Tuesday, October 30, 2012

REV25: Cali to NYC

Revelation Records celebrated their 25th anniversary with a string of four shows out in California. The list of bands was impressive...Youth of Today, Gorilla Biscuits, No For An Answer, Sick Of It All, Statue, and Quicksand to name few...however, it wasn't until it was announced that In My Eyes was doing a reunion set, that I became really jealous. I wanted to make it out for this show, and I was crushed that I knew I wasn't going to be able to swing it.

I did, however, have a friend that was headed out to the shows with a VIP ticket. Knowing that he wasn't a record collector, I told him that I'd buy any special vinyl that came with his VIP package. As a memento of the occasion, REV released a compilation LP containing live songs from the bands that were playing in the anniversary shows. While the LP was available to everyone at the show, the gold colored vinyl was only available to those that purchased the VIP package deal.

Limited to 306 on gold vinyl.

When it was announced that REV was also doing a set of shows in NYC, I check in with Rob and Paul to see if they would be up for a roadtrip. We weren't going to be able to swing four days in NYC, so we had to wait for the line ups to be announced and then pick the two days that were most attractive to us. When it was announced that Chain of Strength was playing, the Hardcore world lost their collective minds. Holy shit, this was going to be epic. Then as the remaining bands started to be announced, and who was playing each day, I couldn't help but feel a little let down. There was a whole load of "who gives a fuck" bands...Iceburn, On The Might Of Princes, Shai Hulud, Damnation A.D....yawn. There were also a few bands that, while I enjoy them, I wasn't excited to make a six hour driver to NYC to see them...Gameface, Shook Ones, Shades Apart...meh. For the really good bands that I wanted to see, they were spread out over the four days, so I would be forced to miss some of them. My friends and I opted for the Saturday and Sunday shows, catching Battery, Bold and Chain one night, and then Supertouch, Youth of Today, and Into Another the next.

Once again, REV pressed a comp LP for the NYC anniversary shows. The cover for the record is a really cool way to represent all the bands that played NYC (even though Project X cancelled, and Sick of it All played a set). Like the Cali LP, this is very cool souvenir from this event...however, there isn't a lot here to be excited about. Other than the Statue and Shades Apart songs, which I'd never heard, or the Gorilla Biscuits covering The Abused...I'll probably only listen to this once or twice.

770 pressed on clear vinyl.

Monday, October 29, 2012

This Is Stick Together Hardcore

I was feeling pretty good about my Stick Together collection. I thought that I was only missing the Cali tour press for No More Games. To remedy this, my paypal account and I started started searching eBay for anyone that might be interested in joining our three way.

Much to my surprise, I stumbled upon a copy of Surviving the Times with an In My Blood cover. Whoa. What is this? I'd never heard of this before. Of course In My Blood Records were the ones to release the Floorpunch demo, along with the band's first 7 inch...truly a landmark record label from 1995/1996. With that in mind, and not really knowing anything about this cover, I placed a bid with a mission to win it.

After I'd received the record, I discovered that this was a special cover for the This Is Hardcore fest. Hand numbered and limited to 100. Very cool.

Friday, October 26, 2012

Complete and Total Fucking Midnight

I was a little late for Midnight's 2011 LP, Satanic Royalty. Had I heard it a few months earlier, it would have easily made my Top 10 for 2011 list. The band plays an awesome blend of Venom/Motorhead influenced Metal...completely over the top.

A couple months ago, I was listening to Satanic Royalty and found that I needed more Midnight. I knew that they had released some other material prior to that album, so I started looking into what I could get my hands on. Much to my surprise, I found that Hells Headbangers had recently released a double album from Midnight, capturing everything outside of the Satanic Royalty LP.

Of course, this collection isn't as strong as last years full length, but it is still a lot of fun. Like Satanic Royalty, the Complete and Total Hell compilation is not for the faint of heart, or the easily offended. Midnight delivers more songs of devil worship with All Hail Hell and On The Wings Of Satan...you know, typical Venom fare...but we also get stuff like Vomit Queens and Endless Slut. Come on, don't laugh...just put on your jean jacket that is covered in Mercyful Fate, Slayer and Exodus patches, and bang your fucking head. If it is too much for you, you are more than welcome to go check out that new DYS single...I heard that it's a banger.

