Chunks

Someone from Boston is selling up his collection on eBay. Some great stuff there at the moment, apparently more to come. Get cracking.

What It's Like For Her

I bought this Crime Desire "ID Music For The Supergo" LP from a mate recently. Life's A Rape Records put this out a few years back, and since then the band have put forth a few other releases. Having heard those later releases, but not having heard this at all, I felt reasonably comfortable that I'd be able to get into this LP (the bands latest 7" is pretty fucking good, rough, messy hardcore), but that's not really the case here. From what I can tell, this is the bands first album, and obviously at some point between this LP, and later material, they've made a conscious decision to make a vastly different sound... this is just weird, sloppy, hipster garbage. I can't really explain it. I just know that it's not my thing at all. Cool packaging though. Black wax.

Black sleeve, with clear embossing. A matte obi strip with white printing.

Inner dust sleeve/liner notes.

More embossing on the back.

I encourage people to check this band out, despite what I've said. It certainly may just be your cup of tea, obviously, it's not mine. Their later stuff though... phwoar, amazing.

Bob Mclane

This is the Greyskull/Graf Orlock split LP. I picked this up at one of the Graf Orlock/Dangers shows here in Brisbane last week. I was hoping they'd have some of their other stuff available, but it was just this and the latest LP, which I already have. This is certainly some of Graf's rougher material. Easily their grindiest too. Pretty sure that all of their side is dominated by samples from the Total Recall movie. Don't quote me though, it's been a long time since I've seen that film. Greyskull play relatively boring, kind of dark, melodic hardcore. Not really my thing.
Creative packaging certainly, I doubt I need to explain it? It's a backpack duh. Clear wax, kind of smokey in a way.
The bag straps hold in the disc. It's a little flimsy though with just those two straps. At some point between me buying it, and getting it home, the right strap tore off at the bottom. Endless bummer.

Pull The Pin

The third cover variation of this record, the Extortion demo 7". Of 100 I'm told. Sold at some recent launch shows in Perth. I grabbed this off a friend.

Back mirrored cover.

Extortion stamped on the B-side center label of this version, housed in a red inner dust sleeve.

Legionnaire's Disease

New stuff by local (Brisbane) bands. First up, the new 7" from Tear Gas. Japanese hardcore ala Bastard and the like. I don't listen to a huge amount of Burning Spirits styled stuff, so who knows, maybe my comparison is way off. I bugged and bugged the shit out of Neil for this record, and finally got my copy a few nights ago. Not exactly sure of the availability, but I've heard in a few places that it's kind of hard to get a hold of now. Who knows though. Solid red vinyl, I think the whole pressing is on this colour. Artwork by none other than Murdoch Stafford.

Minimalist packaging, all of the relevant liner notes are printed on the back of the glued sleeve.

And the new tape from Brisbane yellow peril, Shock Value. They had 30 copies at the (mental) show they played the other night, but they're gonna dub another 20.

Covers of Black Flag, SSD, DYS, and The FU's. Number 2 of 50.

Don't Touch Me

This is the preorder of the new Ceremony LP, "Rohnert Park". Red wax. B9 hasn't released the pressing info as of yet, but from what a few people have said, it's the most limited. It's different to anything they've done, and while I wouldn't say that I was 'expecting' this change in sound, it doesn't really surprise me at all. After the way that their last few releases progressed over the years, this album almost makes perfect sense.

The minimalist layout suits the sound of this record perfectly too.

This is the book that came as an option when you preordered the LP. It's basically descriptions of each of the bands songs lyrical content and themes over their entire discography. Written by the bands singer Ross.

Along with writings about the songs, he also includes a few little side stories...

...along with various photos etc. It basically reads like a print version of some hipsters tumblr. Not necessarily a good thing.
And on a side note, here is a copy of the print that Extortion had for sale at some recent shows. Something like 15 of these were printed.

Fucking Hostile

Those couple of months ago when I ordered the Pantera FBD reissue 2xLP, I didn't order the other reissues because I didn't have enough money. Well my local was selling them yesterday. I grabbed Vulgar Display Of Power. Same deal as the FBD reissue. Twin 180g 12"s on black plastic. Gatefold sleeve with the liner notes doubling as the dust sleeves. All quality gloss card stock.

All the OG artwork and photos. I obsessed over this records art etc when I was a kid.

Downsided issue 4 is ready now.

Email me at downsided_zine@hotmail.com.

There's a few of you who will be getting copies regardless, but I can't remember all of you, so as above, email me please. $2AU postage paid anywhere in Australia, the same, but in American dollars for the USA. Keen to send some out for distro.

Your Life's A Joke

New Vaccine song and 7" cover art posted at Painkiller Records. Wowzers.

PS- without me linking you, a download of the new Mind Eraser/Slang split 7" does exist as I type this. Who knows how long it will last though. Someone sell me this record fucking hell.

You don't understand... these men, they killed my dog.

End Babies

This is The Wrong Side's 'Dumptruck Demo' 7". At the time when this was originally released by Lockin Out Records, the band were actually called Dumptruck, then at some point after said demo, they decided to change their name to The Wrong Side. I'm not sure why. Trip Machine Records have decided to reissue it on vinyl.
I prefer this incarnation of the band rather than later stuff. The roughness of this recording works better with the vibe of the band I think.
Here I've got the Sidetracked/Hummingbird Of Death split 6". This is my first ever 6" record. I have older records by both of these bands, and while I don't mind the music on offer here, the main reason that I bought this, is because I wanted a 6" record.
Sidetracked come out on top with this slab, their brand of stop/start crazy tempo changing PV is always somewhat entertaining to listen to, even if it comes across as rather A.D.D. most of the time. HBOF are good, but (and as with all HBOD stuff) their take on relentless fast core tends to get monotonous and boring quick.
And this Burning Love demo 7" was an accident. I actually ordered the new single 7" they've just put out, but for some reason this was delivered. I already have an earlier press of this one, I don't really want or need it. From what I can tell, it's a later pressing of all black. End of the day, I'm not really that siked on this band, so I probably won't even go to the effort to reorder the missing single.

