On My Shield

I love Converge but it's taken me bloody ages to pick this up...

Converge - On My Shield

I don't know why it's taken so long to pick up, I guess at the end of the day it's just a release I knew that I could live without until one just kinda fell into my lap. This is the Milky Clear & Beer transparent vinyl Tour version of 1000. It's single sided with just the one song and the B-side is etched.

Converge / Hellchild

Converge/Hellchild - Deeper The Wound

When it comes to records there's really only two things I don't care for - Picture Discs and 10" records. Like most record collectors though this aversion to the two formats doesn't stop me picking up either when it suits me. So at some point soon I'll throw up a 10" I picked up recently but for now it's the above picture disc. My quest to build up my Converge collection meant I had to pick up this version of the bands 2001 split with Hellchild.

In fairness it's not a complete bust, the record looks pretty good and is interesting in that it is reverse grooved (plays from the inner of the record out). This is the U.S press of 1000 and was the first release that Deathwish put out.

Modern Life has Buried Me

So record collector / record blogger logic here. You walk into a record shop with some cash in your pocket and don't find a huge amount you want, you still have to leave with a record right?? So if you have cash in your pocket, don't find a huge amount you want BUT also have a loyalty card for said shop that involves some discount, well that means you have to leave with two records right? Yep that's definitely the record collector maths. Knew you guys would be with me on this one.

That's how it was a few weeks ago when I picked up these two records. I'd really enjoyed the Between The Buried And Me debut I'd picked up a while ago so thought it only right I also add the follow up to the collection.

Between The Buried And Me - The Silent Circus

This record originally came out in 2003 but this is a 2011 repress of the album from Victory Records. On double LP this is I believe what the pressing info calls the 'Peach' colour variant. I dunno how apt that is though, looks more like 'gobstopper' to me.

I hadn't listened to this band for years till recently but I've definitely enjoyed these records with this second one being the better of the two. I've never heard anything past the next record Alaska but I might have a listen to some of the later stuff now.

The gatefold packaging looks nice. Victory have done a decent job of these reissues, which is good as I have another on the way from them I'm quite looking forward to.

Modern Life Is War - Fever Hunting

I honestly had no intention of buying this record. I liked Modern Life Is War's three albums first time round don't get me wrong, especially Witness, but it had been around 6 years since their last release and something just told me that this record would be terrible. I read a few reviews to the contrary of course but dismissed it still. Of course, that afternoon when it was in front of me I just thought "Fuck It" and picked it up regardless.

In actual fact Modern Life Is War haven't missed a beat in the years they've been away and the chants of 'Old Fears, New Frontiers' that bring this record crashing in set the tone for a good comeback record and a pretty natural follow up to Midnight In America.

The record it's self comes on this Olive green colour vinyl. It's not exactly limited though (that's what happens when you dismiss a record early) with 3500 copies on this colour. The record must have sold well though as Deathwish are now onto a second pressing.

The record also comes with a full size booklet with the lyrics to each song taking up a double page. Like it, more records should have these.

The Endless Sale

Recently I found myself a little flusher than normal (as will become obvious in one of my next posts), so when Marcus over at The Endless Quest announced he was selling some records, I couldn't help but take a look. Sure enough Marcus had a couple of things I wanted, so after giving me a stern telling off like the grumpy old man he is for daring to ask how much he wanted rather than make him an offer, we hit upon a fair price and made the exchange.

Converge - Petitioning Forever

Always keen to add to my Converge collection I was really pleased to be able to score this 2005 double LP set of two of the bands earlier albums Petitioning The Empty Sky and Forever Comes Crashing. Jane Doe like the majority of people is my favourite Converge material but this stuff especially Forever Comes Crashing is definitely next for me. This is the first press on clear gold of 500 and includes a bonus 7".

Marcus also had another record I'd been looking for Comeback Kid - Wake The Dead. I have a real soft spot for this record as it was one of the records that was always on the play list when me and some friends played poker a lot a few years ago and I guess I associate it with good times. Not to mention big wins!!! Boom!

