Iron Man Null And Void

I was supposed to be at an Iron Man show last night, but unfortunately, the band had to cancel at the last minute due to a serious illness. Terrible news. This band quickly because one of my current favorites with the release of their South Of The Earth album back in 2013, and when I heard they were playing Massachusetts, I was bound and determined to catch them live...even if it meant driving two hours alone to the gig, and not getting home until 3:00 in the morning on the day I had to work. That was how much I wanted to see Iron Man.

While it isn't nearly the same as seeing them live, I did recently get a new piece of vinyl for the band.

Iron Man released their third album, Generation Void, back in 1999, but it took until 2014 for it to get a proper release on vinyl. It isn't as strong as it's follow up I Have Returned or the mighty South Of The Earth, but this is still a good record...and when you think about what metal was being released at the time, this would probably make the Top 10 list for that year. Since their debut in '93, Iron Man have not tried to be fashionable or follow the latest trend...they just keep writing Sabbath inspired metal songs. Much respect.

I'm not typically a fan of splatter vinyl, but I'm digging what Shadow Kingdom did with this. Well done.

Box Of Seaweed

Up until last year, I'd never listened to the band Seaweed...hell, I'd barely heard of them...in fact, the only reason why they popped onto my radar at all, was because of Marcus' blog. He really spoke highly of them, and after reading post after post about their records, I finally broke down and checked out their Four LP. Much to my surprise, I absolutely fell in love with that record, and could not stop playing it. No matter how much I enjoyed that record, I really didn't expand my Seaweed knowledge much beyond that. Four is amazing, and it was all that I really needed. Leave it to Marcus to set me straight once again.

A couple weeks back, I was quite surprised to find a box of Seaweed records on my doorstop. Apparently Marcus had been picking up pieces of vinyl for cheap over the past few months, and in a show of record nerd solidarity, once he had a handful of them, he sent them my way...plus he figured it was the best way to get me to finally post some non-metal records to this blog.

Okay, let's take them in chronological order...starting with Seaweed's second 7 inch, Just A Smirk.

This one was one of my favorites of the bunch, simply because that colored vinyl looks amazing. Had I heard these songs in the early 90's, I would have listened to the shit out of this record. I listened to a lot of bands that played this style at the time, and it still surprises me how I completely overlooked Seaweed until 2014.

Another two song 7 inch that Seaweed released in 1990 was Deertrap. More of that sound that they are great at, and reminds me of bands like Bad Trip, Garden Variety, and that Split Lip LP where they changed their name to Chamberlain..

Up next is the single for the song Bill, which appears on Seaweed's album Weak. Great song, and worth it for the exclusive b-side song, Pumpkin. Released in 1992, this one shows some growth, and while I really dig the earlier work, this is a nice step up for the band.

I believe there are two camps for Seaweed...those that think that Four is their best album, and those that are wrong. Lots of people seem to prefer the band's first album, Weak, and while I think it is still great, it doesn't beat their second LP.

Finally we come to one of the singles from the Four LP...the Go Your Own Way 7 inch. Meh...I really could do without this Fleetwood Mac cover, but it is still a cool 7 inch to own for the exclusive She Cracked b-side song.

The last surprise was inclusion of a record that didn't fit the Seaweed theme. I'm not sure why Marcus included this record in the package, and upon first glance I had zero interest in checking it out. Not wanting to be rude, I put the vinyl on the turntable for the Young Conservatives record. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I really liked what I heard. It is catchy and melodic hardcore, but with a good gritty edge. Quite the surprise.

Year Of The Bat

Back in 2013, Bat released their Primitive Age demo. Man, that thing was so wrapped up in Venom worship, I fell in love with it immediately. Now in 2015, the band are set to release a new 7 inch, and record a full length album, so it was the perfect time to finally get those demo songs pressed on vinyl.

Hells Headbangers had the Primitive Age 12 inch listed in their store as Out Of Stock for weeks before they were made available. There were only 111 pressed on white vinyl, and I was in that store checking everyday until they were available to buy. As soon as I saw the vinyl was available, I added the white vinyl to my cart. Victory! My determination paid off, and I scored the most limited pressing...or so I thought. A couple of days later, Hells Headbangers sends me an email that basically says, "Whoops, sorry...the white vinyl isn't available any longer. Are you okay with black vinyl?". Damn it. No, it isn't okay, but what other option do I have? I'll take the black vinyl.

The b-side of this record is screened with the Bat logo. Damn, that thing looks good! Comparing it to the white vinyl, I have to say that I prefer the look of the black vinyl with the white silk screened art. I'm glad that things worked out this way...but damn it, I better get the red vinyl for the new Bat single that is due to drop any day!