Grey vinyl, packaged in a gatefold sleeve to showcase the artwork of Midnight's releases that are included on the compilation. Oh yeah, we also get pictures of chicks hanging off of the Midnight dudes. Hell yeah.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

No Longer Trapped

I've avoided Trapped Under Ice for the longest time. I refused to buy into the hype, and because of preconceived notions that I had of the band, I hated them without even hearing them. Then, much to my surprise, I found myself really enjoying the harder style of bands like Downpresser and Backtrack. But it was Turnstile that finally pushed me to open my mind to the possibility that Trapped Under Ice might not be as bad as I had imagined. I absolutely love that Turnstile 7 inch, and I figured that since the singer for that band is also in Trapped Under Ice, maybe I should give them a chance.

I checked out the song Pleased To Meet You on youtube, and I was sold. How can you listen to that song and not move? Once I removed my prejudices that this was some badly tattooed, tough guy hardcore band, I found that I really enjoyed them. Albums like Big Kiss Goodnight remind me that it doesn't pay to be a jaded dick. Sure it will fill the dance floor with douchebags, but that doesn't mean that I can't like the songs.

590 pressed on red vinyl.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Birds Of A Feather

Last year, one of the biggest surprises for me was Night Birds. Man, it set me of on a tangent of listening to tons of Circle Jerks, Angry Samoans, Dead Kennedys, Agent Orange, and a bunch of other early 80's Hardcore Punk bands. The Night Birds nailed that sound, and I find that I'm still spinning their discography on a regular basis.

When Grave Mistake put up pre-orders for the Fresh Kills LP, I didn't hesitate to buy a copy. Sure it is a compilation album that combines their 7 inch and demo recordings, and while I already owned the self titled and Midnight Movies records...oh, and I already owned Fresh Kills on CD...there wasn't any way that I was going to miss out on this.

The limited pre-order version came with a pretty cool looking, screened OBI style strip. I've raved on this blog numerous times about how much I love the OBI strip, so of course I thought it was a nice addition with this LP.

The back of each OBI strip is hand numbered out of 210.

A few months back, Grave Mistake issued the second pressing of the Night Birds debut album, The Other Side of Darkness. The first pressing was all on black vinyl, and since the second press was as well, I saw no reason to rush out and buy a copy. Since I was in the Grave Mistake store picking up the new Fresh Kills vinyl, and because I'm an idiot, I decided I might as well pick up that second pressing while I was there. Why the fuck not?

First press has white labels, while the second press got red. Sure they are both black vinyl, but when I set them side by side, I was glad to have one of each.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Single, Double, Triple B

Back in May, Triple B threw up three new pre-orders. Two of them I was pretty psyched for, the other one I picked up just because it was there.

I wasn't too interested in the new 7 inch from Rude Awakening. The preview track that Triple B posted sounded okay, and had kind of that Backtrack vibe going on, so I rolled the dice and threw $5.00 at it.

I don't know if it will get regular spins, but I did find that I enjoyed the record more than I expected. Rude Awakening feature 3/5 of Wrench's band from a few years ago, Resist. Josh Hynes takes over vocal duties here, and at times, his voice sounds a lot like early Ensign. Not bad.

100 pressed on teal vinyl.

Clear. I've been hearing this name dropped for about a year...an old school, Straight Edge band with Pat Flynn on vocals. This demo 7 inch is worth the hype.

300 pressed on clear vinyl.

6 songs in under 5 minutes. A record so short, the same songs are pressed on both sides...kind of like my cassette copy of Reign in Blood.

600 pressed on clear blue vinyl.

Featuring members from Wake Up Call and Cruel Hand, DNA make a serious mark in the Hardcore scene with their debut 7 inch.

100 pressed on white and black swirl.

