Early 90's In Color: Worlds Collide

Worlds Collide just had their discography LP released and for a quick second I was tempted to pick it up. Initially I was excited to have everything from the band contained on one record, but then when I revisited the All Hope Abandon album, I remembered that it has always kind of bored me. There are a few amazing songs on that record, but for the most part I just don't care to return to it very often. The two songs from the 7 inch and the song from the Voice Of The Voiceless comp, on the other hand, are some of the best hardcore songs to come out of the early 90's. So instead of wasting my money on the discography album, I just picked up a second copy of the Victory 7 inch.

There is something about early 90's vinyl that just looks so good, and I love that Discogs lists this color as gold and not yellow.

Man, I remember this band being so huge in the early 90's... well, as a big as hardcore bands got at that time. They had only the 7 inch, the one comp song, plus the Get Ross live 12 inch when I saw them open for Shelter in some church in Boston. People lost their minds during Worlds Collide, and I remember at one point the stage just being mobbed with people jumping on each other and singing along. That's how I remember it anyway. The best of times.

When we started 2022, and I was thinking about records that I wanted to chase and collecting goals that I wanted to achieve, I wondered how things would shake out if I didn't spend time and money chasing variants for records that I already owned. I didn't even make it one fucking month and I was picking up the gold vinyl to go with my green Worlds Collide 7 inch. They do look damn good together though.

The Chase Is On

While I've always loved Reach The Sky, it wasn't until a few years ago that I got it in my head that I needed to really collect them. I made a good run at their first 7 inch and quickly grabbed a complete collection, plus I picked up some other random records from the band and I was on my way.

Somehow, three years have passed since I started up this Reach The Sky collection, and since that initial burst of activity I've made no further progress. While I was picking up some cheap records from a Discogs seller, I noticed that they had some records from my want list available. They were ridiculously cheap, so I didn't hesitate to grab them.

The Open Roads And Broken Dreams 7 inch was the first record from the band, after their Lost Glories demo, and the Boston hardcore scene was really strong at that time. I must have seen this band every other month back then.

Green vinyl is limited to 400. I have the white pressing so now all I need is the blue.

When the Everybody's Hero 7 inch was released in 1999, I wrote it off as pointless single from Victory. All the songs were on the So Far From Home album from Reach The Sky, and it kind of bummed me out when bands would release these kind of singles. It felt like a trick where the label would get you to buy the 7 inch, and then also include those songs on the full length a couple months later. Nothing exclusive here, but I do love these songs, and I want to complete the collection, so.....

This 7 inch was pressed on both grey and clear colored vinyl, and now I have them both, so this one is complete.

I'm almost done with the Reach The Sky 7 inch collection...unless I also chase after their splits with Buried Alive and With One Intent...which of course I'll have to do, and there are a number of pressings for those two records, so it may take me a little longer to complete this.

Record Store Day 2014 Part 1: Learn To Obey

Somewhere along the way, I stopped caring about Record Store Day releases. It used to be that I would pour over the list each year, memorizing all those new records that I had to have. Then at some point it hit me...a lot of this was just part of the RSD hype machine, and at the end of the day, I didn't need another armful of vinyl repressings that I probably wouldn't care about if it wasn't Record Store Day.

For this year, I gave a passing glance at the list of RSD releases, and decided that there were only a couple of releases that I really wanted to get my hands on. This was the first year that I didn't bother with the lines, and showed up an hour after the doors opened. It was a pretty laid back affair, but as I started flipping through the vinyl, I ended up walking out of the store with much more than I had anticipated.

At the top of my Record Store Day list was the new OFF! 7 inch. Two exclusive songs that aren't on the new LP...it was one of the few things that I would have been bummed if I didn't get it. I let out a sigh of relief when I found a copy.

The one other piece of vinyl that I was on the hunt for was the Clutch/Lionize split 7 inch. I couldn't have cared less about the Lionize side, but a new Clutch song for their side of the record? Fuck yes.

Truth be told, I had completely forgotten that there was going to be a new pressing of Up Front's Spirit LP for Record Store Day. I was happily surprised when I saw it in the vinyl bin. Probably the best thing released on this day. This record completes the trifecta of vinyl that I NEEDED to have. Every new release beyond this point was a bonus, and was something that wouldn't have broken my heart if I didn't buy one.