Night Of The Demon

Metal is absolutely killing it right now. There are so many great new bands, I'm finding it hard to keep up with them all...plus you throw in the repeat listens that I've been having with stuff like The Number Of The Beast, and I don't have much time to bother with many new hardcore records. It has been a struggle to get me out for live shows for the past few years, but lately, watching Metal bands has given me a new appreciation for seeing bands play again. With Mos Generator, Testament, Armored Saint, Iron Man, and Slayer all on the agenda for this Spring, I probably haven't this many shows penciled in on the calendar since the late 90's.

So in my quest to keep feeding the new Metal machine, I stumbled upon a band named Night Demon. I can't recall where I first heard of them, but after catching their video for Screams In The Night, I was sold. I know that lots of bands are doing the traditional Metal/NWOBHM sound, and I'm cool with that...Night Demon fits that category. Nothing original or over the top, but still some good Metal with those hints of melody that Iron Maiden perfected. Sure there is a bit of Metal cheese here, but come one, no one accused this genre of being too uptight and serious.

300 pressed on orange vinyl.

The Dagger Of 1978

Late last year, I'd heard some great things about The Dagger. They had released a video for their song dedicated to the year that Powerage and Long Live Rock n Roll were released, 1978...I'd checked out the song, but was pretty underwhelmed by it, so I quickly moved on. Still, I kept hearing about how great this band was, and even Iron Fist magazine was singing high praises for their review of the album...dropping names like Deep Purple, Rainbow and Saxon. Bowing under the pressure and hype, I finally checked out the entire album.

Much to my surprise, I really liked it...and soon I found myself listening to it daily. The song 1978 has grown on me, but is easily the weakest link on the album. Man, this record is such a fun listen. With the 70's and early New Wave Of British Heavy Metal influence, it is surprising that most of these guys used to play in a couple of 90's death metal bands.

I don't typically pay much attention to what Century Media releases, and I haven't even bothered to check out the latest Sick Of It All album they released. When I was checking out some vinyl in the CM Distro store, I saw The Dagger LP and didn't hesitate to finally buy myself a copy. This would have been a tough contender to break my Top 10 list for 2014.

Rock Or Bust

From the stage, our metal gods seem immortal...impervious to death and disease...the roar of the crowd makes them ageless, and with a backdrop of guitars and drums, it seems like they can live forever. They encapsulate the innocence of of my youth...they shaped me, and helped create who I became. It may sound cliche, but the bands from my childhood were my sanctuary...when I felt like I didn't fit anywhere, the music had my back. When cracks begin to show in that foundation, and the march of time inevitably brings them down, I feel that cut deeply.

AC/DC were a huge part of my early teenage years. For Those About To Rock was one of the first pieces of vinyl that I bought as a 12 year old boy, and it ignited a fire in me...calling me to the darker and heavier side of music. So when it was announced that Malcolm Young was suffering from dementia, among other health issues, and was retiring from AC/DC, it was tough news to hear.

With Malcolm's blessing, the band soldiered on to record and release AC/DC's 15th album, Rock Or Bust.

I haven't bought a new AC/DC album on vinyl since purchasing For Those About To Rock almost 33 years ago. While I have the entire catalog on CD, my vinyl collection is weak. With the cool 3-D cover, I knew that vinyl was the only way to go with this new album.

With Malcolm out of the picture, I didn't have high expectations for the new album. While I enjoy all of AC/DC's records, they haven't really done anything that has stuck with me since 1983's Flick Of The Switch.

Sure, Rock Or Bust isn't going to crack any Top 10 lists for favorite AC/DC albums, but I'll be damned if I don't find it surprisingly good...really good. There is some guitar work on here that surprised me...and when it comes to AC/DC you don't get many surprises, so it was quite refreshing...and at 35 minutes, the band gives you an album that doesn't lose your attention.

Great packaging...solid album, for what could very well be the band's last.

REACT! Week - Part 4: Straight Razor Test

While we might have come to the end of React! Week here on the blog, I'm sure that the celebrations for this label will continue throughout the year. Obviously one of my all time favorite labels...

So of course we have to end the week on a high note, and I can't think of a better way than doing so with a test pressing of a record that isn't even available yet for preorder.

"Christ, what an arrogant, attention seeking prick...someone queue up a certain song from Alone In A Crowd for this loser.".

Okay, now that we've gotten that out of our system, lets get to how great this Straight Razor 7 inch is. Remember when Rival Mob topped everyone's list a couple of years ago? Well Radigan is fronting this band...you know, when he isn't busy with Stone Dagger, Magic Circle, Battle Ruins or Rival Mob...so you better believe the hype here. I expect to see this go down as one of my Hardcore favorites of 2015.

Number 17 of 24 tests pressed.

