Have You Tried Jogging?

I was kind of surprised to see a new Bitter Branches record this year. When older dudes come out of hardcore retirement with a new band, I guess that I don't really expect them to stick around too long. Bitter Branches released a five song 12 inch in 2020, and then a two song 7 inch in 2021, and I expected that that might be it for the band. I was happily proven wrong.

While I enjoyed the first Bitter Branches EP, it wasn't something that I returned to very often. So while I was happy that the band was releasing a new record, I didn't feel the need to hunt down any special limited pressing, and I just grabbed a copy of Your Neighbors Are Failures from REVHQ when I was placing an order. Initially, I was put off by the color pattern used for the vinyl, but I'm starting to come around and now I'm kind of digging the orange and black version that I received, and think it flows nice with the cover art. As a side note, I didn't even think that the band name was on the front cover until I was looking at this photo that I'd taken.

As for the record... holy shit... this thing surprised the hell out of me. I really liked the Along Came A Bastard 7 inch, as those two songs hit hard, and with Your Neighbors Are Failures, Bitter Branches continue that trend of anger and agression. I'm surprised with how much I am loving this record.

I don't really collect multiple copies of new records anymore. I'm not interested in keeping up with the dozen different shitty looking color vinyl variants that the labels push out these days. Instead, I will usually just take whatever less offensive color vinyl option I can get and be okay with it. Cover variants, however, are my weakness. As soon as Marcus mentioned that Equal Vision was selling a version of Your Neighbors Are Failures with a special screen printed cover, I jumped into the store to see what was up. Like I said, I was really liking the album, and while I wasn't excited over the splatter vinyl, the special cover had me sold.

Number 100 of 150 made with the red and black splatter vinyl and the special cover. This is a really nice looking version.

After I originally picked up the ACAB 7 inch on clear with yellow splatter vinyl, I discovered that the record was also pressed on pink. I kind of wanted one since pink is the best vinyl color, but I had talked myself out of chasing one. As I was in the EVR store buying a second copy of the Bitter Branches album like a fool, I figured that I might was well go full idiot and pick up a second copy of the 7 inch as well.

Be Well

I'm not sure if Be Well are a real band, or just some friends hanging out and recording a couple of songs, but with Brian McTernen from Battery on vocals, and Aaron Dalbec from Bane on bass, I was interested to hear what they had going on. There was bit of hype on Be Well before their 7 inch was released, plus I was listening to a lot of newer hardcore records, so I had high hopes on this thing.

To add fuel to the flames of my interest with Be Well, REV announced that there was going to be a pressing of the 7 inch on yellow that was limited to 100 and only available from them. Shit. I wasn't going to be able to sit back and catch up with this band six months down the road...no, if I was going to pick up the record, this yellow vinyl was the way to go, and I couldn't afford to wait as I expected it to sell out quick.

The two songs on this record are good...actually they are much better than what I would expect from older hardcore dudes...there is a lot of emotion that comes through in these songs, which makes me want to keep going back to them.

Left Hand Pathos

Last summer I spent a lot of time immersed in 1996. I listened to those records a lot, and it would occasionally inspire me to reach out and spend some time in the neighboring years. Man, the 90's had a definite sound, and while I'd avoided revisiting that decade for a long time, it was nice to be back inside it. My record collection is pretty thin around this time, and it was exciting to go back and buy a bunch of vinyl from those years. After discovering and picking up the Man Will Surrender 12 inch, it got me thinking about other Equal Vision bands from that period, and I added some stuff to my Discogs Wantlist.

One of the records that I was looking to grab was the Pathos album from Shift. According to Discogs, the album was released on clear vinyl, but there weren't any listed for sale, and one had never been sold through the site. The last record of one selling was on eBay...and popsike showed that as the only one...ever...and that was back in 2015. They didn't seem to come around very often, but I threw it on my Wantlist, and hoped for the best.

When Discogs notified me that one was available for sale, I jumped at it, determined to get it before it disappeared.

Shift are quintessential 90's Hardcore. More Rock than Chugga Chugga, but definitely rooted in that time period. Classic.

Never Surrender

I always kind of lumped Man Will Surrender in with those "too cool for Hardcore" Doghouse rock bands. I ignored them back in the mid-90's, as I had no interest in that weak ass style. Well, as time goes on, sometimes you find your stance relax a little, and you open your eyes up to those bands that you fought against back when you were young and more closed minded.

When I was neck deep into my 1996 obsession, I saw that Man Will Surrender had released an EP on Equal Vision that year. I was feeling adventurous, so I loaded up to the songs to check them out. They kind of blew in and out...initially not leaving much of an impression. Still, I stuck with it, giving the songs an occasional spin here and there. I found that with repeated listens, I started to enjoy it more an more, and before too long, I knew that I was going to need the vinyl.

There was a copy on blue vinyl available through Discogs for a while, and I had my eye on it. A copy had never sold on Discogs, so I figured that I might be able to wait it out, and see if a cheaper copy would come along there or on eBay. My resolve lasted about a month before I broke down. I just wanted the record, damn it, and with my need for instant gratification, I could only be expected to wait so long. Price be damned, I was buying it.