Let start off the remainder of my RSD haul with the Revelation stuff. I love Farside, and someday I'd like to make a run at building a decent collection. Until then, I'll grab this copy of the band's first 7 inch on blue vinyl.

I skipped REV's RSD pressing of the first Sense Field LP last year. I've always though of it as a bit of a turd, but I do really enjoy Killed For Less and Building. I'm not out to collect multiple copies, but since I didn't already own Building on vinyl, I figured that this was a good opportunity to finally buy one...plus that red vinyl looks great!

Another band that I'd like to get around to collecting someday is Battery. I think that the only piece of vinyl I had for them was the copy of the 7 inch I got a couple years ago. Embarrassing. I happily took this opportunity to grab my first piece of vinyl for Whatever It Takes.

Quick story...I remember sitting outside a show talking to Lacroix from Ten Yard Fight, and he was telling me that Ken Olden was bragging about how easy it was to write a Youth Crew Hardcore record. Apparently, Ken said he could crank one out in 5 minutes. When I first heard Whatever It Takes, I was disappointed with how uninspired it sounded...kind of like the band rushed through it in 5 minutes. The record is okay, and I probably enjoy it more today than when it was released, but let's not kid ourselves...Until The End crushes this one.

At one point, I was a huge fan of Strife. I saw them a few times in Boston back in the day, and they always were great live. In This Defiance hasn't aged that well, and I rarely even bother with it these days, but I never owned it on vinyl, so I figured "what the Hell", and bought one on Record Store Day.

Scott Vogel has done a lot of bands. I liked Despair, and while it has been many years since I've bothered with Terror, I remember digging those first two records. I've never really spent a lot of time with Buried Alive, and figured that the Record Store Day provided a good opportunity to dig into them beyond a casual listen.

Once I had all the Hardcore vinyl that I wanted, it was time to decide what else I wanted to pick up. It seems that each year, there is some "limited" release from Jimi Hendrix. Typically it is some throw away 7 inch that I can't imagine anyone really needs, but this year we got a vinyl pressing of Live At Monterey. I love most of the Hendrix stuff and this is a solid live set. I was in the mood for spending money...plus that cover is too bad ass to resist...so I grabbed myself a copy.

Speaking of spending money...I had an internal debate over purchasing the reissue of The Doors compilation, Weird Scenes Inside The Gold Mine. While not really a Greatest Hits record, there is nothing new here, but it does have a couple of B-sides that I don't own on vinyl. These songs, in addition with how great the vinyl looks, convinced me to spend the money and buy a copy.

Now that I had plenty of new RSD vinyl, it was time to hit the used bins...to be continued...

Record Store Day 2013 - Part 1: The New Shit

I know that everyone likes to take a piss all over Record Store Day. I can understand the hate. With record stores slowly vanishing from existence, the day was created to celebrate those that were still around, as well as increasing the visibility of vinyl as a valid format as more kids were going digital. Like all things that start off with the purest intention, there will always be someone out there looking to exploit it and make some money. Over the past five years, we've seen more and more usless Record Store Day exclusive re-issues (do we really need another Jimi Hendrix 7 inch?) and some of the prices are retarded ($14 for a 7 inch?)...and do I need to mention the douchebag flippers that only want the most rare releases so they can cash in on eBay? Still, I'm not going to let these things get me down. I still look forward to this day, even if it is an excuse to head out for a day of record shopping.

This year, my shopping list of RSD releases was pretty small. There were only a few that I cared about, and of those, I wouldn't have been too upset if I didn't get my hands on one. Still, Jeff and I were standing in line at 8:45 in the morning, waiting for the doors to open.

The first piece of vinyl that I grabbed was the picture disc for Dio. People seem to love the Magica album, and claim it as their favorite from Dio's later years. While I do like it, I always prefer Killing The Dragon or Master Of The Moon over this one.

I generally don't care about picture discs, but I still have a love affair with all things Dio, so I quickly grabbed the only copy in the store. In years past, these Dio/Rainbow picture discs sell for around $26, so I was surprised to see this one only at $17.