REACT! Week - Part 3 : Keep It Clear Test

Last year, React! released the Keep It Clear discography. While I really liked the band when I heard their 7 inch back in 2009, I'd kind of forgotten how good they were. This discography was a great reminder.

Ev from React! dropped me a line a few weeks back, asking if I was interested in any of the rarities that he had available. React! has a lot of great records on deck for 2015, and if I could help fund that by buying a couple of test pressings...count me in for doing my part.

I had a few options to choose from, and narrowing it down to just a couple that I could afford was no easy task. After sweating it for a day or so, I made a decision and got back to Ev on what I wanted...one of them being the test pressing of the Keep It Clear LP.

12/24. Xmas Eve.

Nice simple design...similar to the original front cover for the LP. Heavy duty black dust cover, spraypainted KIC across the front with stamped, hand numbered labels. Solid.

REACT! Week - Part 2: Suspect

Yeah, yeah...I was happy to receive the True Love pre-orders, but for me, this package was all about Suspect.

I'm not sure exactly why I was so hot on this release...perhaps it had something to with with the fact Suspect had ties to Deep Sleep, and I fucking loved that band.

The band have a harder edge than Deep Sleep, and that is cool with me. Fast and frantic harcore...this is the good shit.

The Suspect record was the cause of the delays with the pre-order package deal from React!, but in the end, all is forgiven because this record is a blast. I love the way this thing looks...from the design, to that sweet looking orange vinyl. In fact, the whole thing seems kind of fresh for the label, and looking ahead at what they have coming down the pike...I couldn't be more excited.

150 on orange colored vinyl, 350 on clear, and 500 on black vinyl.

REACT! Week - Part 1: True Love

After getting a big box of records from REACT! Records recently, I knew it was time to celebrate at the blog with another round of REACT! Week posts. Break out the party hats, throw your TV out the window, and lets get loose.

It seemed like most kids were rocking their True Love vinyl late last year...but since I ordered the big package deal, I figured that there were pieces that the label was waiting on. Ev and crew were probably dealing with pressing plant errors and delays, and I didn't want to add to that stress, so I just sat back with confidence that they were doing the best they could. Why get uptight waiting for your order to arrive? I just grabbed a download to tide me over until the vinyl arrived.

This record looks so good, it was worth the wait. Great layout, and a cool color combo with the vinyl.

Similar to the A Floral Note EP, True Love continue with their sound that would fit in nicely with the Hardcore scene around 2000, and draws comparisons to American Nightmare. While I'm not typically big on this style, this 12 inch is full of emotion and just rips. Great stuff.

150 pressed on mint colored vinyl, 350 on pink, and 500 on black.

Wolf's Repress

Back in December, Rise Above announced that they had repressed the first four Grand Magus albums, and they were available in the label's webstore. I was in a tight spot with money at the time, and since there weren't any cool extras with the more limited pressing, I decided to pass on them at the time.

Limited Rise Above releases tend to sell out quickly, so when I found myself in the store picking up the new Lucifer 7 inch, I was surprised to find that the Grand Magus clear vinyl pressings were still available. Since I was already buying something, it would be foolish to not add one more record to the order.

While I'm a big fan of Grand Magus, somehow I'd not heard their Wolf's Return album, so I figured that this was a good opportunity to remedy that situation.

While I initially wasn't too keen on shelling out the extra money to buy from Rise Above and secure the limited clear vinyl, now that I have one album, I suddenly have a burning desire to own the rest of them. Hopefully I can make it back to the Rise Above store before it is too late.

Oath Of Lucifer

I've been trying to avoid the additional costs of buying stuff direct from Rise Above. My mantra has been "Buy the US pressing. Save money. You don't need the most limited pressing.". I figured that if I repeated it often enough, then I might actually start to believe it is true. Yet, here I am again, unable to resist the devil's call.

Last year, The Oath blew in from out of nowhere, raced up the hype charts, quickly imploded and were gone. The band was over almost before they began. Singer, Johanna, is apparently not one to sit around, and she quickly assembled a new band under the name of Lucifer...and given the success of The Oath, Rise Above was quick to strike while the iron was hot, and released this two song debut. Solid.

100 pressed on clear vinyl.

Fuck War

While I was over at the REVHQ store, picking up the new Give EP, I was on the look out for something else to add to the cart. I saw the Longest War 7 inch, and seemed to remember a few people talking about how great it was, so I took the chance and added it to my cart.

Longest War is fronted by the dude from Chokehold, and backed by a couple guys from Despair...it is like a 90's hardcore wet dream. Man, these guys haven't missed a beat...the guitars still crunch and the vocals are absolutely vicious. It is pretty awesome that people still get this angry over these issues. "Pay for the oceans you kill, pay for the death you spill". I'm just sitting here hoping for a hardcore band to come along and scream about how much of a pain in the ass it can be to raise teenagers, as that is the extent of my rage these days.

