Bitter And Then Some

This is the reissue of the Converge apex LP, 'Jane Doe' on Deathwish/Equal Vision. I recieved this last week after a good three or four months of waiting. Totally disregarding anything that I have said about this band on this blog in the past, if you can't, or won't recognise the relevance of this LP, then you're a fucken dick head. I doubt that I need to go into any kind of detail about the nuances and perfection of Jane Doe, let's just say, it's most likely the sole reason that I listen to nearly all of the music that I do these days. Perhaps the most important album for me in terms of plain, simple influence. This is the second rarest colourway, gold of 440. Only the red/gold swirl of 150 is harder to find. Happy with that, I guess I got in early.

Gatefold sleeve, double LP.

Back.

Came with this large, full colour, glossy booklet. I haven't actually looked at my CD version of this album for more than five years probably, but if my memory hasn't gone to shit just yet, I think it's safe to say that it's almost the exact same thing as the CD booklet, obviously on a larger scale.
This is the point where I start to enjoy this post more. I like doing shit like this. On the left we've got a copy of the LP on black from the OG press from 2001. Back then the band were on Equal Vision, and Deathwish was still in more or less, an embryonic state. EV took sole care of this version. Notice the differences in the cover. I paid something like $60AU on eBay for it in 2004. If you know anything about record collecting (even if you're not a fan of the band), you know that there are three other colourways in the OG press that sell for a shit tonne more. Even these days I see black go for something around $90 regularly.

Back. Take note of more differences.

I'd say that you could put the slight variations between the two presses layouts down to the fact that the band aren't keen on seeing eBayists attempting to flip this new press in the coming months as an OG version. Makes sense.
Something that my photos can't show is how much better quality the sleeve is with this new version. Thicker, stiffer and it just generally feels more sturdy. This new press is also on heavier 180g wax. More differences in the matrix stickers as you can see too. Another thing that I have certainly noticed in just the last three years is the dwindling rate of bands actually having hand etched messages scribed onto the matrix of their records. Thank plants like pirates press for that. I'm loving the fact that the band have actually gone to the trouble of hand etching various messages with this LP. Certainly adds to that nice little touch.
To sum it up, I won't go into much more heavy detail, I've said enough with the rest of this post, but this reissue is spot on perfect, and now there is no reason for any Converge head not to have this a part of their record collection. Very happy with this.

Atom Bomb Death Race

I know I've posted about at least one record every day this month, sometimes multiple times, but I've got a busy couple weeks coming up (Extortion are playing four shows here this week, I'm on tour with Marathon next week), plus I'm capped again, so it may get quiet for a little while. Maybe not though, I still have heaps of vinyl to talk about, including the Jane Doe reissue (it's awesome, will post about it compared to my OG version), stuff by Punch, The Sword and Integrity. It's ridiculous. I was thinking about it the other day, yeah I may have somewhat of a cool collection, but I'll be the guy with no lady, no kids and nothing else but a big vinyl collection when I'm 40. Sick life.

Anyway, this is the new California Love 7", 'Post Mortem Emanations'. Nobody sounds like this band. Just dirty, crusty, fastcore. A lack of hooks and breakdowns really make them a challenge to listen to sometimes, but I fucking love them. You get more of the same with this EP, albeit a little rougher than any of their previously recorded material.
Black vinyl, and self released by the band themselves, as with some of their previous work. I like the idea of a band doing it all themselves. I've often pondered if I were in a band whether we would ever do that. I like the idea of it, leaves you with complete creative control of every aspect.
Anyway, this band and record rule. A nod from me to the obvious Infest tribute in the artwork too. Not for everyone, but if you like any of the older stuff, you will like this.

Face To Face With Your Executioner

Here's a record that recieved a heap of hype over the last few months, hype that would contest the new Terror stuff; the new Rival Mob EP, 'Hardcore For Hardcore'. I have spoken quite a few times of this band over the last year, and while I did like that last LP, I feel that this 7" is just so much better. Better recording, better written songs. Artwork of the year so far too.
Apart from the title track, this record shares no songs with the promo cassette of the same name from a few months back. It's a good thing too, after hearing that tape I was kind of worried. Most of it was average.

Purple wax from Six Feet Under Records. 45 hole. I don't think I'd normally be overly fond of this colourway, but it seems to work really well with the rest of the artwork and layout.

Here's some trivia that I'd hope/assume that most of you would be familiar with, but you never know, maybe not? DFJ, vocalist for Mind Eraser, drums for this band, while the singer for Rival Mob, Brendan, drums for Mind Eraser. Cool huh? Is it just me? Tour Australia already.

