaging with black vinyl is not very exciting. Still, this is a solid 7 inch from former True Colors dudes, so it is still a solid release.

200 pressed on black.

Bridge Nine Nightmare

2011-11-12T18:48:00.000-05:00

Give Up The Ghost? I don't think so. No matter what name is listed on the album, they will always be American Nightmare to me.

Bridge Nine followed up the Carry On re-issue with another 10 year anniversary press...this time for the first two American Nightmare EP's. As opposed to the double 7 inch pressing they did back in 2004, this time Bridge Nine pressed the Year One record on a more convenient 12 inch format.

The truth is, I'm not a huge fan of American Nightmare. They are pretty good, and I acknowledge the influence they had on the scene at the time, but I've never been crazy about them...in fact after the first two EP's, I could really give a shit. I wasn't really jumping to order this, and like the Ceremony covers 12 inch, I quickly changed my mind once I saw how nice the vinyl looked. I was quick enough to grab the most limited pressing. 500 on black with red.

This record comes with a nice, big, fold-out lyric sheet with photos and stuff on the back. The coolest part is the flyers on here, which include the two shows they played in Maine that I was at...one with Right Brigade, and one with In My Eyes, which also happened to be AN's first show ever.

Bridge Nine did an excellent job with this re-issue. From the vinyl to the embossed cover...total quality.

National Metal Day

2011-11-11T07:06:00.000-05:00

11/11/11. National Metal Day. I don't need a designated day to celebrate Metal, but I will take advantage of it to put up a Metal post. Jag Panzer has been around for nearly 30 years, waving the Metal flag, so if anyone deserves a Metal Day post, it is this band.

To be honest, I don't know much about Jag Panzer. I had previously downloaded a couple of their albums, Ample Destruction from 1984, and Age of Mastery from 1998...good solid traditional Metal albums, but I hadn't really spent a lot of time with them. The band released The Scourge Of The Light this year, and it was getting some favorable reviews so I figured that I'd check it out. I listened to it a couple of times, and I really wasn't feeling the Power Metal vibe. I was convinced that I'd probably be deleting the files, but a few weeks later, as I was running through my ipod 2011 playlist on shuffle, one of the Jag Panzer songs came on and it suddenly clicked. Sure it wasn't built on speed like my favorite Thrash Metal staples, but I couldn't deny the power and influence of my childhood favorites of Maiden and Priest. I was hooked on this album.

The band broke up shortly after this release. Upon hearing the news, I skipped out of work and picked this up on CD from my local record store. Then last month, when I was searching eBay for some Jag Panzer vinyl, I noticed that the price tag on the new album was around $30...with the exception of one eBay store that had it listed for $15. For such a good price, I couldn't resist and bought a copy.

Limited edition green vinyl.

Bridge Nine Carries On

2011-11-09T19:58:00.000-05:00

I got the itch to start collecting vinyl in early 2005, and shit got serious fast when, a few months later, I dropped $60 for a copy of Carry On's A Life Less Plagued LP on orange marble colored vinyl. I still remember that moment...hitting refresh on eBay, until the auction had ended and I had won. It was a mixture of heart pounding exhilaration, and sickening "What the fuck have I done?". Seriously, $60. I had never spent close to that much on a record before. Nowadays, it takes more than a $60 price tag to make me hesitate, but back then it was a moment where a line in the sand had been drawn...a moment that said I was serious about collecting, and that this meant "something" to me. The following day, I remember reading on the B9 board as some posters were commenting how retarded someone would have to be to pay that much for that Carry On record. Depending on who you talk to, it may still seem retarded, but for me, it was a milestone.

10 years after it's release, Bridge Nine has given us a second pressing of this classic Carry On LP. 500 on gold vinyl.

1,500 on white vinyl.

Back in 2001, Bridge Nine had ambitious plans for the vinyl release of A Life Less Plagued, but the lack of funds forced the label to cut things back on the packaging. 10 years later, Bridge Nine is in a better place to be able to afford to release this LP as they originally had imagined with the gatefold sleeve.

Bad Seeds Of Control

2011-11-07T17:45:00.000-05:00

A few months ago I happened to get the limited copy of the Bad Seed 7 inch from Control Records. I'm pretty sure that their webstore listed that only black vinyl was available, and since I was picking up some other records from them, I grabbed one. To my surprise, I received the more limited pressing.

Control lists this as orange vinyl, but it looks more gold to me.

Limited to 100 for pre-orders.

After receiving the more limited pressing, I suddenly needed the black vinyl as well. I missed the first few Control releases, and this was a good opportunity to catch up on their third release.

Black vinyl is limited to 400, and was easy enough to track down through the Six Feet Under webstore.

Ghost With The Most

2011-11-05T20:30:00.001-04:00

Lucifer...we are here...

Ghost finally gets a proper U.S. release on vinyl from Metal Blade. I don't typically purchase multiple copies of Metal albums, but their Opus Eponymous album was so good, that I haven't been able to resist Satan's Call.

Metal Blade did a great job with the picture disc. The slight variation on the album artwork was enough to set this apart from the Rise Above release, and make this a "must buy" for me.

I'm still bummed that they had to cancel their U.S. tour. It is a rare thing for a band to be shrouded in the amount of secrecy that Ghost has maintained. To catch them live at this point, just when they are starting to take off, would have made for a memorable evening.

While there were no photos included with the Rise Above release, the packaging for the picture disc comes with a cardboard sleeve that captures The Nameless Ghouls on the back cover. Classic.

Striving Higher Compilation

2011-11-04T13:00:00.001-04:00

You don't really see too many worthwhile compilations. The last one that I think I paid any attention to was Revelation's 2005 Generations. Five years later, Triple B gave us the excellent America's Hardcore, and in 2011, Six Feet Under give us another comp LP with Striving Higher. From someone that isn't a big fan of compilations, the strength of these three can not be denied.

Such a good selection of bands. I was excited to hear new stuff from The Rival Mob, Disengage, and Stick Together, plus it was a good introduction to some newer bands, like Inside and Tremors. There were also a few bands, like The Mongoloids and Blacklisted, that I've never bothered to check out until now. Pretty tight collection of bands.

I didn't preorder as soon as this went up. As great as this thing looks, I don't feel the need to order multiple copies, so I wasn't in any rush to get the most limited pressing. I have no idea how many were pressed on this gold and black colored vinyl.

The album comes with a nice big booklet, and a poster that displays all the record covers from the SFU catalog. Wow, I didn't realize there were so many SFU releases that I've never bothered to pick up.

The entire comp is worth it for the Dead Stop song alone. This song was recorded during the band's Live For Nothing sessions...about 6 years ago. I'm so glad that this song saw the light of day.

The Striving Higher comp came with a Blacklisted flexi single. Blacklisted was the biggest surprise for me on this album. Their song, plus the one on this flexi made me sit up and think that I may have to finally give this band a chance. Impressive.

Picked Clean and Agitator

2011-11-02T11:36:00.003-04:00

Back when Six Feet Under put up the Alert pre-orders, the label put up a couple of other records at the same time. Picked Clean and Agitator. I'd never heard of either band, but I figured that I'd take the chance and order them anyway.

The Picked Clean record is fuckin' brutal. Pissed off and raging Hardcore. I don't know...it kind of reminds me of Dropdead or Knife Fight. No polish on this...at all. I don't know if I'll be able to hang with this. This is pretty ugly and chaotic. Maybe it will just take repeated listens for it all to sink in.

Clear vinyl.

Agitator plays some heavy Hardcore. Honestly, I don't typically like this style, but for some reason I've recently been digging bands like this more and more. You just know that when Agitator starts playing, fists start flying on the dance floor...and as much as I hate toughguy shit like that, this 7 inch is really good. Plus Agitator is unapologetic about their Edge, so I'm down with that.

105 pressed on grey vinyl.

The Newly Deceased

2011-10-31T11:15:00.003-04:00

It is Halloween, which means it is the perfect time for another Metal post!