Oh sure, I could have picked up a more limited copy of this record over at Press Gang, but in the end, I guess I just didn't care enough, and the black vinyl press from REV was good enough for me.

Give Until It Hurts

Back in 2010 and 2011, Give released a series of two song 7 inches. Each one was perfect and left me wanting more. Fast forward to 2014 and 2015, and the band gives us a full length LP, and then this 12 inch EP from Revelation...and I'm finding it is all too much.

Are these songs not as strong, or do I just need time to warm up to them? I don't know. Give is still good, and they still bring it live, but I just can't get myself excited for these last two releases.

No doubt about it though, Give gets bonus points for style. The band puts in the extra effort with the design of their record covers, and Sonic Bloom looks simply amazing. Worth it for the artwork alone.

Goblins In The Abyss

Finally. This one was a long time coming.

I ordered the new Orange Goblin LP from doooomed.com back in August. It was one of my more anticipated releases for the year, so you can imagine my disappointment when I received an email in December from doooomed, stating that their entire shipment arrived on their doorstep damaged beyond repair. The distro was going to have to wait until another shipment arrived, and that wasn't going to happen for another couple of months. I'd already grabbed a sneaky download to listen to the album, but without the actual vinyl, it meant that I wasn't going to be able to include it in with my Best Metal of 2014 photo...and with my OCD in high gear, I was feeling incomplete.

Six months after placing my order, it felt good to finally have the album in my hands.

Ghetto Justice

Add another name to the list of those that can suck it.

Back in 2013, Back To Back released the Blind Justice 7 inch. Apparently, the label fucked up when they had the record pressed, and they ended up submitting the unmastered recordings to the pressing plant. I guess I never noticed at the time, but that's what you get when you spend most of your time listening to the download on your iPod.

I pulled out the original Back To Back pressing to compare today, and sure enough, it's a mess. This new pressing from Ghetto Josh is the one you need...too bad the packaging is kind of weak. It has been a while since I've listened to these songs, and I'm still impressed with how good this is. What a great Hardcore record.

Hand numbered and limited to 200

Psych Splits

I listened to a lot of Mos Generator last year, and their Electric Mountain Majesty album ended up as one of my favorites of 2014. When singer/guitarist, Tony Reed, posted on Facebook that he had a few copies available of a new split that his band did with Isaak, I jumped at the chance to buy a copy from him. Since it was released overseas, on some Italian label, I figured I'd take advantage of the opportunity, and save myself the hassle of trying to track one down...plus there is something more cool about buying your records direct from a guy in the band.

Mos Generator typically takes a straight forward, hard rockin' approach, but these songs take things in a more atmospheric and darker direction. I love reading Tony's stories on how these songs took shape, and the influences behind them. He mentions a Voivod influence with Time & Other Thieves, and there is no denying it...man, this thing sounds like it could have come off Nothingface. Very cool. I struggled a bit with these songs when I first heard them, but the more I listen to them, the more I like them.

I'd never heard Isaak prior to this song that they recorded for the split, but this epic 14 minute trip captures my interest. At some point, I'll have to check out their LP from a couple years back.

I really like Stone Axe...no, I mean that I fucking LOVE Stone Axe. I listened to the shit out of their two albums last year, and I've been looking forward to the opportunity to grab this split they did with Wight. With Tony and Heavy Head selling a limited amount of the Mos Generator/Isaak split, I decided that while I was in the webstore, I'd grab a copy of the Stone Axe split as well. These songs aren't as strong as some of their other stuff, and are a bit more laid back, but it is still Stone Axe, so it is still cool.

The Wight side of this split features two laid-back trippy stoner jams. At first these songs didn't really excite me, but the more I listened to them, I realize that they aren't supposed to...this is more like something you listen to when you need to just tune out and chill, and I can dig that.

100 pressed on white with pink splatter vinyl.

Electric Flower Circus

After a 12 inch EP and a string of 7 inch records that, Give seemed like they could do no wrong. They played with honesty and integrity, had a sound that felt like they could have been on Dischord records back in the late 80's alongside Gray Matter and Soulside, and yet they still remained unique and had their own identity. In the current scene, there is no one like Give.

With their first full length album, and a release on Revelation Records on the horison, I eagerly awaited what the band had to offer.

Now as much as I love Give, I've always been a bit slow to warm up to their stuff. Sure, I like the Electric Flower Circus LP, and as much as I want to lose my mind over this record, it ain't happening. I love the aesthetic...I love the sound...but as a whole the album feel like it comes up a little short for me. See me in 6 months, and my opinion might be different.

I do love the personal touch with the note from the band.