I caught DNA about a year ago, and they covered a Bad Brains song, and I can hear that influence throughout this record. The songs are played with the same kind of frantic energy, and lyrics are sung so fast that I have a hard time following along. Seriously, just listen to Gonna Break and try and keep up.

200 pressed on black.

300 pressed on clear.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Under Two More Shadows

Occasionally, I'll try to cut back on the number of records that I buy. I've spent so much money on records this year, it is ridiculous. In an effort to cut back, I only ordered one copy of Under The Same Shadow from Take Offense. Yeah, that level of restraint didn't last very long, and a few months later I was ordering two more copies.

With their brand of Join The Army/Suicidal style hardcore, Take Offense can do no wrong in my eyes. Why did I think that I could get away with only one copy of this record?

600 on gold vinyl.

950 on clear.

Friday, October 12, 2012

Melvins Ambient Takeover

It has taken me years to begin to appreciate some of the Melvins stuff...and even now, there are times when I can only take them in small doses. There are times when I am completely blown away by the incredible riff and guitar sound in one of their songs, and other times when they just drone on and lose my interest. My friend Rob, on the other hand is a much bigger fan than I am, and he has been trying to push the Melvins on me for a few years now. I'm slowly coming around, so he took the opportunity to buy me some Melvins vinyl for my birthday.

Back in 2003, the Melvins released a series of seven 7 inch records. Side A from each one ended up on their Hostile Ambient Takeover album, while the B Side song was exclusive to the 7 inch, and in most cases was a cover song.

Melvins vinyl typically sells out quick and then goes for big money on ebay. Rob sprung for Judas Chang 7 inch from the Hostile Ambient Takeover series, and damn, he picked a great one. The A Side original is really good, but it is the Mott The Hoople cover on Side B that really gets my attention. The song, Jerkin' Krokus, has a great Kiss feel to it...well, with the exception of that creepy part in the middle where the music stops and King Buzzo just whispers. Weird, but in a very cool way.

The packaging on this annoys the hell out of me though. If it wasn't for the internet, I wouldn't know the name of this record, or the songs that are on it...just part of the Melvins madness, I suppose.

Tuesday, October 09, 2012

Fired Up Over ROTP

Sometimes, I look back and wonder what the hell I was thinking. I remember when Youngblood released the Fired Up 7 inch from Rain On The Parade, and I also remember not caring. Why? Because two of the songs were already released on the LP. Yeah, this is the reason why I passed on this record originally. Crazy, I know, but what would you expect from someone who was buying Limp Bizkit and Brian Setzer records at the time.

Building my Rain On The Parade collection this was a hole that I was looking forward to filling. 2012, and I'm hearing three of these songs for the very first time. It is like unearthing some long lost treasure...except this treasure only cost me 99 cents. Great stuff.

700 pressed on black vinyl.

Monday, October 08, 2012

Wolf Whistle Pack

To the best of my knowledge, Wolf Whistle was Pat Flynn's first post-Have Heart band. For kids that were hoping for Have Heart part 2, they would be severely disappointed.

Like the New England coastline in the Winter, Wolf Whistle are jagged and harsh. Raging and chaotic, the band blast through 11 songs in around 8 minutes for their newest release, MA Glory. Shit is pretty ugly, and is something that I can only take in small doses...but that is okay because it seems that as soon as it starts...it's over.

I must have felt like I had some money to throw around when Six Feet Under made the new Wolf Whistle record available for pre-order, because I ordered all three copies.

I had placed my order back in May, and while I was still waiting for my records in July, Six Feet Under put up some left over copies of MA Glory that were made for the Sound & Fury fest. I grabbed one, giving me four copies for this record.

The difference between the regular press and the limited S&F press is the black frame around the cover.

Saturday, October 06, 2012

Green Turnstile

Earlier this year, Reaper Records did a second press of the Turnstile 7 inch. 300 on black vinyl. They ran out of covers at some point and had to print up some extras. To keep things interesting, they went with an alternate green cover, splitting the second press between 168 with the inital blue cover, and 132 with the new green one.