Three years ago, I had discovered Brave Words and Bloody Knuckles, and was spending some time on their message board. I was pretty excited on Metal and the resurgence of Thrash at the time, and I was looking for some new bands. Some guys were talking about the Thrash revival and mentioned a band called Deceased that played the style better than any of these newer bands. Sounded like something I should check out, so I downloaded their As The Weird Travel On album from 2005. I liked what I heard, but I was pouring through so much new music at the time, that I really didn't spend much time with it.

I've recently been going through some of the old music that I downloaded at that time. Some of it I've trashed, but Deceased really stood out. They have a great modern Thrash sound, yet still are reminiscent of some late 80's bands like Death and Rigor Mortis. I started digging around to see what else I should download from the band and discovered that they had released a new album recently. I gave Surreal Overdose a spin, and was so impressed that I immediately started searching the internet to find out if this was released on vinyl.

I found that Hells Headbangers did a vinyl pressing for the newest LP. Limited to 111 on colored vinyl. Not wanting to miss out on the colored vinyl, I immediately placed an order.

I love the blood and gore touches the band did with this packaging. I always get a kick out of this stuff.

Another solid Metal release for 2011.

Ladies Man

2011-10-28T07:23:00.000-04:00

I hate it when I can't remember what it was that made me finally check out a band that is typically off my radar. You know, those bands that, for whatever reason, don't immediately jump onto the list of bands that you need to check out. Years go by, and then something will trigger you to finally give them a listen. Could be that they have a new record coming out...or possibly they are on the bill of a show that you are going to see...maybe you've just been hit over the head with the band's name for so long that you finally give in.

So, I can't remember what pushed me to finally check out The Ladies. It very well could have been the two good reasons on the front cover.

This record is a ton of fun. I've heard that The Ladies draw comparisons to The Dwarves...I don't know, I've never really listened to The Dwarves...maybe it's just because both bands have boobs on their record covers. Either way, the six songs on this 7 inch rage. Punk with a super snotty attitude, and no worries about possibly offending someone. I need more of this band.

Doggy Style

2011-10-26T06:54:00.004-04:00

Since Bridge Nine, has released the Underdog discography, Matchless, I'm not sure why they would do another pressing of the True Blue demo on vinyl. After seeing Underdog live again this year, I've got a new found appreciation for the band. I've always loved them, but seeing them again, rekindled that fire, and I've been spinning them a bit more recently. Therefore, I didn't hesitate to pick up the newest 7 inch repressing. Yup, I still don't own an original New Beginnings pressing. *hangs head in shame*

After I received the new pressing, I had to pull out my other two Bridge Nine copies. Damn, that is some good looking vinyl. Limited to 500 on green.

Ceremony Covers

2011-10-24T20:00:00.003-04:00

I've got a strange relationship with cover songs. I love a good cover, but the thought of an entire record of them...I can think of much better things to spend my money on. To this day, I still haven't picked up the double 7 inch of Chain covers, or that Revelation covers album. Maybe I'll pick them up someday, when I've got some spare change in my pocket. Right now, I just can't justify it.

When I saw the announcement that Ceremony was releasing a covers record, I shifted in my chair, surprised myself with an unexpected fart, and then moved on. Yawn. And then Bridge Nine posted a picture of the vinyl. Goddamn, it looked so good, I knew that I needed a copy. I've always enjoyed Ceremony, so the creative packaging was the push I needed to buy this thing.

The album cover lists the names of a bunch of bands that influenced them. Really, where else will you find Led Zeppelin next to G.G. Allin?

The more limited pressing of this record was on red vinyl, but Bridge Nine packaged it with a giant poster. I wasn't willing to spend the extra cash for such a useless item, so I went with just the clear vinyl pressing.

To be honest, I'd never heard a single song on this record...not one original. Therefore, these weren't like covers at all, but more like 6 brand new Ceremony songs. With some bands, you hear a cover song, and you want to search out the original and discover a band you had never heard before. Not in this case. I don't ever need to hear Pixies, and I can be quite content only hearing Ceremony's brilliant cover of them.

1,500 pressed on clear vinyl, with a screened b-side.

Anthrax Worship

2011-10-22T19:01:00.001-04:00

Earlier this year, I went on an Anthrax spree. I listened to the band's entire discography, and was picking up CD's for those holes that I had in my collection. I grew up with the Belladonna era throughout the 80's, and while I've always looked down on the Bush albums...I found myself really appreciating Sound Of White Noise and We've Come For You All. With all this build up, I was excited to hear the news that Joey was back in the band, and that Anthrax was recording a new album.

I could not wait to hear Worship Music. The two songs that Anthrax put up for free download were a nice tease, and had me excited to rush out on release day to buy this.

The day of the albums release came and I was on the edge of my seat. Before I left for work that morning, I hit the internet and did a search for a download. I found one, and loaded it on to my ipod for my drive in. The first three songs, Earth On Hell, The Devil You Know, and Fight 'Em 'Til You Can't, were exactly what I was looking for. Powerful, heavy, with some great bursts of speed. The rest of the album, however, left me feeling underwhelmed. By the time I arrived at work, I knew that I would not be rushing out to the record store at lunch as I had initially anticipated. I felt the same level of disappointment I experienced when I rushed to pick up State Of Euphoria back in 1988. Still, I felt like there still might be something with this album. I stuck with it, and while nothing else came close to the greatness of those first few songs, repeated listens had me appreciating the entire album more.

The time had come for me to invest in a vinyl copy. In an age when new vinyl releases tend to be priced over the $20 mark, I was surprised to find Worship Music at my local record store with a $14 price tag. I was sold.

The gatefold packaging and vinyl on this release were all well done. Scott Ian may still seem like a dick, but Anthrax is respectable again.

Rearranged

2011-10-20T21:54:00.001-04:00

When Aram first started REACT!, it seemed like he was just looking to help out his friends and put out a limited run of records for their bands. Get The Most, Mindset, ON, Breakthrough (hey, when is that record coming out?). The label seemed to take off, and quickly became a major player in the hardcore scene. I wonder if he ever saw REACT! getting as big as it is. Look at some of the bands from the 2011 roster. Remission (Chili), Common Cause (Norway), Clearsight (Ukraine) and the newest addition, Rearranged (Russia). Impressive. REACT! has been preparing for worldwide Straight Edge domination. Let me be first in line to join the revolution.

I honestly don't know if I would have bothered checking out Rearranged if they weren't on REACT!. The only thing that I'd heard from them was one song from a compilation last year, and while it was decent, it didn't really grab me. This new 7 inch, on the other hand, is a big step up.

It's got a cool hardcore sound that brings bands like Uniform Choice to mind, but I'll be damned if Drilling doesn't remind me of some of the early 90's emo/hardcore stuff like Bob Tilton.

Another quality record from REACT!. The Rearranged record went up for pre-order along with the new Skin Like Iron album. I checked out some of the Skin Like Iron stuff, but I was really not feeling it...at all. It pained me to do so, but I couldn't bring myself to spend the money on it. The first REACT! release that I didn't buy all available pressings. In fact, I didn't even order one copy. I feel incomplete.

200 on white, 300 on blue, 500 on black.

While I was in the REACT! store, I also grabbed a copy of Rearranged's New Forms LP. Released on Anger Battery Records, black vinyl was limited to 300.

Straight And Alert

2011-10-17T19:59:00.000-04:00

Edge Day 2011. Faces come and go, but at the end of the day I'm still standing here, unwavering from the set of beliefs that I discovered at the age of 19 or 20. Something that made so much sense to me...something that I felt so strong about...something that I carry it with me to this day. Straight Edge.

Thankfully there are still bands out there that represent the Edge with some integrity and pride. Alert, from Massachusetts, are one of those bands. Three years after releasing their demo, they finally follow it up with a release on Six Feet Under Records.

Find Your Way continues along the same path, giving us a healthy does of Uniform Choice influenced Straight Edge Hardcore. Bands like this keep the spirit and energy alive for Straight Edge. I can not praise this band enough.

150 pressed on "violet" colored vinyl.

When I first opened my Alert records from Six Feet Under, it looked as though I received two copies on black vinyl. After Keith from Alert told me that the pressing included some on clear dark purple , I pulled the vinyl out of my music room, and this time I held them up to the light. Phew, crisis averted...I did have all three different pressings.

317 on clear dark purple vinyl.

605 pressed on black.

