Finale

It is a shame to see great bands call it quits, but I'd rather see them go out on top, instead of hanging around for too long. True Colors went out on top. Three 7 inches, and two LP's is a solid output for any hardcore band, but True Colors sounded fresh and vital on every release...never getting stale.

Just like the Floorpunch discography, Six Feet Under did a great job on the packaging for the final True Colors record. Nice looking layout, and this may be the first time that I've seen a gatefold sleeve for a 7 inch record. Unlike the Floorpunch discography, Six Feet Under didn't give us shitty looking vinyl for the True Colors record. Nice and basic solid colors that go well with the record cover. 1,019 pressed on white vinyl.

Inside the gatefold sleeve is a nice shot of various True Colors record sleeves, fliers and t-shirts. Cruel reminder of just how many special pressings I'm missing of their records. 608 pressed on black vinyl.

The record comes with a nice, big foldout insert with lyrics on one side and a nice live shot on the other. 300 pressed on clear vinyl.


Of course the best looking vinyl is the olive green pressing that goes nice with the green on the record cover. This was the most limited color with only 104 pressed. Plus it came with a bonus 7 inch which collects the band's compilation tracks and a few other rarities.


The bonus 7 inch was only available in the Consider It Done pre-order package. 200 were pressed of the bonus 7 inch, but only 100 were included with the Consider It Done package.

Dedication Is What You Lack

I received a big box of records from Six Feet Under a couple of weeks ago. It is too overwhelming to post them all at once, so I'll break it out into two separate posts.

Floorpunch. I can not express how important this band was, and how much hardcore needed them at that time. The early to mid-90's sucked for hardcore. Sure I bought into the whole ultra-PC scene, and I spent more money on bad screamo style records than I care to think about. When bands like Ten Yard Fight and Fastbreak came around, it was like a second awakening of what I really liked about hardcore. When I first heard the Floorpunch demo, it was like a reincarnation of the first Judge 7 inch...holy shit, the bar could not be set higher, and I played it for anyone that would listen. When I first saw them live in Boston I was still in a transition...I saw Floorpunch play with Rancor, Fastbreak and Ten Yard Fight, and then a few weeks later I was flying out to California for the Ebullition fest where bands played on the floor, no one moshed or did stagedives, and between bands people would get on stage and talk about their experience with sexual violence. It was cool for what it was, I guess, but in the end, it was really time for me to get out of that scene. I must have stood out like a sore thumb with my brand new Ten Yard Fight and Floorpunch shirts. 15 years later, I haven't given up on this style of hardcore.

Six Feet Under have done a great job on the Floorpunch double LP discography. Slick looking gatefold sleeve with a tri-fold insert. My favorite piece of vinyl from this pressing is the clear vinyl. 1,009 pressed.

Splatter vinyl never looks good, and although this one doesn't look as bad as the Judge discography, it still doesn't do much for me. My copy has all kinds of vinyl dust and grit on it. When I pull it out of the sleeve, it feels like the vinyl is rubbing against sand paper. I'm going to have to get new dust covers and wash the vinyl for this one. 303 on tiger stripe/orange and black splatter vinyl.

I believe they are calling this one gold vinyl. I wish that it was clear gold like the 7 inch. 599 pressed.

Bust!

Apologies and Regret

I knew it would happen. I knew that if I didn't pick up the Not Sorry five 7 inch package deal from Salad Days Records, then I would regret it. The label is out of Portugal, and in the end, I couldn't bring myself to lay down the money for the package deal plus overseas shipping. My loss, and now I wish that I had picked it up when I had the chance. When John from Not Sorry posted on the REACT! board that he had some black vinyl copies available, and one copy on yellow vinyl going to one person at random, I figured that I'd cough up some cash to get one of the Salad Days pressings. When Salad Days put up pre-orders for the Police & Thieves 12 inch in the next week or so, I will not hesitate to order.

Black vinyl with the Salad Days stamp on the dust sleeve. 300 pressed.

Sick As A Dog

Bridge Nine did an outstanding job with the reissue of Underdog's 7 inch, and their release of the discography, Matchless, is just as amazing. Double LP...gatefold sleeve...plus a "visual outtakes" book that was only available for the pre-order press on red vinyl. The book is a pretty cool bonus, containing photos of the band and a few interviews from various zines over the years. I've got to say though, the interview that is included from Bullshit Monthly (1988) is really bad. A pointless interview that goes nowhere, and really, a fine example of why people would lose interest in reading zines. Still, the book is a cool addition, and I even made it into a couple of photos included from Underdog's set at Posi-Numbers in 2005.

As it seems to be my theme lately, I was pretty hard up for cash when Matchless went up for pre-order. Still I wasn't going to let it pass me by, so I only ordered one copy...for now.

While I was ordering the Underdog discography, I figured that I'd grab the new 7 inch single from Ceremony. At least Bridge Nine has started including an exclusive non-LP track on their singles now, so they don't seem to be a complete money grab. The two songs on this 7 inch are set to simply destroy. Brutal and vicious. 300 pressed on white vinyl.