Nuclear Solution

A nice way to start my week (well, technically today is my friday, so this is the end of my week), here's the new tour cassette from Texas psychos Mammoth Grinder. I lined this up with a guy on the Viva La Vinyl board. I'm only new there, but I've managed to get my hands on a fair bit of good stuff thanks to some of it's users. Couldn't recommend VLV more if you're after pretty much anything American that you can't get on fucking B9. Anyway, like I said, the band were selling this on their recent US tour. It's limited to 100. Compliments of Nuclear Solution Records.
Six tracks. None of them labeled. I know the name of track 3, it's 'Societal Collapse', re-recorded after first seeing life on the bands MLP. 4 and 5 are 'Obsessed With Death', and 'Welcome To Hell' (Venom cover) respectively. 6 is a Rorschach cover that I'm not familiar with.
As a courtesy I've split up the tracks on this tape and labeled them the best way I could. The other upload that exists online of this tape currently does so as one total track only. Enjoy.

MAMMOTH GRINDER

PS I just received an email from Photofucket. Guess who's nearly over his monthly upload limit? Fuuuuuuu...

Keepers Of The Faith

This new Terror 7" could quite possibly be contender for the most hyped record of 2010. And to an extent, I guess that hype is somewhat deserved. After a string of below par/boring metal LP's, the band are back with three new tracks (plus a really good Sub Zero cover) of stuff hugely reminiscent of the first two releases. This is the 'Keepers Of The Faith' 7" and it's a teaser to the LP of the same name that these guys have coming out in the next month or so. I haven't enjoyed this band since 'One With The Underdogs', and to be honest I am hugely surprised that I've been able to get into this 7". It's safe to say that I never really listen to hardcore of this ilk anymore, but after spending a week spinning this record, I dug up out LOTL and OWTUD and I haven't really listened to a huge amount of anything else at all. Wether you've heard the stories about him or not, Scott Vogels lyrics, while fucking simple, are great, feel good, self empowering joints and Terror are just about the only band that makes me feel like there is a chance in this world for a bit of 'hardcore fucking pride'. I listen to this on my headphones in the cold room at work every night, and I just about mosh the shit out of all the food in there. So good.
Forget about the fruity layout idea and check out the really nice green/emerald vinyl thanks to Reaper Records. I know that Reaper have preoders up now for the new LP, and I am curious about the ties with Century Media? Are the band still working with that label?
Like I mentioned, there's a Sub Zero cover on here. They do 'Boxed In' perfect justice. There is a promo tape version of KOTF floating around that doesn't have this cover track, but instead another original. Chase it down, said track is of upper quality.
Is this band 'back'? What will happen after this new LP? It certainly doesn't seem like Vogel and co can do much more with Terror? With that said though, I'm sure others were saying that after the last couple of LP's and now look where we are. Regardless, the material here is A-grade.

Marathon Never Safe August Tour

Brisbane band and all round good dudes Marathon are heading out on a week long southern states tour in support of their new CD 'Never Safe'. I'm tagging along. For the tour I've printed off limited runs of the first four issues of Downsided Zine. I'll be selling them for $2 each at the merch desk along with issue #4.5. This new issue is a four page spread with a Marathon interview and various other scribes. It will be free. I'm thinking that I may move all of these zines on this tour, but if not, everything that I have left over I will be sending off to various distros that have previously asked for them. Anyway, come to a show and grab a zine or some Marathon merch and say hi. I'll be the tall funny looking dude wearing either a Mammoth Grinder, Vaccine, Violent Minds or Mind Eraser shirt haha.

Details here, though I have a feeling some of the line ups may have changed. Dates and venues remain the same though a far as I know.

Newcastle: August 25th @ Hammo Station w Safe Hands and Lost Croutons.

Canberra: August 26th @ 7/55 Crisp CCT, Bruce (house show) w Jerkstore and Vera.

Sydney: August 27th @ Synergy Youth Centre w Coma Lies, Legions, Fixtures and Driftwood Theory.