If someone can hook me up with one of the Fest pressings, this will be complete.

Show Some Love

2011-10-12T19:58:00.001-04:00

Almost a full year after Youngblood first sold copies of the Sacred Love 12 inch at the 2010 Showcase, and we finally get the regular pressing of this record. Pre-orders went up in May, which was supposed to kick off a bunch of releases Youngblood had lined up for the summer. Here we are headed into Fall, and nothing else has gone up in the Youngblood store. If you can say one thing about Youngblood, you can say they are consistent...always releasing quality hardcore, but consistently later than they anticipate. No problem though, because Youngblood always come through.

One sided 12 inch vinyl, with a silky smooth back side. 201 pressed on red vinyl.

265 pressed on black vinyl.

Yeah, the 2011 Youngblood Showcase was last weekend. It was my second option for the annual roadtrip, but my brother was scheduled to work, so that squashed that plan.

While I was placing my Sacred Love pre-order, I took the opportunity to grab a couple of releases that I missed the first time around.

Touchdown were from 1988, but they are closer to Walk Proud than Bold or Gorilla Biscuits. Looks like 2003 rolled around and Youngblood and Malfunction decided that this needed a vinyl release. Notable for being the first Youngblood Vaults release.

Also released in 2003 is the Cleaver 7 inch from My Luck. I don't know much about this band, but they certainly remind me of the 2001/2002 Bridge Nine scene with bands like American Nightmare and The Distance. Abrasive hardcore.

Second pressing on red vinyl. 500 pressed.

This Is Hardcore

2011-10-10T20:03:00.000-04:00

I was hopeful that I could convince the guys to take our annual roadtrip to the This Is Hardcore fest this year. The proposal didn't gain much interest, and as it turned out the entire roadtrip seemed to lose some steam this year. After six straight years of an annual guys roadtrip, this was the first year where we didn't have one. Bummer.

With or without us, the This Is Hardcore fest still took place, and bands still had some cool limited merch that I missed out on. Thankfully, Back To Back put up the left over Disengage records in their webstore, and I was quick enough to grab one.

While I liked the Disengage 7 inch when I received my first copy back in November last year, it wasn't until after I had posted it to the blog, and I had listened to it more than a few times, that it really started to sink in. I love this record. Straight forward, no frills, Straight Edge Hardcore. I couldn't ask for anything more.

Special screened covers were made for the This Is Hardcore repress. Limited to 100.

Secret People

2011-10-07T21:05:00.001-04:00

Some bands get zero hype. They are on a small unknown label, and they get little to no press (wait a minute, does this even exist in today's world). No one is jocking them, and unless you are from the band's hometown, regardless of how great the band is, you may never hear of them. Secret People may just be this type of band. Made up of ex-members of Right On, and fellow blogger Disposable Income, last year Secret People released one of the best records that you haven't heard.

I'd never heard of this band before. I had seen their 7 inch in the REACT! webstore for a while, but I never really had any desire to check them out. When I found out that Matt from Disposable Income was in the band, I figured that I'd give them a chance. Honestly, this 7 inch impressed the Hell out of me, and I've since committed myself to spreading the gospel of Secret People.

350 pressed on black vinyl. Get into it.

Two Songs of Praise

2011-10-06T19:20:00.000-04:00

I received another box of records the other day, so I can cross another pre-order off the waiting list. The thing that made this order a little different from my typical REACT! pre-orders, is this one wasn't for 9 pieces of vinyl from 3 bands, and didn't cost me $80. Just a nice small order for three copies of the new Praise 7 inch.

This order included another REACT! cardboard mailer. Hey, I've received this same mailer with my past three orders. Has REACT! stopped making new ones?

This 7 inch gives us two more songs from Praise, and is appropriately titled Two Songs. The band keeps on with their Dag Nasty influenced sound, and gives us another record with a feather on the cover. You can't point fingers at these guys for following any formulas on designing their record covers.

200 pressed on white.

300 pressed on grey.

400 pressed on black.

All records come with the assorted extras that are standard with each REACT! release. Solid.

Youngblood 2008

2011-10-02T15:52:00.000-04:00

Back in early 2008, Youngblood Records put up pre-orders for 7 inches from both Police & Thieves and Coptic Times. I'd never heard of either band, and money was tight, so I skipped ordering immediately. As typical for Youngblood, the records turned out to be great, and I regretted not picking them up initially. That just means that I've had to pick up the pieces here and there over the past few years. When I found the last pieces I needed for these records in an eBay store for $6.00 each, I quickly grabbed them.

The more I listen to Police & Thieves, the more I fall in love with these songs. 300 pressed on green vinyl.

The Coptic Times 7 inch that I needed was on clear vinyl.

I'm not sure what the pressing info is for the Coptic Times record. Sean Youngblood needs to update the label's discography page!

The eBay store also had a copy of the first Police & Thieves 7 inch that I was also missing.

300 were made of the first Police & Thieves 7 inch with "The People's Soldier" cover. Some are on gold vinyl...some are on black vinyl. I'm not sure of the numbers for each, but I've now got both of them.

Kissing Time

2011-09-30T21:10:00.002-04:00

I stopped by my friend Jeff's house the other day, and he had a couple extra pieces of vinyl that he offered me. The covers were a little beat up, but the vinyl was mint, so I took advantage of a couple of free records. 70's rock. I love it.

I worshipped Kiss as a kid. Well, maybe that isn't quite right. I was probably around 7 or 8 years old, and I was really only familiar with the song Beth. I held "Kiss parties" in my room (complete with constuction paper chains for decoration), and I remember being facinated with Kiss on TV shows and in the movies and comics. I guess I didn't worship Kiss, so much as I was in awe of the Kiss image. By the time I started to seriously get into music, Kiss had dabbled in disco, and I no longer had interest in checking out anything they had done. I was more interested in AC/DC and Judas Priest, and Kiss was no where close to my musical radar with the Lick It Up album.

Fast forward 20 years or so, and on Jeff's recommendation I finally open my mind and check out the first three Kiss albums. I don't know what I was expecting, but there was no Beth, no disco, and no weak 80's rock. This was just straight forward 70's Hard Rock. Hell yeah.

For the next few years, I didn't dare break out of my Kiss comfort zone, and I just stuck with those first three studio albums. Somewhere along the line, my Mom's boyfriend gave me his vinyl copy of Destroyer, and I found myself forced to check it out. It started out promising enough with Detroit Rock City, but the song Great Expectations irritated me so much, it took me another year to bother with the album again and begin to appreciate it. I've slowly branched out with Love Gun, and now, thanks to Jeff, I've got a copy of Rock and Roll Over as well. I can now appreciate and enjoy those first six studio albums for the guitar driven 70's Hard Rock that it is.

The other album that Jeff sent my way was UFO's 1974 album, Phenomenon. While not the band's first album, it is there first with guitarist Michael Schenker, and is my starting point for the band's discography.

When Jeff was giving me these albums, he slid each one out of the record sleeve, checked the label on the vinyl, and mentioned that they were first pressings. It got me interested in the different designs that record companies would use for the labels on vinyl. I geeked out and took a couple pictures to see different labels that both Casablanca and Chrysalis had used.

I'm not going to go over the top, and collect the different labels for this stuff, but I do find this stuff cool.

Two More Fire & Ice

2011-09-27T21:33:00.000-04:00

Another day, another step closer to completing my Fire & Ice collection. 14 pieces of vinyl down, and only 2 more to go. This time around, I picked up two more copies of the band's first 7 inch, Gods & Devils, courtesy of eBay.

Fire & Ice hit the road at the end of 2009, and designed a Winter themed cover for their tour. Let it snow.

This one is limited to 100.

The second copy of Gods & Devils that I picked up was one of their United Blood covers from 2010...that's right, they had two different ones.

This one pales in comparison to the Agnostic Front rip off they also did, but hey, it's a limited special cover, so it's still cool as far as I'm concerned.

This one was limited to 100 as well.

The First Step Demo Blues

2011-09-24T15:58:00.006-04:00

I'm a huge fan of The First Step. The band was amazing, and I wouldn't hesitate to include their What We Know LP as one of my favorite Straight Edge albums of all times. That said, I've really dropped the ball on collecting any of the 7 inches prior to their LP. This is my first step.