The title track especially is superb but I hadn't heard the whole thing for a while and listening to it again I remembered that I like this record a lot, super catchy stuff. This is the blue first press version of 944 copies. Good to finally have this on vinyl.

27 - Holding On For Brighter Days

Last year I wrote about this record that Marcus released on his own label and how much I love it (here). This record still gets a lot of play in my house, so it seemed rude not to pick up the Green (with glitter) version of 105 when Marcus offered me it for cheap.

I don't know why I didn't buy this rarer version first time round actually, maybe at the time I thought the Amber (with glitter) version looked better? I dunno, but I'm pleased to add this second copy to my collection anyway. Really great record.

Being a gent Marcus also asked me if there was a Endless Quest Records release I didn't have that I wanted him to throw in for free. Well, I didn't have Search and Destroy - English Terror Boys so was more than happy for him to chuck it in as well.

As a freebie Marcus could have just chucked in a black vinyl version but he was good enough to send me a red vinyl version of 117 pressed which was much appreciated. Nice one Marcus!

Birthday Records

It was my birthday recently, whilst I might be past the point of really wanting to 'celebrate' this fact, it does of course mean I have every excuse to land myself some records.
Me and the good lady had a weekend away and of course I used the opportunity to hit up a couple of record stores. Now I've said it before and Tino said it in his last post too but when you're in a physical record store itching to make a purchase or two you'll buy just about anything that takes your fancy.

Converge - Caring & Killing

I'd eyed up this reissue of Caring & Killing in the store before but had sherked at the price (£23 which isn't even that much but when other records are priced at £10 it seems alot) and also the fact that as it was sealed I presumed it was just on standard black vinyl, but with money to burn and scant pickings in front of me I opted this time to pick up the compilation of Converge' early work.

And would you believe it wasn't on black vinyl at all but instead this rather sexy clear with black splatter double vinyl. As usual with Converge this package is on the whole really good, even if I'm not entirely sure what's going on with the cover art. (The sticker on the front was actually on the shrink wrap but I thought it was too cool to not carefully peel off and stick on the cover).

The original release just had some live show type photos on it and whilst not in keeping with the bands later releases I think an updated version of that might have looked awesome here. Anyway, this clear with black spatter version is I believe of 700. How 90's is the kid on the inner sheet? dreadlocks, baseball t-shirt (maiden at that) and bead chokers...Awesome!

I also picked up two more records. First up between the buried and me - S/T

 

or is that betweeen the buried and me? I didn't realise until after I'd bought the record and got it home and checked the pressing info on discogs that it has a spelling mistake on the front.

 

 This is a 2012 repress of the bands 2002 debut on Lifeforce Records. I couldn't even remember if I'd heard this before or not but being a fan of the bands 'The Silent Circus' and 'Alaska' records I picked it up.

White vinyl version of 1037 copies. Lastly I picked up a record I'm fairly sure I'd have never picked up if I wasn't in a record store. CodeOrangeKids - Love Is Love//Return To Dust

 

Terrible band name aside I'd heard this band mentioned a lot and checked out a track and thought it was okay and definitely fitted in with that noisy 'Deathwish sound' that I'm in the main a fan of.

 

I've only given it a couple of spins but I'm pretty non-plussed about the record but hey, dems the breaks! You never know though I might eventually listen to this and think it's great.

This Opaque Yellow vinyl version is a second press of 1799 copies.

The Rulers Back

When dudes sell off their collections or some of their collections it's a sad state of affairs, but rather than dwell on it too much I usually find it's a great way to pick up some records you may have missed, fill some holes if you will and most importantly do it on the cheap. All but one of these records I picked up from a guy selling off his collection recently.

This first record though I actually found in a used/bargain bin and I'm throwing it into this post too a it fits the theme of me not having a huge amount to say about older releases.

One of the forgotten bands of the 90's (is that fair to say?) Trial. This is the 2005 release of their Through The Darkest Days and Foundation releases on one 12" release. It also includes two cover songs.