Melbourne: August 28th @ Fitzroy Bowls Club w The Broderick, Face Eater, Vultures and Bowels

Melbourne: August 29th @ Catfood Press w The Omen, Ivens and Delta Reds

Jhat Photo

Dead End Nights

Two 7"s from two bands with a similar vibe/feel. First is the Born Bad 'Tie One On' demo 7". Black wax from Vinyl Addict Records. These guys play stuff in the vein of early 80's stuff. Noisy, reminiscent of something out of Washington and maybe California. This is a good sounding recording for a demo, but I believe that the later stuff is a bit better, they go in a bit more of a Boston/Mid West direction.
And the Vacant State 'State Of Confusion' 7" on black wax aswell. Self released as far as I can tell, Deranged Records has helped them out with later releases. This record is pretty blatant burley Boston hardcore ala Negative FX and Slapshot. Certainly some Negative Approach comparisons thrown in there too.

Back To Square One

Quick post before bed. Pretty freakin' tired and not much in the mood for chatting, so I'll let the photos do the chatting for me. Two classic reissues made possible by Reaper Records. First, the reissue of the Zero Tolerance tape, on vinyl for the first time. Read more here.

Only on black.

And the Icemen 7". First time on vinyl for these songs too apparently. Read more here.

Blue wax.

Ah! Real Monsters

I've got some music for you for you. Following is an upload of the two tapes that my mates band has released. They're called Shock Value and they are fans of early 80's USHC. One tape is their demo from 2008 (Chris tells me that I've tagged the songs wrong or something, but like he also said, who gives a shit, you get the idea), and the other is a covers tape that they released this year. Both tapes are pretty fucking rough, but they do well at setting a foundation. Give them a go. They have a 7" coming out on No Patience Records in the coming months.

BOTH TAPES

Black Jesus Saves

This is the Black Jesus demo tape. This is a newish (as far as I know, these tracks have been recorded for about 8-9 months) band from Melbourne. Early Napalm Death and Repulsion worship is what you get here. Elements of black metal and crust shine through a fair bit too. I have a feeling this is Rhys from Extortion/Frightener/Meat Locker on drums. Wether it is or not, whoever it is has some amazing rolls and fills. Good drummer. This tape kicks so much ass it's not even funny. It looks like this years two best demos have both come from Melbourne. Miss this tape at your peril.

Simple, if a little boring insert. No care ever though, as the music here is next level. Eight tracks, this could easily be pressed as a demo 7" or something and it would walk out the door.

And a second dub of the latest Waste Management cassette. This is the 'Waste Taste' tape. I tried to get my hands on a first dub a couple months ago, a friend of mine had a handful to distro, but he would only sell to edge dudes first, so I missed out. Mother fucker. DX of Distort got his hands on a few of these recently and he set me up with one.
The stuff on here is what will be on the bands upcoming 7", so it's not really a demo tape in as many words. This is the second time they've done this, the material on their first EP also saw release on a taster tape. One finished up on eBay yesterday, it went for something like $30. Bummer bitch.
This band can do no wrong. The best modern incarnation of pure Boston hardcore at the moment. There's a few others going around too, but WM own it by far. All hail the Boston nu-scene. Piss in your shoe.

Hand numbered 17/100.

There's A Lot Of It Going Around

Distort issue #30, the Eddy Current Suppression Ring/Deathwish split 7". Deathiwish playing their song of the same name as the title of this blog post, and ECSR doing a cover of it. 500 copies of this exist.
Not a fan of either of these bands, just not within my taste range, but I subscribe to Distort, so obviously I get the records too. With that said though, the collector scum inside me always wins over, and I plan to keep this split, if just to keep my Distort collection complete (well complete from issue #7 onwards).
A short interview with each band. Laid out in the same fashion as the actual print issues of Distort. Pretty cool idea if you ask me. There's a reason why Distort is the best zine in the world.

Issue #35 will apparently be the new Insurgents 7". Very keen for this.

Mental Deficiency

Texas can chalk another one with this awesome new debut 7", 'Human Conditioning' from Austin's Mindless. Crossed Out worship is what you get here, and behind maybe two or three other PV related releases this year, this is damn nearly the best EP of this style that I've heard in 12 months. Harsh, stop/start, bass heavy hardcore. They know where they come from. Everyone thank the guys at Regurgitated Semen Records.
I've always had some trouble adapting to Faiza's vocal delivery, wether that's just because she's a girl, or for other reasons I don't know, but out of all of the stuff that I've heard her work contributed to, this is by far the easiest for me to get a good grasp on. She seemed to be getting more tolerable on the last Hatred Surge LP, and here she certainly seems like she's settled properly on a vocal style that she likes. My only problem with this 7" is that it doesn't go for nearly as long as I'd like it to.