Back when Livewire was a fully funtioning label, they pressed the 2001 Demo from The First Step to vinyl. Man, this demo really captures the youthful energy and passion of the band. Sure, it doesn't stack up next to What We Know or Connection, but the intensity and fire was certainly there from the start.

The Livewire discography page doesn't seem to have any information on the second pressing of this record. Thankfully, it was all captured on the back sleeve, because I'm a geek for this kind of info.

Hand numbered and limited to 100, yet I was still able to pick this up for under $10. Yeah, I was stoked.

Street Prowl

2011-09-22T19:21:00.001-04:00

I managed to catch Rotting Out's set at the Triple B Showcase last year, and they impressed the Hell out of me. They played an amazing set with lots of energy and a really cool early Suicidal Tendencies/LA vibe. After the show, I was hot to get my hands on some vinyl from them and I picked up their second 7 inch. Unfortunately, the vinyl didn't capture the feeling of their live show.

This year, the band follows up their impressive song on the America's Hardcore comp from Triple B, with a brand new full length, Street Prowl. The singer from those first two 7 inches has been replaced, and the band now seems to capture a bit of that live energy on the new record. Definitely a step up.

I was planning on ordering this album from REVHQ, but when I noticed that they didn't stock the colored vinyl for Street Prowl, I headed over to Hellfish instead. 300 pressed on red vinyl.

Gates To The Ceremony

2011-09-18T20:39:00.000-04:00

I was recently on a stoner/doom metal kick. The Sword, Pentagram, Danzig, Trouble, High On Fire, plus a bunch of Rise Above bands were getting high doses of exposure in my daily playlists. When Rise Above posted the new Gates Of Slumber and a re-issue of the first Blood Ceremony album in their webstore, I didn't think twice about the shipping charges, and just placed my order.

The last Gates of Slumber album, Hymns of Blood and Thunder, really grew on me, so when I heard that the band had a new album due this year, I was looking forward it's release. While Hymns had some straight up traditional Metal, The Wretch is just soaked in Doom. While I didn't initially like The Wretch as much as their last album, this one is really growing on me.

I almost ordered the Die Hard edition for this LP, but the clear vinyl was more limited, so I went with that instead. Limited to 100 on clear vinyl.

I had passed by the first Blood Ceremony album when it was initially released in 2008. A female fronted, Metal band with a flute? No thanks. Not my thing. Pass. While I might have been a little closed minded back then, I took a chance with the new Blood Ceremony, Living With The Ancients, this year and it really opened my eyes. Thank you Rise Above, for capitalizing on the bands new release and repressing the first album on vinyl for those of us that missed out the first time around.

I'm glad that I waited until this year to check out this band, because the first Blood Ceremony album pales in comparison to the new one. Sure the first one is decent, and you can hear the beginnings of greatness...but man, they really put things together for the new album. Still, as a big fan of Living With The Ancients, I'll give this first album regular spins as well.

The one thing that I enjoy more on the first album is the artwork. The new album doesn't really do anything for me visually, but that first album looks pretty cool.

Limited to 100 pressed on clear vinyl.

Here's Your Warning

2011-09-15T17:57:00.002-04:00

If you are a regular reader of this blog, then you know that I tend to be about 10 years behind the times when it comes to collecting Hardcore vinyl from the early 2000's. When Doug recently posted about the first No Warning 7 inch, I realized that I had another hole to fill in my collection. Not only had I failed to pick up the No Warning 7 inch when it was originally released, but I also somehow missed the boat on grabbing the CD when it was released by Bridge Nine...therefore, 10 years after it's release, I still had never heard this record. Sure I had the Ill Blood LP, but never hearing that 7 inch is an embarrassment that I needed to remedy as soon as possible. I began my ebay search, and bids were placed with my sights set on winning a copy of this record.

When all was said and done, I walked away with the 2001 Summer Tour pressing of this record. Like all good tour pressings, this one comes with a special, limited cover.

Man, this is the real deal. Hardcore. Sometimes I forget how great this time was in Hardcore's history. In 2001, Bridge Nine was on fire with bands like American Nightmare, Carry On, and Panic...plus Bane and Reach the Sky were huge. Listening to this No Warning record reminds me of all the good music that was around at this time, and it inspired me to revisit it through a 2001 playlist in my ipod.

Number 127 out of 400 pressed.

Toxic Shock

2011-09-12T21:20:00.003-04:00

I've been looking to pick up the new Toxic Holocaust album. I found it at my local record store, but they only had it on black vinyl. Yawn. I placed it back on the shelf, and decided to try my luck online. Trust me, this was not an easy choice to make, as I tend to lean towards instant gratification.

To my surprise, when I was searching the internet back at the office, I found that REVHQ had some in stock on colored vinyl. I jumped on it. When the package arrived a week or so later, I opened the box and found this staring at me.

What the fuck? At first I was shocked...thinking that REV placed the LP in my package by mistake (kind of like the crap Starkweather colored vinyl I also received as a surprise with this order). Then I realized that they just used the album sleeve for protective packaging. Lemuria has to be the polar opposite of Toxic Holocaust. Indie-pop crap from Bridge Nine. Someone at REV must have a sense of humor.

Here we go. This is more like it. The new album from Toxic Holocaust. Joel Grind returns once again, giving us another dose of mid-80's inspired Metal. Take the greatness of early Venom, Slayer and Possessed, throw in some Crossover in the vein of Nuclear Assault, and you have a new Toxic Holocaust album. Thrash!

The artwork for Conjure and Command is amazing. While I love the Ed Repka artwork of the past, the doomy, black and white art for this album seems to push the band to the next level...dare I say, more serious? This album was definitely a surprise for me, and may work it's way into my Metal Top 5 this year.

200 pressed on green vinyl. It also comes with a download card. Of course I had found a download online for Conjure and Command a few weeks back, so I didn't really need the card. I do however really appreciate them when I need them, and it irritates me when labels don't include them with their vinyl.

Blood For Blood Red

2011-09-10T19:25:00.001-04:00

This is dedicated to all the outcasts, white trash, and wasted youth. This one's for us. Our kind belongs nowhere. Welcome to exile. Welcome to nowhere. These are the outlaw anthems. So let's fuckin' go.

Blood For Blood are fuckin' hard. They ain't ever had nuthin'. They hang out at the local bar, asking the "gargoyle" waitress for a couple of drafts, and talk about about their jail time and hard luck. White trash from the streets...and proud of it.

Blood For Blood and I have pretty much zero in common. That said, I still love a good ol' "Fuck Society" anthem, and Blood For Blood have them in spades. So much hate for a system that keeps them down, and never cuts them a break...so much hate for the "MTV babies" of their generation...hate for that bitch called hope. Yeah, they've got some kind of hate, and it is fuckin' real. That is something that I can appreciate. When I saw that REVHQ was selling the classic Outlaw Anthems album on colored vinyl, I couldn't wait to pick up a copy.

I love the fact that they lyric sheet has nothing but explanations for each of their songs. They boys aren't apologizing, just stating that their words are the result of real shit that they deal with every day. While I can't always relate, I can respect.

Limited to 200 on red vinyl.

Last Great Burn

2011-09-06T12:29:00.001-04:00

I've got some holes in my record collection that are pretty embarrassing. 2002 was a strange time for me. I wasn't buying very much vinyl at the time, preferring to buy CDs, and strangely enough, I was listening to a lot of hip hop. Because of these two things, I completely missed the boat on Burn's Last Great Sea 7 inch. I don't know...I guess at the time, I kept expecting Revelation to package these three songs from this release with the first 7 inch, and release them all on CD. It never happened, and therefore it took me about 6 years to finally hear these songs. Complete shame really, because these songs were written and recorded in 1992, and totally capture that classic Burn sound.

Purchasing the Record Store Day pressing of Burn's first 7 inch really highlighted the Last Great Sea hole in my collection, and I knew that I had to remedy it soon. The eBay search began and it wasn't long before I had myself a copy. It wasn't the blue vinyl pressing that I was hoping for, but the black vinyl was pretty cheap, so I figured that I'd start there.