Shit is getting serious...

This is a record that I have been chasing for four years. Matter of fact, this has been my number one wanted 7" for that long as well. This is an original pressing of the Antidote "Thou Shalt Not Kill" ep from 1983. From what I've read online, and in my Flex book, 1000 copies of this record were originally pressed, all of which on black vinyl.
Now perhaps the biggest factoring reason as to why I haven't been able to get my greasy little mitts on this 7" for four years would have to be because of it's asking price. It's on eBay semi regularly, and I've also seen it getting about on two American forums in the last two years. I even had a stab at one on eBay about three years ago, but when it exceeded my $600 cap I had to bow out. I've never seen this record sell for less than $700AU anywhere. Luckily I was able to negotiate the seller down to a reasonable selling price of $550 postage paid, along with the Knife Fight demo tape thrown in for free. Given how much the KF tape usually sells for, and when you factor in postage costs, you could essentially say that I paid around $510-$520 for this thing. Beyond happy with that.

Now this record has been bootlegged at least one time from what I can tell. Supposedly though, they best way to tell that this isn't a boot is to look to the matrix label. "Life As One" is actually printed as "Life Is One" on OG copies. It'd be fair to say though, that if you were a truly savvy bootlegger, and you were very keen to make some cash (and be a fuck head), that you'd be smart enough to print your boot matrix label like that too. Anyway, I know that the bootleg of this record has different label altogether anyway, I have a copy of it.
Easily my favourite 7" to come out of NYC, and it certainly contests strongly with the Downsided 7" as my favourite record ever.

I'm lucky I suppose, in that I've actually landed an earlier version of this pressing. With earlier versions, the band listed info of a t-shirt deal that they had going on the liner note insert (in the bottom right corner), but apparently with later versions, they crossed out this info as they had sold out of shirts.

Of most of the general NYC sound, this band (and a few before them, notably Urban Waste and the like), had somewhat of a differing sound to most of that 'tougher' hardcore posturing of the time. Where most were happy to slow down parts in favour of dance bits and mosh, with this record, Antidote virtually played straight up thrash hardcore. It's fast, rough, and pissed off. The buzzsaw styled guitar sound no doubt contributes heavily to what I'm talking about.
The boot I talk of next to the OG copy. Take note of the black and white copied sleeve of the boot, and the very different matrix label. I don't even like to refer to this thing as a 'bootleg', it's too off the mark of the original to justify that name. I think i've heard it referred to as a 'fanclub reissue' somewhere in the past, and I like to think that that name suits much more. As far as I know, this boot is from 1998. The sleeve on the OG copy is a one piece folded, glued envelope sleeve. The boot is actually two pieces of paper. One for the front and one for the back. Both the artwork on the insert and the back of the sleeve of the boot are pretty much exactly the same as the OG.
And a photo of the OG next to the official reissue LP put out by Illegal Y Que Records. This is not the bootleg LP pressed by rare Records. I can't find any indication of when this LP was released, though I bought it in California last year in a store, and it's in very good condition, so I don't think it's that old.

I doubt I'll never need to spend this much money on another record ever again, but who knows hey? This one is, of course the new boss of my collection regardless. Shit is now serious/legitimate.

Brainvice

Two tapes. The Scapegoat Winter tour promo thing, and the Knife Fight demo. Both received today in the mail.
A mate of mine sold me the Scapegoat tape. Not sure how he got a hold of it, but until I secured this deal with him, I was having quite the trouble getting one for myself. Obviously this was available on the bands recent (American) winter tour. In retrospect, I probably did pay him a little too much for this. I've gotta learn to barter better!
This tape compiles a handful of new, original songs, a cover of "Cries Of Pain" originally put forward by Ant Cimex in 1982, and a short live set from Ventura, CA in 2007.

All the stuff on here is what I guess you could call new material, in the way that this is the first proper hard copy release that any of it has seen. Nearly all of the studio tracks here though have been circulating around online since around mid/later 2008 in the form of different, cleaner recording session to this one. The credits read that all the originals on this tape were recorded in December 2009, and that the cover was recorded by CC in 2008. Just so happens that said cover is included in that batch of alternate versions that's been online for over a year. From what I can gather that different recording session is going to be either the bands portion on the upcoming 4 way split with Iron Lung, Mind Eraser and Hatred Surge, or part of the LP that they apparently have coming up.
I can't decide wether I like this version of these songs, or the slightly cleaner versions. Each recording session has it's own charm. Either way, this band is probably one of the best modern incarnations of Crossed Out style PV at the moment, and it just goes to show how good they are when their songs sound equally good in alternate recording sessions. Normally in situations like this, I'll always pick the version I prefer, but here, it's proving alot harder to make a decision. The stuff here is noticeably faster and more 'straight up' than their demo and first 7" from a few years back, and I'd probably say that while I love that first 7", I like these new tracks more.
And the Knife Fight demo. I doubt I really need to go into massive detail about this band? Some of the best Cali/Boston styled hardcore in the last decade. I secured this tape in a deal with another 7" from a guy in Sydney.
Raging demo, I'd go as far as saying that this would be better than most of the bands discog, bar the "Burning Bridges" 7" of course.
Though the wait is proving to be a long and agonizing one for me, Painkiller Records is putting out the bands new 7" soon, and from what I've read they will also be doing a limited run of demo 7"s. I will certainly be laying down the clams for both of these records.