Teenager In A Box

Here's a reissue os the '82 classic, Government Issue's 'Make An Effort'. Out of all of the Government Issue stuff, this EP and the 'Legless Bull' 7" are my favourites. Just good, simple hardcore from DC. Not much else to say, other than that I really think that these guys still to this day remain massively underrated .

Simple glued sleeve and black vinyl. Reissued by California's Dr. Strange.

And the 'Disposable' EP by St. Louis scum bags Civic Progress. Snotty DC/early 80's Boston styled stuff thanks to Fashionable Idiots Records. Simple packaging as you'd expect from this label, just a dust sleeve that's stamped with the bands logo. Black vinyl of 1000.

And the simple red insert.

Pity Animal

This is the new 7", 'Never Mind The Bombings, Here's Your Six Figures' from hardcore 'super group' United Nations. Fruity fluro yellow wax. Obvious rip off cover. Still trying to decide wether I really like this band or not. I've heard PV comparisons. Not hearing that really. A very mid 90's kind of 'emo violence' sound maybe.
And the Black Teeth s/t 7". Khaki/brown with white smudge. This band certainly have the right idea, and this is that kind of stuff that I love when done right. Heavy, slow, dirty, metallic hardcore. They're not quite getting there for me though. They dabble a little too much in basic hardcore structures. They tease at an amazing potential with the last song on this record 'Expiration' though. Just dirgy, downtrodden scum covered hardcore. The song is based around a really good, simple riff, my only gripe is that it just doesn't quite go for long enough. If the band wrote more songs like this one though, I certainly think that they'd be one of my favourites. Simple packaging for this record. The sleeve is just one simple card. No fold. The record just sits in its dust sleeve, in a plastic sleeve next to the card.

On My Shield

Alot could be said about this 7". Or then again maybe not? Well, I'll probably be able to say alot. I'm talking about this new, one sided, one track Converge single, 'On My Shield'. I think in the past I have commented on the bands lack of releases in this format. Four LP's in a row can go a long way to alienate your more punk, 'DIY' audience I believe. So what do you get? Like I said, one 4:12 track with a slow, brooding intro that bursts into a pretty frantic little d-beat number with blasts and then various progressions. It's certainly nothing new for the band, nor is it an overly memorable track, but with that said, it's shoulders above any other band aping this style this year, or last year, or the year before that for that matter. Recording/mix wise I think it's pretty spot on for a record of this style. Clean but still dirty. Not as clean as any of the prior four LP releases, but cleaner than most of the bands catalogue before that.

A nice, clean, glued closed sleeve on thick card, with a 45 style hole.
No inserts. All relevant information and the lyrics to the song are printed on the back. 3000 copies of this record were pressed, spread over three alternate colourways. 1000 for their recent european tour, 1000 for various distros around the world, and 1000 that were made available in the bands online store. I think that's how it went anyway? My copy is of the 1000 from their store. Black and white smudge type wax.
One sided vinyl with the bands sun god dial logo thing laser etched into the B-side. No matrix sticker on the B. Pretty clean. You kind of get the idea with this photo.
I've made points in the past about my lack of patience for Bannons repetitive artwork when it comes to modern Converge releases. Nate from the band in turn made the point (read the entire post and the comments) about the band concreting themselves an identity the same way Black Flag did in the 80's via the artwork and vision of Raymond Pettibon etc. His point is perfectly valid and I use my favourite Australian band Extortion as an example in favour of his argument sometimes. It's fair to say that that band can attribute a good chunk of it's popularity to it's aesthetic. I suppose there's a couple things that get my goat about Converge in response though; I just find Extortion and Black Flag album covers so much more interesting to look at, there's always something different going on, some new character in some sticky situation. Every single Converge release these days uses the same female model in it's layout, with the same paint splashes and layering. This 7" is a good example in that it certainly looks like it could have just been a single lifted from the previous LP. Same colours, same female model, same everything. The other thing that I have trouble with is that I just think the band are selling themselves short by using images of females in some sort of troubling pose etc. And a love heart? This isn't primary school poetry class. I like to imagine that Bannons lyrics and the bands general mission runs deeper than just the issue of girls, love and broken hearts etc.
I would have preferred at least one extra track over a laser etching, but regardless, this is a tidy release. It's a little too polished for my liking though, but that's because I like it dirty. Although these days they may not be the biggest band in my life, it's safe to say that in the last 15 years, no other band has had such a profound influence on me terms of musical taste and just general outlook on the world. So while I may come across as a little whiney regarding this 7", I am appreciative and I hope the band continues with stuff like this.