This actually reminds me that I still need the pre-order cover for this. I'm going to have to set up an automatic ebay search to alert me when someone puts one up.

Friday, October 05, 2012

Don't Hear It... Fear It!

Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell. What a strange fucking name for a band...and the cover art for their first LP is equally as bizarre.

Don't Hear It... Fear It! was released on Rise Above, so I was immediately interested to check it out. The problem was, I'd never heard the band before. Rise Above releases cost me a small fortune to order overseas from the label, so I wanted to hear the band before I bought anything. I came up empty with downloads, and had to rely on a youtube clip of the song Day After Day. Oh hell yeah! It was all the 70's influenced rock that I was hoping for, and I started counting down the days until Rise Above put the vinyl up in their store.

Now, the last couple of records that Rise Above released have sold out incredibly quick. I hesitated with Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats, and I wasn't going to make the same mistake with the new Admiral Cloudesley Shovell LP. Unfortunately for me, Rise Above put up the regular pressings of vinyl prior to their limited Die Hard versions. In order to not get left out of "the next big thing", I ordered the first piece of vinyl that was available...thus missing out on the Die Hard version that had a bonus 7 inch. Rise Above still have the regular colored vinyl pressings available in the webstore, so it looks like I didn't need to be so quick to pull the trigger.

Red vinyl was limited to 300.

A few months back, I wrote about the new Horisont LP that I picked up from Rise Above. I mentioned that I had ordered the Die Hard version of the album, but the label failed to include the poster and patch. When I was ordering the Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell album, I asked if they could include those missed items from my previous order. I'm glad to finally have these two pieces that will get tucked into the album sleeve and never see the light of day again.

Thursday, October 04, 2012

Finally Getting That Supertouch

When I first downloaded and heard the new Supertouch 7 inch last year, I could not have cared less. Yeah, it sounded like a continuation of their track from the Anti-Matter comp from 15 years ago, but I really didn't feel like I needed four more songs of that style.

Still, I held on to the songs. They kept coming up in my 2011 playlist, and over the year, they grew on me a little bit. I've never been a huge fan of Supertouch, but over this past summer, when I found myself obsessed with early 90's Hardcore, I had a sudden appreciation of The Earth Is Flat, and was even spinning those new songs as well. When I found a copy of Lost My Way for about four bucks on eBay, I figured that it was time to commit and buy a copy.

803 coke bottle clear vinyl.

Wednesday, October 03, 2012

Blood Brothers

Back when I was picking up the new OFF! LP from Interpunk, I mentioned it to Marcus in case he wanted to order one as well. Seeing that the distro charges insanely high shipping for overseas orders, he decided to skip it and try his luck elsewhere. Just in case things didn't work out for him, I decided to purchase an extra copy.

When the vinyl arrived, I checked back with him to see if he was interested in my spare. He was, and asked what I wanted for it. I'd had my eye on a Spilling Blood Without Reason LP from Voorhees that was listed on eBay from a UK seller. I mentioned that if he could get his hands on a copy, we could trade. This was in May. In July, Marcus posted about the copies that he bought for himself, and said that he was shipping mine out soon. With the backlog of vinyl that I've built up for this blog, here we are in October, and I'm finally posting my copies.

Spilling Blood Without Reason was originally released by Armed With Anger Records back in '94, and I remember picking up my copy through Ebullition mailorder. This thing was vicious, mean and hateful. It was so unlike the Spitboy and Rain Like The Sound Of Trains records that I was used to buying from them at the time. I loved it.

In 2010, Voorhees got back together for some 20th Anniversary reunion gigs, and Grot Records pressed up 500 pieces of colored vinyl for the event. 400 pressed on red vinyl.

When I had asked Marcus for a copy of this album on colored vinyl, I was only aware of the red pressing. It wasn't until he put up his post, that I discovered a clear pressing also existed. It is limited to 100, and goddamn, if he got a copy for himself, he had better have gotten one for me as well. As it turned out, he had to put in some extra work, but he was able to secure me a copy. Much appreciated, man.