BALL AND CHAIN

Another split, and what could possibly one of my favourites of this year, the Coke Bust/Vaccine split 7". Two labels can be held responsible for this, Refuse Records out of Europe and Drugged Conscience from the US. Now I thought that there was going to be an equal contribution into this record from each label resulting in a single press with both labels names on it. It looks like though, that each label is doing their own presses respectively. This is the Euro version on green wax that was recently sold on the bands Euro/English tour. I think it was a relatively small press and is hence sold out now. I may be wrong though. I have a friend over in England who grabbed me a copy. The Drugged Conscience press is still to materialise, and from what I can tell will be in a larger edition and available more widely once it's eventually pressed.

I've loosely followed Coke Bust and their output since Headcount Records pressed their demo to 7" years ago. I wouldn't say I've ever been the biggest fan but they're one of those bands that I've always just managed to pick their stuff up with a deal of ease. I think their songs here are probably my favourite of theirs at this point. I mean they don't really differ at all from any of the bands previous material, it's just straight up, fast, loud hardcore, but these tracks have a really great, really loud mastering job and as a result are really punchy.

Much the same can be said for the Vaccine tracks. Good, loud, clear recording. Again, exactly the same kind of stuff that the band is already well known for; spastic, misanthropic, bursts of blast violence. I really thought that the band wouldn't be able to impress me any further after their stretch of previous great records, but I'd argue that at this point, this may be my new favourite Vaccine material. It's a bit of a toss up between these songs and the stuff from the demo. I was a little daft and didn't realise that on the previously mentioned Euro tour Vaccine were also in fact selling copies of the Euro version of their new 7" EP "Dead Inside" pressed by Cut The Cord That... Records, so I didn't ask my mate over their to nab me a copy. Bugger. Painkiller are handling the US edition very soon. Will post about once it's in my hands