700 pressed on black vinyl.

Youngblood In The Water

2011-09-01T22:01:00.000-04:00

A couple months ago, Lins sent me a message saying that he was selling some records. He sent a list and said to make offers if I was interested. As soon as I saw the Youngblood releases, I knew that I was interested. My YB collection is pretty weak, and I've been wanting to beef it up for a while now. This was a great opportunity for some cheap additions.

Rancor's Flip The Switch would be my favorite Youngblood release...with the Lights Out LP a close second. These dudes, don't mess around.

Second pressing with the green and black cover. 500 pressed.

Hey, speaking of Lights Out, I also grabbed my very first vinyl copy of the band's debut 7 inch, Get Out. Not as strong as their LP, but this still rages.

150 pressed on green vinyl for pre-orders.

That might have been my first vinyl copy of the Lights Out 7 inch, but truth be told, this was the first time I've even heard the Life's Halt record. This stuff is pretty manic, fast paced stuff. It doesn't blow me away, but it's still a keeper.

925 pressed with black ink on yellow paper for the second pressing.

Finally, we have the Shark Attack Blood In The Water 7 inch on My War Records. Another first, as this is my first copy of this on vinyl. Nope, I don't even own a Bridge Nine pressing. Lame. This record rules hard, and I need to cough up the cash and get to work on collecting this.

I have no idea how many were pressed from My War.

As a bonus, Lins threw in some stickers of the early Revelation bands. Sweet, now I can decorate my car just like I did back in '91. Thanks man, cool stuff.

Test Of Promise

2011-08-28T11:43:00.003-04:00

Hurricane Irene is blowing through New England today, and there is a pretty good chance that we'll be losing power or our cable connection some time soon. Seeing that Winds Of Promise was next up in my blogging queue, I figured that today was an appropriate day to get it posted here.

I'm becoming more and more interested in collecting REACT! Records test pressings. Aram recently posted more of his personal collection and REACT! rarities on eBay, and it was my extreme good fortune to win a test of the latest Remission 7 inch. Not only does this record have a good chance of being my favorite release from 2011, but I was able to pick it up for a relatively cheap price.

Number 10 out of 24.

Mike Gets Into The Descendents

2011-08-25T22:11:00.000-04:00

I've never really paid too much attention to the Descendents. I owned a couple of thier CDs, but for the most part, they were largely ignored. Sure Marcus jocked them for awhile, but what really got me to seriously check them out was a recent poll on Double Cross, and the write up that Tim did. Look, I respect Marcus' opinion, but when Tim Mouthpiece says that the Descendents wrote some of his favorite songs ever, I'm sitting up and taking notice.

While they aren't going to be my favorite band, I can sure appreciate the Descendents. Sure some of their songs are immature and border on retarded, but damn they keep things upbeat and fun. I had some spare change in my pocket a couple weeks ago, so I picked up this reissue of the Descendents first album.

I'm not a loser.

React Triple Threat

2011-08-24T22:05:00.000-04:00

Once again REACT! is coming out strong with another three new releases. Sure it took about seven months for the entire pre-order package to arrive, but with the amount of new records coming in, I'm never in too much of a rush. I know it will arrive when the records are ready, so I don't sweat the wait.

One of the first records from the newest REACT! three pack was the Clearsight demo from 2008. Apparently Aram loved what he heard from this band out of the Ukraine, and wanted to do an EP from them. Unfortunately, the band split before the EP could come together. Still wanting to promote the band, Aram decided to just release a vinyl pressing of their demo. It is doubtful that I would have heard this demo if it wasn't on REACT!, so I'm glad that these songs saw a proper release. Great, fast, no frills hardcore.

200 on blue vinyl, 300 on grey vinyl, and 400 on black.

The other demo that REACT! pressed to vinyl was from Noose. They are a Chicago Vegan Straight Edge band, and holy shit, they are fucking pissed. So much rage is captured within the songs on this demo. Get into it, or get the fuck out of the way. REACT! initially stated that this was a ONE TIME ONLY pressing, but the record sold out so quickly, they couldn't help but do a second pressing.

First pressing. 200 on red, 300 on blue, and 400 on black vinyl.

The record that I was most looking forward to was the new Get The Most LP. As this compiles the band's demo and two 7 inch recordings, there really isn't anything new here, but I was excited to finally get proper digital files for the Moment In Time songs...thank you digital download! Plus, Get The Most is one of my favorite bands from the past few years, so new vinyl from them is always a good thing. Too bad the band is calling it quits and will be playing their last show next month.

This LP comes with a HUGE poster/lyric sheet.

200 on purple vinyl, 300 on maroon vinyl, and 400 on black. These colors are friggin' sweet. I want more.

Fugazi Remasters

2011-08-21T22:06:00.000-04:00

I own a lot of music. More music than most people could probably keep up with. My database shows that I've got over 1,700 CDs, 1,100 7 inches and 900 LPs (not to mention the 650 albums that I've downloaded but have not purchased yet). Yeah, I've got enough music to go years without repeat listens. I'm extremely lucky to be able to listen to music for much of my day. I can use my iPod throughout the day at work, and my wife is extremely gracious in letting me play pretty much what I want when I'm at home. If I didn't have all this time available to listen to music, I don't know how I'd be able to keep up. Still, because of the sheer volume of music that I own, some albums can fall off my radar and not get listened to for years.

Fugazi is a fine example of this neglect. Man, I can't remember the last time I listened to this band. Feels like it has been ten years since I last gave them a spin. I'm not sure what triggered me to pull them off the shelf again, but it most likely could have been the recent Dischord remasters that made me pay attention to their earlier records again.

The truth is, I never owned copies of their first couple of records. Instead, I've relied on a burned CD copy that I must have recorded from the copy my brother owned. I don't think that the recent Dischord remasters of 7 Songs and Margin Walker are all that new (remastered in 2009?), but I figured that it was time. Shit got too arty for me by the end of their career, but I had forgotten how much fun those early records were.

Regardless of whatever happened to Ian's face for the cover of Margin Walker, Fugazi was at the top of their game up through Repeater...and while I can hang with them for Steady Diet of Nothing and In On The Kill Taker, they can't come close to the greatness of those first few records.

Police & Thieves / Remission split

2011-08-18T20:26:00.001-04:00

Remission released a new 7 inch earlier this year on REACT!, Police & Thieves are supposed to have a new record out later this year on Youngblood, and between those two releases, Amendment Records gives a split 7 inch with both bands.

I love both of these bands, so ordering all three pressings of the new 7 inch made sense to me. As a bonus, Amendment threw in a bonus DVD that contains a live Remission show. Quality.

Remission fucking rule Hardcore right now. Holy shit, this band can not do wrong. Following up their amazing Winds of Promise 7 inch, these two songs follow the same path. I know that I've always compared them to One Step Ahead and Verbal Assault, but something about these new songs also remind me of 411. Seriously, it sounds like Dan O is going to jump in and sing a verse of Seeded. I can not get enough from this band right now.

I've been lucky enough to catch Police & Thieves live a couple of times over the past year. When I first heard their Amor Y Guerra record a couple years ago, I really liked it, but seeing them live and repeated listens of those songs only made me appreciate it more and more. We got a teaser from Youngblood last year with the Blizzard Sessions cassette, but I'm thrilled to get two new songs with this split. Great stuff, that leaves me looking forward to the new record even more.

150 on teal blue, 350 on gray and 500 on black.

Deny The Flow

2011-08-14T10:49:00.001-04:00

Set adrift.
They drift away.
I reach to save them.
But how can I save those who won’t save themselves.
Goodbye.

Outspoken had some pretty powerful lyrics in their songs, and the words to Current may be one of my all time favorites. Therefore, I was pretty excited when New Age Records recently reissued the final, and best, Outspoken record on vinyl.

I don't have the original pressing of The Current on vinyl, so I'm not sure if this CD booklet insert is a cop out for this reissue. Did New Age go this cheap with this insert the first time around?

147 on blue/grey colored vinyl.

Keeping with their reissue tradition, New Age also did a limited "77 pressing" complete with the limited alternate cover and Walk Proud record labels.