This is I believe the most rare version of the record, a first press on clear vinyl limited to 100 copies. Considering where I found it I reckon that makes this a decent find.

 

So on to the other collection fillers I picked up recently.

The Hope Conspiracy - Death Knows Your Name. I was a big fan of the bands first couple of releases but by the time this record surfaced in 2006 I think I'd kind of forgotten about the them. As such it's the record I'm least familiar with.

 Records with gold print on black always look amazing and this is no different. This thing looks incredible.

This is the third press of the record on this great looking 'white and gold mix'. It's far from limited though with a huge pressing of 1025 made. That seems a massive amount for a third pressing in 2006. Maybe T.H.C were bigger at that point than I remember?

 

Let's move on to another Rise and Fall record to find it's way on to this Blog.

Our Circle Is Vicious the bands follow up to Into Oblivion that I featured previously. This once again has that familiar Deathwish Inc / Jacob Bannon style cover and looks just as good as the Into Oblivion record.

 

Much like the Hope Con record this is far from limited although it is a good looking slab of wax. The bronze second press of 1029. Such a good band.

Next, Pulling Teeth. I previously only had the bands 2009 release Paranoid Delusions/ Paradise Illusions but I like that record so I was pleased to finally pick something else up from the band.

Martyr Immortal. This, much like the aforementioned record once again has really great artwork. I think all the bands releases have very similar looking art and it looks really good.

Gatefold release on gold vinyl limited to 666 copies. I know it looks brown in the photo but it is more of a gold colour when you actually see it.

Finally a record that probably only Mario will get a kick out of.

That's right. The Adventures Of Slick Rick. I was trying to round my spend up by a few more pounds and took this off the guys hands too. I haven't heard this in years but I have good memories of chilling with my friends back in the day listening to this record and thinking it was hilarious. Judging by my wife's face when she read some of the song titles on this ('Treat Her Like A Prostitute' for instance) it's probably not that hilarious in 2013.

Originally released in 1988 this is a 2000 European repress of the record and as you can see it seems hardly worth the numbering considering the amount of records we are talking about.

Rise And Hell

Here's the three other records I mentioned in my last post, in fact these were the records that had caught my attention in the first place. I bought all four records for a measly £20. I already had these records on CD or on my iTunes so this was a nice cheap way to add them to the record collection. What a score!

So first up Rise And Fall - Into Oblivion

This is a great record, I like Rise And Fall a lot. I first heard of them in around 2005/2006 when I went to see a Converge show. I bumped into a friend before the show who said that he was mainly there to see Rise And Fall (I think he was the only one there singing along to the band), so I was expecting big things. He was right they were awesome and I immediately went and picked up this album on CD.

As is going to be a similar theme with all of these records the artwork and layout to this thing looks awesome. Then again has Jacob Bannon ever done a bad layout?

This is the second press on Deathwish Inc - White and Silver mix of 719. The colour works so well with the rest of the package.

Up next the first of two records by This Is Hell. Misfortunes first

 

This was the first record I heard from This Is Hell. I actually bought it on CD for my wife as I thought it would be something she would like. She did like it and so did I. A few years later I was in a band that played with these guys which was pretty cool.

I like buying records that I already have the CD of because it almost always makes the artwork look a million times better. I'd not really looked too much at the front of this but now seeing it enlarged it looks awesome.

This is the second pressing red vinyl version of the record of 550.

Last is Sundowning by This Is Hell. This record was actually released before Misfortunes. But I wanted to save this till last as it's the best looking.

All three of these records artwork has been done by Jacob Bannon but this one looks the best. The pictures don't really do it justice at all.

The cover has a sort of embossed feel and design to it too which I've done my best to photo below. Just gives it an extra edge and quality feel.

 

I know people kinda hate on splatter vinyl and I agree some of it is ugly as hell but the kind that is done in this three colour style I think looks amazing. This reminds me of the Day Of Mourning - Your Futures End and Cold World - No Omega  records that I raved about that had been done in a similar way. 

700 on this colour-way. I love how these records look when held up to the light.