Boiling Over Is Over

Boiling Over are not your typical Straight Edge band. No positivity here. These boys play it fast, raw and ugly.

They played their last show about a year ago, and did a Last Show edition of their Trash City 7 inch. Of course I didn't go to the show, but Lifeline had some for sale in their webstore...and I was able to pick one up for even less from ebay.

The record comes wrapped in a clear plastic cover and is numbered out of 60. Nicely done.

Just before Boiling Over broke up, they pressed a limited run of their final recordings to vinyl. Barriers is even more raw than Trash City. Raging.

Silk screened cover and limited to 150 pressed.

Worldwide Hardcore

I've never experienced the headaches of running a record label. Therefore, I can't even begin to imagine the effort that it took to pull off the latest pre-orders from REACT!. Three records from bands spanning three different continents...all released at one time. Sure there were some delays, but when you think about what it probably took to pull this off, you've got to be impressed.

You really can't miss with anyone of these records. Each one already has me thinking ahead to my 2011 Top 10 list.

I really liked the Remission LP, but this 7 inch certainly tops their last effort. Three songs of 90's influenced hardcore...I can't get over how much this band sounds like One Step Ahead...Remission play this style to perfection. 200 on baby blue, 300 on clear blue, and 400 on black vinyl.

Not Sorry follow up their demo 7 inch, and keep going strong, with Our Choices. I love the cover artwork on this one. The crashing waves...the ominous dark storm clouds...power just waiting to be released. The art fits the music perfectly. 200 on white, 300 on yellow, and 400 on black vinyl.

It is good to have some new music from Common Cause. It has been about three years since their last recorded material, The Power To Change, and the band keeps things moving with this new 7 inch. Hey, it is straight forward, Youth Crew inspired hardcore, so you know that I'm going to love it. 200 on red, 300 on white, 400 on black vinyl.

Nice job REACT! crew. I'm impressed with the effort that is put forward to keep releasing quality hardcore.

Ten Inches Of Metal

I like Anthrax...they wouldn't make it into my Big Four of Thrash, but there was a time when they were well respected. They were on top of the world when Among The Living was released, but I remember rushing to the record store in 1988 to pick up State of Euphoria...I was so disappointed...Anthrax had turned into a cartoon. They gained a little respect back with Persistence of Time, but if I had to choose between their output with John Bush or Metallica's Load, Metallica would win. Bush was great with Armored Saint, but I have a hard time hanging with his Anthrax stuff. But it all started with Neil Turbin on vocals for Fistful of Metal in 1984...and while I could do without the cover of Alice Cooper's Eighteen, I probably reach for this album more than any of the others.

Megaforce released the 25th anniversary edition of Anthrax's first album, Fistful of Metal, in 2009. For some reason they added on the Armed and Dangerous EP as well. I was interested in buying it when it was released, but there were two things that made me shrug my shoulders and lose interest pretty quick. First, it was a triple 10 inch release. Uggg...there is something about a 10 inch record that turns me off. It's like it isn't a legitimate release. The second thing that made me lose interest was the price tag. $35.00? Ummm...no thanks.

However, after sitting on the record store shelf for almost two years, a 50% off tag will make me reconsider. $17.00? Yeah, I'd pay that.

The packaging on this is actually really well done. Cool die cut, fold out cover.

Nice looking triple red vinyl. The third record actually has an edge of clear vinyl. I love collages, and the gatefold on this, with the photos and old flyers is a nice touch. Shows with Metallica, Exciter, and Raven...damn, that would have been cool to see.

Close Call

I'm not too familiar with Close Call. I've had their Someone Talked CD for a while, and I'm pretty sure I've seen the live at least once...but I've still never been that interested in them. Good solid hardcore, but still, the I never really paid too close attention to the band. A few months ago, I won the Step Forward/Waste Management pack from someone on ebay...after I won, I took a look to see what else they were selling, and picked up a couple Close Call 7 inches for around $5 each.

I believe the Too Close 7 inch was the band's first from 1999. This one is on red vinyl with the record release sleeve.

The record release was limited to 26, so instead of the standard numbering system, Close Call used the alphabet instead. I ended up with number 10 of 26...or J/Z. Awesome. I've got 99 problems but a bitch ain't one.

The other Close Call 7 inch that I picked up for cheap was The Miller Sessions that was released on Painkiller Records. 339 pressed...all on yellow vinyl.

Of course the big selling point on this record was the screened b-side. An octopus on the head of a gorilla. How awesome is that? The answer is VERY awesome.

Sure, I was lured in by how unique each of these pressings were, but both of these records ended up being really good. I'm glad that I picked them up.

