Ten Of Hearts

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

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...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.