I'm not sure what the intent is with the lyrics to Sick. Sick of Black Flag. Sick of Cro-Mags. Really? In any case, the song is a full blown anthem set to inspire complete chaos when the band performs the song live.

Record Store Day Rampage

To celebrate Record Store Day, Six Feet Under offered up a test pressing of the new Floorpunch discography and True Colors 7 inch. For a chance to win, all you had to do was purchase something from their webstore. It was an offer too good to pass up, and even though I didn't win with either test press, I still couldn't resist the temptation to pick up some new vinyl.

A while back, Six Feet Under released Three Successive Blasts from Dean Dirg. For the Euro pressing, they added another Blast and improved the format from a 10 inch to a 12 inch. This is a collection of 7 inch releases pressed on one convenient LP. I have not listened to this one yet, but I do love the spastic, energetic punk rock vibe of Dean Dirg's other records, so I'm sure this one will be a winner as well.

I don't know many record labels that really have their own sound, but the bands on Lockin' Out, seem to belong on Lockin' Out. I had never heard Rampage before, but when I put this album on the turntable, my first thought was "Yeah, this sounds like a Lockin' Out band". The main reason that I picked this up was because I was planning on seeing the band live for the first time along with Lion Of Judah and Step Forward. I didn't get the order from Six Feet Under until after the show happened, but that was okay because I flaked and skipped the show anyway.

I'm intrigued by the vinyl for this pressing. When I first took the record out of the sleeve, I thought that it was only a red and orange swirl pattern, but when I flipped the vinyl to the other side I can see a ring of blue. Would love to see other copies of this and see how they compare.

Another band that I've come to really like is Iron Boots. Three different record labels have pressed the band's 2004 demo over the years. This one is the second pressing on Grave Mistake, with orange labels and limited to 500.

Now for the free shit. I have an old CD from The Rites. It is okay, but not something that I ever listen to. Six Feet Under threw in a free copy of the 7 inch that they released for the band a while back. Cool concept. They released three different versions of the 7 inch, and each one has a different cover song on side two of the record.

The copy that I received has the cover song of Surprise by Thamesmen. 145 pressed and seems to be the only pressing of this 7 inch that is no longer in the Six Feet Under webstore.

The other free record that was thrown in the package was a 12 inch single from Reign Supreme. I'm pretty sure that I saw this band play a show with 108 a few years ago, and I remember hating them. I haven't listened to this record yet, but I'm not too excited about it.

Use Your Head

It took me many years to finally check out the first Motorhead album. Back when I was living and breathing nothing but Metal back in the 80's, my collection started with the band's second album, Overkill. That one along with the following two, Bomber and Ace Of Spades, are pure perfection...but really, there isn't such a thing as a bad Motorhead album. While the first album showcases the band's rough and raw beginnings, it is the foundation on which those classic albums will be built upon, and it certainly should not be overlooked.

Back On Black re-issues always look amazing. The few that I've picked up over the last couple of years have always left me impressed with how solid the packaging is. Colored vinyl. Gatefold cover. Quality.

Three For One Trade

A few weeks back, I had posted about the Record Store Day pressing for the Sick Of It All 7 inch. Over a couple of months leading up to Record Store Day, Marcus had mentioned that he had a few records that he was setting aside, and was planning on sending me. When he requested that I pick him up a copy of the new Sick Of It All pressing, I didn't hesitate to help him out. I've never really traded records before, but this one just kind of fell into place.

I've never been a huge fan of Iron Age. When Constant Struggle was released in 2006, the hardcore community seemed to lose their shit over the band. I know that you can't really compare the two, and it was unfair of me to do so, but all I could think was that it wasn't anywhere as good as Far From Breaking. The metal influenced hardcore thing doesn't typically sit well with me. I love metal, and I love hardcore, but mixing the two tends to leave me unimpressed. Marcus went on and on about how good the new album, The Sleeping Eye, was. When he ended up with an extra copy, I finally gave in and told him that I would take it off his hands.

It has taken me a few years, but I'm finally catching on to the Iron Age hype. This album is pretty sick. The riffs are amazing, and the entire thing is heavy as fuck. You win Marcus. This is a great album.


I dig the stark black and white image for this UK pressing. The whole packaging on this is really well done. Hand numbered out of 100.

The other record that Marcus had set aside for me was the red vinyl pressing of the Billingsgate LP. He had picked this up from someone that was selling their collection, and I'm thankful that he grabbed this one for me. I'm a big fan of Billingsgate, yet I did not own their No Apologies LP on vinyl. This oversight has now been corrected.


Solid looking piece of red vinyl. I have no idea on any of the Nemesis pressing info, so I don't know how many of these exist.

The final piece of vinyl was the Time Flies 7 inch. I recently posted about the Misfits rip off cover that the band did for this record. Marcus mentioned that he had an extra copy of the Captain Harlock cover, and asked if I wanted it. Right on.

Very cool acetate cover with green vinyl. 100 pressed.