5 Years of Getting the Most

Five years ago today, I made my first blog post. What started out as something to just burn time on my record collecting obsession, only served to fuel my addiction. When I started this blog back in 2006, I didn't know of anyone else doing this kind of thing. To my surprise, over the years, I stumbled upon a few other record collecting blogs. Most of them came and went so fast that I've lost track of them all, but meeting Lins and Marcus back in 2008 through their record collecting blogs made a lasting impression on me. I may have started my blog before them, but they started collecting records long before I did. Through their posts, I fell deeper in love with vinyl, but it also highlighted the fact that I'm missing some classic records in my collection. Soon, my post counts were climbing and I was ordering more and more records. I was late to this game, and I had some serious holes to fill...and I expect that it will take me another five years to make any kind of dent in filling those holes.

So for this anniversary post, I wanted it to be something special...something big. A statement record. What better statement than a test press. I've never really set out to collect test presses, but after picking up a few of them this past year, I've come to really appreciate them...and with my obsession for all things REACT!, I figured that it was time to own one from the label.

A while back, Aram was selling some REACT stuff on ebay to help fund future releases. I was stoked to win the test press for one of my favorite releases from last year, the new Get The Most LP.

Limited to 24, the test presses are packaged in a kind of DJ record sleeve with stamped a and b-side labels.

Keeping with the DJ theme, it has a cool sticker for the cover of the test press. Fresh for 2010, you suckas!

Stick It

Stick Together play Straight Edge Hardcore. It is a simple formula, and one that never gets overplayed for me. Seriously, as long as new bands putting out records in this style, I'll keep buying them. Stick Together play with passion and conviction, and of the newer bands playing this kind of Hardcore, they are one of the best.

Back To Back Records, who put out the great Disengage 7 inch last year, released the US pressing of the new Stick Together record. I was so stoked on this release, as soon as pre-orders went up, I was placing my order. Even though I submitted my order minutes after they were available, I still managed to miss out on the limited orange colored vinyl pressing. Instead I got two copies on white vinyl (300 pressed), plus one on black (600 pressed).

Turns out, Back To Back somehow missed the orange vinyl when they were packing orders, and sent everyone white vinyl instead. I don't know how you could not notice you were missing the most limited colored vinyl when you were packing orders. Crazy.

Control Records handled the Euro pressing for Stick Together. They went with a different color band logo, and slightly cropped the photo used for the cover. Since I was at the show the cover photo was taken at, I'm a little bummed that I didn't get into the shot.

I love the limited amount of vinyl that Control presses for each release. 400 total. 100 on blue, and 300 on black for Stick Together.

The final piece of vinyl for this Stick Together post is the Winter Tour press. Stick Together was touring with Naysayer and Dead End Path, and surprisingly played a gig north of Boston with Cruel Hand. I was excited to check out the show, but I wasn't expecting too much action. I typically leave my glasses in the car for hardcore shows...my eyesight isn't THAT bad, so I usually go without, and I can get get up front and not have to worry about them getting knocked off. Stick Together in Portland, Maine...yeah, I figured that I'd be the only one up front to see them. To my surprise, just before the band played I started seeing quite a few familiar faces from the Boston scene, and there was more than a handful of people at the front of the stage for Stick Together...and things really got moving for their cover of SSD's Glue. I was a little cautious, but it was still a good time.

I decided to press my luck and stayed down near the front for Cruel Hand's set. Man, there was so much energy in the room as Cruel Hand blasted through their set. Being down front with my glasses on, suddenly had me worried. The dance floor kept spilling into the crowd and coming dangerously close to the big glass windows. A chair got thrown, and it felt like the room could explode at any minute...and then just before things boiled over, the Cruel Hand set was over. Intense. My glasses were safe, and I realized that I'm a big nerd.

But at least I was a nerd with glasses and a tour press of the new Stick Together record.

Underdog Reissues

While I picked up my first copy of Underdog's discography, Matchless, back in May or June last year, it has taken me longer than expected to finally pick up the white and blue pressings. For some reason, I've been hesitant to drop the cash for these two pressings. Bridge Nine did a great job with this discography, but I don't hit up their webstore that often, and I just haven't had the ambition to make a special trip just for this record. It feels good to finally cross these off the list.

1,000 on blue

700 on white.

Edge Day 2008

Where was I back in 2008 for the annual Edge Day show in the Boston area? I had just returned from The First Step's last show a couple weeks prior, so maybe I was broke. Maybe it just wasn't on my radar at the time. I don't know. Either way, I missed out on a great Edge Day vinyl package.

I spotted one on ebay a few months back and I've been on the hunt to own a copy ever since.

This two record pack includes both the Step Forward and the Waste Management 7 inches that were released on Painkiller Records. Wrapped up with a cover full of old flyer images from the original Boston Crew, and then screened with three X's...this package looks amazing.

Hand numbered and limited to 100. Wrapped with a slick looking OBI style strip with the details for the release.

Each record has the date of 10-18-08 stamped on the label.

The cool thing is that for Edge Day 2010, I was able to catch both of these bands playing in Boston again. Great sets from each band, only this time around they didn't have any cool merch.