Probably the biggest bonus for this New Age order was that my records didn't take 6 months to arrive. Seems that they now have someone reliable managing the distro for New Age, and my order got here within a week.

Alert Record Release

2011-08-09T17:28:00.001-04:00

I loved the 2008 demo from Alert, and have been eagerly awaiting some new material from this band. Mike and Keith are such nice dudes, and I will travel to Massachusetts whenever I get the opportunity to see them play live. Therefore, I was really happy to hear that Six Feet Under was releasing their new record. These guys deserve nothing but the best, so I hope that SFU gives them a lot more exposure.

While the new record should be shipping in the next few weeks, Alert played their record release show recently and a special pressing available. The show was in Pennsylvania, I believe, and not in their home state, so there was no way that I was going to be able to make it. Come on boys...what were you thinking?!?! Still, they were nice enough to put the leftover merch up in their webstore and I was able to grab the record release pressing.

Great looking limited cover, and handstamped record labels.

Numbered and limited to 50.

Mouthpiece Discography Second Pressing

2011-08-06T08:42:00.000-04:00

Every time I've seen Mouthpiece live, it has been an EVENT. Line ups so monumental, that they would make it onto my list of Top 10 Shows Of All Time. Back in '93 with Strife, 4 Walls Falling, and Endpoint...again in 2000 for In My Eyes last show, and finally for the 2004 Youth of Today reunion in Pennsylvania. The band embraced the Straight Edge label when most kids in the early 90's were "too cool" for it..."Yeah, I don't drink or do drugs, but I don't want to call myself Straight Edge.". Fuck that. There was Mouthpiece, X'd up and proud of the label. Band will always have my respect.

500 pressed on "Judge green" colored vinyl.

Open Your Eyes

2011-08-01T21:30:00.001-04:00

A wise man once wrote "I should have more Youth Of Today records in my life". There it was, a truth that so obvious that I couldn't believe that I hadn't thought of it myself. I know that I'm never going to have an impressive Youth of Today collection, and when Revelation Records reissued Can't Close My Eyes, I gave it a moments thought and moved on. When I read those words however, I knew that even though I would probably never own some of their rarest records, I still needed to buy the vinyl for one of my favorite hardcore bands of all time when the opportunity presented itself.

There has been all kinds of talk about the reissues that REV did for Youth of Today in 1997. The general consensus was that they looked like shit, and for the most part, I'd agree. So it was nice to see that lessons were learned and REV went back to the original artwork for the 2011 pressing. I don't own an original Positive Force pressing, nor do I own the vinyl for the Caroline re-press, so I can't compare them...all I've got is the Can't Close My Eyes cassette from Caroline. Maybe I'll get there someday.

443 on red vinyl, and 562 on some weird purple/grey mix marble vinyl.

Camp Records Presents

2011-07-30T17:45:00.001-04:00

I've said it before, I'm not a fan of compilations. One song from a band, while it can be a nice introduction, doesn't really give me much of an indication as to if the band is going to stick with me or if they are disappear like so many bands from the Voice of the Voiceless comp.

When Camp Records announced they were releasing a 7 inch comp, More Than A Piece Of Mind, I was torn. Sure there were some up and coming bands that I was interested in checking out, but still, it was a tough decision to part with the five dollars for this one. In the end, my curiosity to check out bands like Truth Inside, razorXfade, and the new Caught In A Crowd song, was enough incentive to make the purchase. All of the bands on the comp are good, but the production is pretty rough and it all sounds like a demo recording...nothing amazing, but it will be cool to see if any of these bands can take the next step, and it is always cool to see kids still passionate about this style of music. Keep it up.

25 of the red vinyl came with the green cover for pre-orders. Hand numbered on the dust sleeve, and I got number 10.

DTN All My Sons

2011-07-27T22:12:00.000-04:00

By the end of 2007, Down To Nothing had released one of the best albums of the year with The Most. Man, that LP was killer...solid all the way through. Then three years passed with nothing but some jerk-off 7 inch, and a split with an Australian band that failed to hold my attention. In 2010 they came storming back with a brand new 7 inch called All My Sons. It was released on Reaper Records, who I pay no attention to, and ended up missing out on the first pressing. At some point I picked up the second pressing, and quickly realized that DTN could still deliver the goods.

Looking back, this record should have been rated higher on my Top 10 list from last year. A record so good that I had to pick up another copy. Third press. 497 pressed on clear vinyl.

The Last Rites Of Pentagram

2011-07-22T17:38:00.002-04:00

My third, and final, post from my latest order from Rise Above Records.

Pentagram are a difficult band to follow historically. Since the band started up in the early 70's, they have gone through close to 30 different members, broke up and reformed a half a dozen times, and didn't release their first LP until 14 years after their formation. Total clusterfuck. Recently, vocalist Bobby Liebling, reunited with the guitarist from the band's first three albums, Victor Griffin. The result is Last Rites.

Now, other than the first album, I'm not really well versed in the past Pentagram output, so I can't say how the new album compares to their previous records. I can say, however, that this new album is some classic doom metal. It took me a little while to warm up to this record, but since I've been on a doom/stoner metal kick lately, this album is a perfect fit in the playlist rotation.

I'm not 100% sure on the pressing for this album. I bought this through Rise Above, but it is pressed by Metal Blade...I'm assuming the vinyl is limited to a Euro press, and that it only saw a CD release through Metal Blade in the states. What I do know is that they pressed a few different colors, 300 pressed of each color. I picked up the "caramel" colored version.

This album also came with a huge poster for the band's 40th anniversary tour...which will stay folded up and stored in the album sleeve and not see the light of day again, regardless of how cool it looks.

True Gentleman

2011-07-19T20:53:00.000-04:00

When I picked up the Blood Ceremony LP from Rise Above a few weeks back, the new Gentleman's Pistols album, At Her Majesty's Pleasure, had just been posted in the store as well. I didn't hesitate to grab a copy.

I clearly remember reading about Gentleman's Pistols on Marcus' blog back in 2008. Before going to bed that night, I checked them out on this website that was really popular at the time, called myspace. The songs were totally influenced by the late 60's and early 70's, and at the time I was completely falling in love with that time in rock history. As I lay there in bed that night, I had a hard time falling asleep because I had just stumbled upon this incredible new band playing a classic style.

The new Gentleman's Pistols album continues on with the same formula that I loved on the first album. The band just keeps on keepin' on...playing amazing guitar driven rock.

Oh yeah, my kids absolutely hated the album cover for At Her Majesty's Pleasure. They were interested to check out what I got in the mail, and when they saw the album cover, with the horse and lion heads on naked human bodies, my son reached up,slapped me in the face, and said it was disgusting. It kind of made me like the cover even more.

Rise Above Records typically does a limited deluxe vinyl version, called the Die Hard pressing, of the albums they release. They didn't do that for the Gentleman's Pistols LP, but they did to a pretty limited run of 100 on clear vinyl. I'm glad I got one when I did, because they are now long gone.

Sometime before the release of the LP, Rise Above also released a new single from Gentleman's Pistols. The 7 inch vinyl contains one song from the new album, plus an exclusive track called Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker. Worth it for that song alone. 400 pressed on black.

Ceremony Bloody Ceremony

2011-07-17T12:25:00.000-04:00

Some bands I deliberately avoid. I have preconceived notions about what they will sound like, and stay away from them. After reading reviews about the first Blood Ceremony LP back in 2008, even though they were positive, I kept my distance because of two things...female vocals and a flute. No matter how many comparisons were made to Black Sabbath, those two pieces insured that I stayed away.

I believe that my musical tastes have expanded since 2008, so when Blood Ceremony were set to release their new album, Living With The Ancients, this year, I figured that I'd check to see what the hype was all about

From the heavy crashing doom riff that starts the first song, The Great God Pan, I was immediately hooked. No one is more surprised than me at how much I'm enjoying this album. The female vocals (which really remind me of the early 90's punk/emo band Junction), and even the flute adds so much texture and contrast to the traditional Sabbath sound...the whole thing is amazingly powerful. Living With The Ancients is definitely in the running for my favorite Metal album of this year.

Regardless of the high shipping fee, as soon as the vinyl was available to order from Rise Above, I immediately placed an order. 330 pressed on red with black swirl colored vinyl.