When It Rains, It Pours

Sure I've got other records that I've received prior to these latest Rain On The Parade 7 inches, but I figured that I'd keep things rolling with this band. Once again, credit goes to Marcus for the tip on this eBay auction. The seller had a bunch of records that I had my eye on...they ended late at night so I threw a bunch of maximum bids on a handful, and in addition to 5 other wins, I added two more ROTP records to the collection.

First press on blue colored vinyl for mailorder. Hand numbered out of 200.

100 pressed on white vinyl.

I'm a nerd over pressing variations. While the first press includes the lyrics on a separate insert, the second press has the lyrics on the inside of the record sleeve.

First press with the blue cover, and red for the second press.

My War also used different photos on the back cover, and a slightly altered layout between pressings.

I love pictures of record collections. While my Rain On The Parade collection is far from complete, this is what I have so far.

Positive Peer Pressure

At the end of April, I received a message from Marcus. He knew that I was interested in expanding my Rain On The Parade record collection, and there was a record release pressing of the second 7 inch, Full Speed Ahead, on eBay. Plus, it looked like it might go for cheap. I had already spent way too much money on records, and I had just dropped $180 on Record Store Day, so I was really not looking to throw any more cash at records for the month. Still, there was one day left on the auction and the bidding was still at only 99 cents. I figured that I'd try to see if I could pick it up for a steal.

The day of the auction, Marcus and I had traded a few more emails about this record. I told him that I threw a $20.00 max bid on it, but that I was going to be stuck in meetings at work when the auction closed. I really didn't have the $20 to spend, but I figured that I'd be outbid anyway. I got back to my desk after the meeting and found that I had the winning bid...$8.50. Right on.

The record release pressing for Full Speed Ahead was pressed on green marble colored vinyl, and limited to 97...which I think is very cool since it was released in '97. The inside sleeve also has the date of the record release show, and is hand numbered.

Cruel Heart

One of my favorite bands currently on the Bridge Nine roster would have to be Cruel Hand. They have a new album coming out this summer, and I can only hope that it brings the same level of heaviness as their second album Prying Eyes. Picked up my second copy of this album recently. Purple and grey swirl colored vinyl. Limited to 1,300.

Songs To Scream At The Sun is not my favorite Have Heart album, but there is no denying how strong some of these songs are. Seriously, Pave Paradise, is just an amazing song about life on the road as a touring band. Lots of emotion and passion is wrapped up in these songs, and that alone earns my respect. Classic band. Picked up the newest pressing on clear blue vinyl. Limited to 1,000.

Classic Reissues From Bridge Nine

There isn't too much that Bridge Nine releases lately that really interests me. Sure they still have some cool bands like Cruel Hand on their roster, and they are going to be putting out the new Foundation record which I'm interested in, but for the most part I could care less. Reissues on the other hand...Bridge Nine handle these with perfection. While some people didn't care for the repackaging of their Agnostic Front releases, it was still great to see these classics made available again on vinyl. Their latest reissue is the Underdog 7 inch, and it looks amazing. This 7 inch is the precursor to the Underdog discography that will be released soon. I've never really thought too much about picking up the original Underdog 7 inch on New Beginnings Records, but after picking up the reissues on red and gold vinyl, I really want one.

Another classic that was reissued on Bridge Nine a while back was the Project X 7 inch. Since I don't have an original Schism press, I was glad to pick up the initial black vinyl issue from Bridge Nine. I guess that B9 decided to issue a second press on clear vinyl, so I grabbed a copy.

It is Project X, so a pressing on CLEAR vinyl only made sense. Straight Edge Revenge.

Roam Alone

A few months back, when I won a Thought Crusade record on eBay, the seller threw in a bonus 7 inch from a band called Roam Alone. I'd never heard of them, but hey, throw a free record my way, and I'll check it out. For some reason, this band reminds me of Foundation. Maybe it is the guy on the cover with the flannel shirt, which brings to mind the Hang Your Head record, or maybe it is because both bands are from Georgia, or it could have something to do with their shared sound of early 90's hardcore. Drawing influences from Undertow and Unbroken, Roam Alone manage this style well, and capture my attention with this 7 inch.

Under Great White Stripes

I'm a big fan of The White Stripes, and I thought that their last album, Icky Thump, was the best thing they had done since Elephant. My wife and I don't get out to concerts together anymore...apparently she no longer has the desire to drive 2 hours to hardcore shows and watch me pretend that I'm not an old man as I stagedive onto kids half my age...but when The White Stripes came through Maine, back in 2007 (holy shit, has it really been three years?!?!), the two of us hooked up with Rob and Heidi and headed to the show. Jack and Meg White were just amazing, and played a truly great show. This live album, captured during their string of shows across Canada from that same 2007 tour, is kind of a disappointment. Sure there are some killer songs on here, including one of my favorites, 300 M.P.H. Torrential Outpour Blues, and the alternate version of Ball and Biscuit is kind of cool, but as a whole, this live performance doesn't give me the same level of excitement like Under Blackpool Lights did. Still this is a well packaged double album, and is a nice reminder of that concert in Portland.