Another picture disc that I was hoping to find was the Testament 7 inch.

Nothing new and exciting here. Just covers of Iron Maiden and Scorpions that were included on thier Dark Roots Of Earth album from last year. Still it is a nice collectable.

Next up is the recent batch of repressings from Revelation Records. This year's list was kind of a let down, but I do love The Nerve Agents, so at least there was one to look forward to.

I wasn't really interested in the other two REV releases, the first Sense Field LP and the Slipknot 7 inch. I'd never really bothered with either one of these, and chose to continue to ignore the Sense Field LP. Slipknot on the other hand, I figured that I'd give them a shot.

I remember reading some comparisons to early Corrosion Of Conformity, and this Slipknot EP definitely has some of that Animosity sound to it. I'm glad to finally have given this one a chance.

Victory has also gotten into the Record Store Day game, and unlike REV, Victory is sticking to those classics that will sell. No Baby Gopal or Hi-Fi and the Roadburners shit...nope, we get the classic Snapcase EP, Steps. I do love some early Snapcase.

One of Victory's biggest bands has to be Earth Crisis. I can only hang with the band though the Destroy The Machines album, so I'm glad the label chose to stick with the early years and repress the Firestorm EP.

Once I had all my RSD purchases, I headed over to the regular vinyl section. I'd downloaded the new Saint Vitus album last year, but it really didn't do much for me. I'd given it a few spins, and as much as I wanted to like it, it just wasn't happening. A month or so ago, I was out for a 10 mile run, and one of the new songs popped up in my running mix. I couldn't tell who it was, but I was loving the heavy doom sound, and singers voice pushed to song to another level. When I got home, I scanned back over the songs that had played and was surprised to find that it was Saint Vitus. It finally clicked, and I was glad to find a copy on Record Store Day.

Time For Inner Strength

The first record that Victory Records released was the Time For Reality 7 inch from Inner Strength. This was back in 1989. Here we are in 2013, and I'm hearing it for the first time.

I don't know why I never bothered with this record. Getting into Hardcore back in early 90's, and loving the Worlds Collide, Billingsgate, and the Only The Strong comp from Victory, you would have thought that I would have been all over this Inner Strength record. For whatever reason, it just never happened, and as time marched forward it was forgotten about.

When I was looking over the records that Jeff from Bottled Up had available on eBay a month ago, mixed in amongst the super rare pressings from Have Heart, The First Step, and Outlast, was this copy of the Inner Strength record. I figured that if I had a chance to grab it for cheap, I'd take it. No surprise, but I was the only one interested, and won it with one bid.

Listening to this today, I probably overlooked it back in the early 90's because I'd possibly read some reviews, and to be honest, this record isn't nearly as strong as the next few Victory releases. I still enjoy the record, but it isn't anything to lose your mind over...still, it is a fun listen when you are in a mood for some late 80's/early 90's hardcore. Queue this up next to Walk Proud, and you'll be all set.

Record Store Day 2012

After getting home at 1:00 in the morning from the Ceremony show on Saturday, I was up early on Saturday for Record Store Day. While I was looking forward to the day, I really hadn't put in a whole lot of research into what was being released. I knew Revelation and Victory were releasing some stuff for RSD, but for the most part, I just planned on getting to the store and seeing what was available.

By the end of the day, I managed to pull in a pretty good haul, and got my hands on everything I wanted.

Let's kick things off with the vinyl that was at the top of my Record Store Day want list...the "Big Four" from REV. Since I didn't have any of these releases on colored vinyl, I was excited for the choices REV made this year.

When Farside's second LP, Rigged was released back in 1994, I was still occasionally buying vinyl, so I do have the original pressing on black vinyl. I was not a collector, however, and I wasn't even aware of the concept of limited colored vinyl. It was foreign to me. I had my copy that I picked up at Newbury Comics, and that was good enough for me. How times have changed. I was pretty happy to finally pick up a copy on colored vinyl.