More Fire, More Ice

2011-07-13T06:51:00.001-04:00

I'm beginning to feel like Marcus, who's blog posts seem to split between either Integrity or Rot In Hell. The man is focused. I'll give him that. I seem to have taken a page from his book, and have had my sights locked in on adding to my Fire & Ice collection.

My latest FNI additions were won on ebay at the end of May. Thinking of it now, I haven't been back to ebay since winning these records.

Other than the 2X7 inch package, this is my first colored vinyl for Grim. The pressing info lists this color as teal "Maui Wowee", and is limited to 100.

This is my seventh copy of Gods & Devils. Still, I've got 3 more copies to go to finish this collection.

First press on clear with red and silver splatter. Limited to 200.

Sign Of The Jackal

2011-07-11T20:32:00.000-04:00

A few months ago, I was at the height of Metal passion. I was buying Metal records left and right...could not get enough of it. I took a trip over to REVHQ and what do I see listed in the New Release Spotlight section? The Beyond EP from Italy's Sign of the Jackal, which features an album cover that looks like a definite nod to a certain Mercyful Fate record...and with a description that mentions the album is for fans of Judas Priest and early Iron Maiden...I was certainly interested to check them out, and rushed over to Heavy Artillery Records to pick up a copy.

While I certainly wouldn't put them at the same level as Priest or Maiden, Sign of the Jackal are a fun listen. 70's horror imagery mixed with a musical style like those New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands from the early 80's. Great mix.

The one thing that caught me off guard, was that Sign of the Jackal has a female singer. I don't know exactly what it is, but I tend to stay away from any music with a woman on lead vocals. When I first heard this band, I thought it was some dude with a high voice...kind of like some of those early 80's Metal bands. After I start digging the band, I discover that it is a woman singing...holy shit, I was tricked! You win, Sign of the Jackal. Your female vocals are fantastic.

The record itself appears to just be something that the band threw together to hold their fans over as they go into the studio this year to record a real LP. The Beyond is just a collection of rare studio tracks and obscure cover songs. Cool enough, and certainly has me looking forward to what the band will do next.

500 pieces of vinyl was pressed for this album. 300 on black, and 100 a piece for clear and yellow colored vinyl. Looks like only the colored vinyl was numbered and I got 127 out of 200.

The band's first 7 inch, Haunted House Tapes, from 2009, is what really captures my attention. Two songs, each with their own intro, really show how much fun this Metal band can be. From the red cover, to the name of the record...it seems like a great tribute to Iron Maiden's Soundhouse Tapes.

The only place that I could find a copy of this 7 inch was at REVHQ. It was a little pricey, but I really wanted a copy. 300 pressed on black vinyl.

I've Had Enough

2011-07-07T20:42:00.002-04:00

Okay, this is my second draft of this post. The first time I typed this thing out, Blogger didn't autosave and then shit the bed, leaving me to have to write the whole thing again. Okay, here we go again...

Enough are a Straight Edge band out of Tennessee. They play a classic style of Youth Crew Hardcore, but more importantly they play with a ton of passion. I stumbled across this band when I was downloading some new music from Keith Alert's great blog, The Price of Silence. Keith posts up a bunch of demos and stuff from newer bands, and helps keep me in touch. Enough are just one of the recent demos that Keith has posted a download link for, but for me, they stand above most of the stuff he has recently posted.

Enough self released their debut EP, When You Don't Think You Can, and it marks a nice improvement over their 2010 demo. This 7 inch has a sound similar to early Mental, but I also get a great '97 Youth Crew Revival vibe from these songs. I can see this record being a great fit with what Youngblood was releasing around that time.

You can download it HERE, and when you agree with me about how great they are, you can order it HERE. 85 on pink colored vinyl, 100 on tan/marble, and 105 on black.

The band put up a couple test pressings of this record in their webstore. I would have definitely picked up a copy, but unfortunately, I was out of town, on vacation with the family, at the time, and therefore missed my opportunity to grab one. Damn.

While I was picking up Enough's new 7 inch, I also grabbed a vinyl copy of the demo that they had available as well. I don't have the pressing info for this, but I believe there were around 200 pressed.

Nothing Done To The First Step

2011-06-24T19:46:00.000-04:00

A few months back, I picked up a special pressing of Nothing Done's Powertrip LP, which you can check out here. I was trying to find some pressing info about the record, but could not seem to locate the pressing info on the Not Just Words Records website. I was pretty sure that I had checked that site for pressing info before, but this time out I couldn't find anything. After searching for a few minutes, I clicked the Contact Us link and fired off an email to the man who used to run the label, Ronald. Minutes later I got a reply with pretty specific directions on how to find the pressing info on the website..."scroll down to the bottom of the page". Wow. Am I lazy or just blind? Ronald and I ended up exchanging a few emails, and he let me know that he had an additional copy of the Idiot Stomp EP mispressing, and he'd sell it if I was interested.Of course I took him up on the offer. Nothing Done were so good, and I'm always looking for opportunities to add to my collection for them.

When Not Just Words received the original pressing of vinyl, they noticed that the first few seconds were missing from Side A. The label pulled 65 on black and 12 on colored vinyl for themselves, and the rest were rejected. 50 of the black vinyl were used for the record release show, while the remainder got a special cover for the record nerds to fight over.

Thankfully the whole story about this pressing is printed on the backside of the record cover.

Of the 27 copies with this sleeve, 15 are on black vinyl, an 12 are on green with pink splatter. I'm glad that I got the more limited of the two, but when you are talking the difference between 12 and 15, you'd have to be a pretty big geek to care about such things. Welcome to my world.

Right next to Have Heart's The Things We Carry, What We Know by The First Step may very well be one of the best albums released in the past ten years. Five years after their initial release date, both of those albums still sound fresh and vital. For some reason, I had never gotten around to picking up the second pressing of What We Know from Not Just Words. I asked Ronald if he had any spare copies laying around, and he managed to find one copy and agreed to sell it to me for a very fair price.

330 pressed on white vinyl.

Shipping from The Netherlands to the States was crazy expensive, so I asked Ronald to ship the records to Marcus in the UK, and then he could ship them to me and save me some money. Marcus has used me as his personal Postal Bitch a few times, so it was time for me to return the favor. Since I'd never heard of a band named Deal With It, Marcus decided to properly introduce me to the band's first album, End Time Prophecies, and slip it in with the other records that he was forwarding to me. Deal With It play some serious metal influenced hardcore in the same vein as NY bands like Maximum Penalty, Leeway, and Cro-Mags...only DWI aren't at the same caliber as the bands that influenced them. Good stuff, but it isn't blowing me away...we'll see if it sinks in after a few more spins.

Thank you, Ronald and Marcus, for the records.

35 Years, 20 Albums

2011-06-23T15:08:00.000-04:00

Motorhead celebrated their 35th anniversary in 2010, and to start off 2011, the band released their 20th studio album. That is a hell of a run! Has there ever been another band to maintain that level of output? Sure there are a couple of clunkers in their catalog, but for the number of albums they have released, Motorhead have maintained a high level of integrity and quality.

With This World Is Yours, Motorhead show no signs of slowing down. Now, I've really enjoyed the last two albums they have released, but this new one seems to be step above them. Some of these songs can stand up next to some of their classics from the 80's. Hell, the song Brotherhood of Man feels like a more upbeat, fresh take on the song Orgasmatron.

Such a solid album from a band that seems like they will go on forever.

Nice thick vinyl. Gatefold packaging.

You're Fired

2011-06-21T18:08:00.000-04:00

Triple B Records has a bunch of good stuff coming down the pike. New records from Stick Together, Thought Crusade, and Disengage are on the way, and as far as I'm concerned they can't get here soon enough. When the label posted that they recently got hit with some surprise fees from the pressing plant, and had to sell some BBB rarities to cover some costs, I was happy to check it out and see what they had available. When I saw they had a bunch of early pressings of the Fire & Ice stuff, I knew that I couldn't walk away. Sure, the pricing was a little too high for what they were asking, but I've been on a roll with the FNI vinyl so I went and pulled the trigger on a couple records anyway.

The first thing that I grabbed was the Sound & Fury two-pack, which has both the Gods & Devils and Grim records packaged in a special sleeve for the Sound & Fury fest in 2010. I had not seen this package prior to Triple B selling them for some extra cash, and goddamn, I'm impressed.

This thing looks amazing. The fire and ice motif is tight...from the ice blue front cover to the fire and Sound & Fury logo on the back cover. Triple B even threw in a Vinyl Noize sticker to help promote a great blog.

Wrapped in a nice heavy cardstock sleeve with the original 7 inch art work on the inside, even the colored vinyl ties into the fire and ice theme.

The other Fire & Ice record that I picked up from Triple B was the more limited pressing of the Gods & Devils 7 inch. Metallic silver out of 100.

On Tour

2011-06-16T20:00:00.000-04:00

I empathize. I probably can't even begin to comprehend the hard work and headaches it takes to keep a hardcore label going...let alone an independent label like REACT! that releases quality record after quality record. Aram has sold off large quantities of his personal record collection to keep the label moving forward. That is some serious commitment right there...something that you just can't fuck with.

Once again, the man had to resort to selling off some of his collection, along with some rare REACT! gems from the vault. While some items may be considered a "cash grab" *cough* REACT Showcase box set out of six *cough*, if people are willing to part with their cash for some manufactured rare items, who am I to throw stones? As long as it keeps REACT! afloat, you go for it Aram.

Myself, I kept things a little light this time around. While I did throw some bids on other records that I wanted, I only walked away with the Euro tour press for the ON Double Vision LP. Visually, it isn't too appealing with the plain white sleeve with a sticker in the upper corner... and it probably doesn't help that I photographed it with a white background. Still, when the covers for this LP weren't back from the printer in time for ON's European tour, they put this "Emergency Edition" together so the band would have something to sell while on the road.

Number 124 our of 130 pressed.

Gotta Stick Together

2011-06-10T17:22:00.001-04:00

Back in February, there was some general confusion in regards to the Stick Together pre-orders. from Back To Back Records. Like most people that ordered all three colors with the pre-order, I received two copies of white vinyl, and one on black. The label had shipped most of the orders and then noticed an unopened box of orange vinyl. At the time, it was assumed that orange was the more limited color with only 100 pressed. When it was announced that the white vinyl was actually the limited color, and the pressing info was 100 on white, 300 on orange, and 600 on black...suddenly the label fuck up didn't seem so bad for those that received two copies of white. It did however leave me in the position of having to hit up ebay for that elusive orange vinyl.

After watching a few auctions for the orange vinyl come and go, and I was able to gauge how much they were going for, I finally decided to pounce. Solid record. Just one of the bands keeping Straight Edge Hardcore fresh in 2011.

It feels good to finally have this collection complete. Next mission is to get the Disengage 7 inch from Back To Back on blue.

Not Afraid

2011-06-09T21:01:00.000-04:00

In 2010 True Colors played their last show. In 2011, Packo and Hinkey joined up with Stief from Justice and came roaring back playing a similar style with Not Afraid.

With Powered Records down for the count, it only makes sense that Not Afraid's debut 7 inch, Be Yourself, is released on Control Records. Not a whole lot going on with the packaging...black and white...very stripped down style...just the way I like my hardcore.

Number 72 of 100 on green vinyl.

400 on black vinyl.

Gods & Devils Prerelease

2011-06-03T17:21:00.000-04:00

From the last post to this one, we go from the Iron Boots last show press to the prerelease for the first Fire & Ice record. The dudes in this band did not sit back and take a break! From the last Iron Boots show in 2008, the singer and drummer joined up with the guitarist from Down To Nothing and produced the first Fire & Ice 7 inch, Gods & Devils, in 2009.

The latest copy to be added to my collection is labeled Prerelease on the front cover. I don't see this listed in the pressing info on the Triple B page, so I'm not sure if it is what is listed as the Fall 2009 tour press that is limited to 100. I'm stumped. I'll have to track down this piece of info.

Either way this is a solid looking record. While I don't typically buy into the whole red white and blue, stars and stripes motif, this looks tight.

Iron Last Show Boots

2011-06-01T21:53:00.000-04:00

Why do you never bid on ebay with an even dollar amount? So when you try to snipe an auction that I'm bidding on at the last second, you don't find yourself short by two cents. Seriously, won this Iron Boots record by $0.02. It worked out for me this time, but damn, what a shitty way to lose out on a record.

I intended to get this post up yesterday, but time was not on my side. It would have been perfect, since I just noticed that it was the three year anniversary of the band's last show.

Solid looking last show cover with artwork by Spoiler. I just wish that it was printed on a thicker paper, as opposed to some quick looking photocopy job.

Number 100 out of 150 pressed.

Foundation - When The Smoke Clears

2011-05-26T17:04:00.000-04:00

Prior to the release of the new Foundation LP, Bridge Nine gave everyone a teaser with this three song 7 inch. These things don't excite me too much, and I didn't bother ordering one until the LP was up for pre-order.

The thing that interested me most with this 7 inch single was the exclusive b-side track, which is a Path of Resistance cover of Counter. To be honest, if I recall correctly, the last time I listened to Path, I was pretty underwhelmed, as they didn't really hold up over time. This cover from Foundation, makes me question that, and I want to dig the album out again.

Foundation have always been one of those bands that don't really grab me with the first listen. Every time that I write about them here, I always say the same thing..."good stuff, but it took a few spins for it to grow on me". The new album, When The Smoke Clears, is no exception. The first few listens, I didn't think it was too exciting, but sitting down with the vinyl last night, I opened up the lyric sheet and immersed myself in the album. Once it sinks in, it is pretty powerful stuff.

I'm also really liking the album cover and layout for this. Nicely done. 300 pressed on orange with black splatter vinyl.

Gatefold cover with plenty of pictures of the band up to shenanigans.

Remission Euro Press

2011-05-21T20:20:00.002-04:00

A record so good, the Europeans needed a pressing for themselves.

Remission's 2009 debut LP, Accept, was recently repressed by Assault Records. The label did a great job with this pressing. Dark purple vinyl and a new design for the cover. While the cover doesn't look as nice as the original that was pressed on Amendment Records, I'll still give them props for using something different for the Euro press. My only complaint on this whole thing is the logo for Assault. A pair of crossed guns, looking like some kind of vegan warrior record label from the early 90's...lame.

As soon as Assault Records announced they were repressing this, Amendment mentioned that they would stock a few in their store. This would save me from overseas shipping so I played the waiting game, and grabbed a copy as soon as they were available.

363 pressed on clear purple mixed with black.

The vinyl for this looks great, but my original pictures didn't really capture the color that well. I had to photograph the record back lit from my bedroom window for the full effect.

Prior to Remission, Philippe and Daniel played in a band called Remains To Be Seen. To be honest, if it wasn't for this connection, I probably would have never bothered to go back and check them out. Boy, I'm glad that I did. Sure you can make comparisons to Remission, but the songs on this record have a strong influence from bands like Insted and No For An Answer. So good.

This is the second pressing for this record. 125 on red vinyl.

FNI at UB

2011-05-19T12:07:00.000-04:00

I've been known to ebb and flow with my obsessions. I'll be hot to collect one band for a while, and something else will catch my attention and I'll move on. Someday, I'll get back to that band, but for that moment, my eye is on another prize. The hot band on my virtual Want List lately has been Fire & Ice, and I've got plenty of FNI vinyl to post over the next few weeks.

Fire & Ice had a couple different pressings of their Gods & Devils 7 inch for United Blood in 2010. One of the pressings came wrapped with the special Agnostic Front Live At CBGB rip off cover. Man, this looks so good.

The AF cover is limited to 50.

In 2011, Fire & Ice made another trip back to United Blood. This time around, they were selling their Collections LP with a special cover. Kind of disappointing when compared to the Gods & Devils pressing from the year before. This year the vinyl was packaged with a simple DJ sleeve, with a sticker in the corner. Not very exciting, but I'm thinking it would look nice next to the test pressing for this LP, which has a similar look and feel. Tempting.

Thankfully, I didn't need to search ebay for the UB 2011 pressing. Triple B was gracious enough to throw some in their webstore after the fest.