Also released in 1994, we have Sense Field's Killed For Less LP. This album has a lot of sentimental value for me, as I clearly remember listening to this CD in my car as my wife and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary along the coast of Maine. Lyrics like "in a town by the ocean, shall we pass another year", they bring me back to that time and those memories from almost 18 years ago.

Into Another were a strange band, and one that I still struggle to fully appreciate. I remember when this was released...dudes from Underdog and Bold, the guitar player from Whiplash...fuck yeah! I dropped the arm of my turntable and as Underlord kicked in, I thought it sounded a lot like Ozzy. What the fuck?! I tried to get into the album, but after a while I just gave up and shelved it. 20 years later I find myself pretty excited to pick up a colored vinyl copy of this LP, because these days, I can truly appreciate how good this first album is.

The re-issue of Ignite's Call On My Brothers is an odd fit with the other three releases. A repress of Texas Is The Reason or even Shades Apart would seem to be a better fit, but this is my favorite Ignite release, so I'm not complaining. I still get chills listening to Ash Return.

I'm a huge fanboy for Ronnie James Dio, so of course I had the new picture disk release for Rainbow's Long Live Rock N Roll on my want list for the day. By far, this was the most expensive item that I purchased for Record Store Day. $30 for a picture disc seemed pretty steep. Since I already own the original vinyl release, and the Back On Black colored vinyl re-issue, I experienced some inner conflict as to why I needed to spend my money on this. Yeah, the fanboy won the argument, and I ended up with another copy for the collection. Don't ask me to justify it, because I can't.

Yeah, it is limited and shit.

Rhino repressed Walk Among Us by The Misfits...again. It has been a few years since their 180 gram vinyl pressing, so I guess it was time to cash in again...this time with four different pressings of colored vinyl. While I love the band, I don't really collect Misfits vinyl. Still I couldn't resist the urge, and I grabbed two copies.

I typically take the plastic wrap off the albums I purchase, but I kind of want to keep the silver Record Store Day stamp.

I had ended up with two blue copies, but my friend, Rob, was nice enough to trade his red copy for one of my blues.

Maybe it was an attempt to apologize for Lulu, but at the end of last year, Metallica released four songs that ended up on the cutting room floor from the Death Magnetic sessions. They were originally released as an exclusive download through itunes, but Record Store Day is a pretty good occassion to deliver a vinyl release. The songs themselves aren't as strong as anything off Death Magnetic, and I can see why they were originally cut. Still as some bonus Metallica material, it isn't terrible.

I think this was Victory's first year doing special releases for Record Store Day. I don't care for some of the stuff they released, but they did make a few great choices.

You couldn't be a part of the Hardcore scene in the mid-90's without liking Snapcase. Seriously, I think it was a rule. Snapcase set the foundation down with great releases like Lookinglasself and Steps, but they hit their peak with 1997's Progression Through Unlearning. Damn, that crazy guitar riff/into to Zombie Perscription encapsules everything that was great about this era of Hardcore.

One of the few records that I bought on Record Store Day that I'd never heard before was the 7 inch from Blood For Blood. I don't think it is as good as Outlaw Anthems or Living In Exile, but these three songs are solid and much better then I would have guessed them to be.

The RSD pressing of the Cause For Alarm 7 inch was the first time that I've bought this record. For some reason, I never even bothered to pick this up when Victory re-issued it back in 1994. Great record, and I'm glad that I finally have a copy in my collection.

Sure, I'm a big nerd, but I like the added touch of the Record Store Day stickers that Victory used on their releases.

Another record that I've never owned a copy of, until Record Store Day, was Poison Idea's Pick Your King. I've never really spent a lot of time with this band, but I am enjoying listening to this 7 inch. Thirteen songs in about twelve and half minutes. Ripping.

The cool touch about this re-issue was the additional note on the inside sleeve that announces that this was a RSD release.

A couple of my favorite things from The White Stripes...the non-album song Hand Springs, and Meg White's boobs. After this was sold out at the first store I went to, I was glad to find a copy at the next store I visited.

The one non-Record Store Day vinyl that I picked up was the Artifitial Peace LP from Dischord. Another classic from that early 80's DC scene.

That's it for my Record Store Day haul. Pretty good day overall, with some very solid re-issues. I'm broke and happy.