Saturday 22 April 2017

On Their Behalf

Over the last couple of years I've built up a fairly respectable Coalesce collection, it took me a while though to get round to adding their debut release to the haul.

Coalesce - On Their Behalf / Harvest Of Maturity
 

It's only the black version of the release, their is a coloured vinyl version too but I can live with that for now. There's something I like about this cover, it just looks so unlike a Coalesce release by the time you get to the artwork on their later stuff.

 

Sunday 24 April 2016

A World View on Hardcore

Ordering from Speedowax Records is very much like a box of chocolates - you never know what you're gonna get. Rich always hooks me up with a upgrade here and a rarer colour of vinyl there which always makes the Speedowax mail a nice surprise to look forward to.

World View - Face It


This was the record I was most interested in and the initial reason for my order. The blurb stated that this Aussie band sounded like Gorilla Biscuits, Down To Nothing and Have Heart so I knew I'd like this. The Gorilla Biscuits influence is very prominent but you won't hear me complaining about that and this is a superb record. I really wanna hear more from World View. Speedowax seem to have uncovered a load of great bands over the last few years and this is yet another.


When I came to order this I believe there were only the standard cover versions left but low and behold a record release cover version came through with a note from Rich saying he'd found one. Out of 50 on black.

Point Blank - Life Crisis


Point Blank sound like the kind of angry young men you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley. Heavy, thrashy stuff with harsh vocals, musically in the vein of say Terror but with a pitbull singing for them. When they get it all to click like on the track Cold Embers it's pretty good.


This is the gold vinyl version out of 150 copies.

Spirits / Tomar Control - Split


You might remember i'd been keen to hear Spirits on their last Speedowax outing but they hadn't quite hit the mark with me on that release. This, on the other hand is much better and alot more focused and I really enjoyed the tracks on offer here. The band even throw in a cheeky Cranberries cover which I liked.


Tomar Control are an all female band from Peru. It's fairly mental but worth a listen. This was the slush puppy blue vinyl version of the release of 165 copies.

Mind Control/Hardout -From The Alleys To The Valleys


UKHC split from two bands I hadn't heard before. Both bands are pretty good and whilst both in the same Youth Crew genre they sound quite different. Mind Control in particular I found myself really liking.


Love those centre labels. This is the Violet colour version.

Unforce - Keep On Struggling


I'd been meaning to check this out for a while and I'm glad I waited as whilst I'd ordered a normal version of the record it was this test press numbered 19/20 that came through. Nice!


Unforce are from the Phillipines and play good if not fairly bog standard straight-edge hardcore. One label and in just a few records we've been to Australia via Peru to the UK over to the Phillipines and then to the States. Brilliant!!

Wednesday 20 April 2016

Different Stuff

In the immortal words of radio friendly rock botherers Nickleback - It's been a while. To ease myself back in here's some random 7" records. Just grabbed four from the bottom of the pile so it's a pretty mixed bag.

Fade - Identity E.P


I recently caught up on Fade and their releases but I was missing this E.P from Control Records. Fade are great and this is another neat release from them. Everything they have released has been superb.


This is the limited pre-order blue vinyl version out of 100 which I was stoked I was still able to get a copy of.

Magic Circle - Scream Evil


It took me a long time to get round to picking up a copy of this release by Magic Circle, love the cover and look of this release too.


Orange 9mm - Glistening


I picked this up for 99p in a record stores random used vinyl section. Who doesn't love a bit of Orange 9mm? Not there best material of course but at that price..


Standard black vinyl major label fair with tour dates on the back.

Minor Threat - First Demo Tape


To ram the point home of how long it's been since my last post, this was actually a stocking filler from the wife..erm I mean Santa at Christmas. Didn't have this previously on vinyl.


Thursday 31 December 2015

Classic Hardcore

I've not been as prolific this year as I would have liked, my enthusiasm for posting up my new purchases and buying records hasn't diminished at all, I've just found my self with far less free time. Anyway, let's end 2015 in style with some hardcore classics that don't really need much introduction.

Judge - Bringin' It Down


Bringin' It Down was recently reissued and the package was so nice I couldn't resist picking up this version. Featuring a lovey embossed cover this looks great.


1000 of these were pressed on black vinyl.


As well as the poster/lyric insert the record also comes with these die-cut hammers. Which is a nice touch.

Leeway - Born To Expire


Having never owned a copy of Leeway's classic record Born To Expire on vinyl before I was eager to pick up one of these repressed copies.


This white vinyl version is out of 500 copies. Fantastic.

Sick Of It All - Just Look Around


Another classic I picked up recently was this gold repress of Sick Of It All's 1992 offering. Another I'd never owned on vinyl before. 


Is it just me or does 'gold' vinyl, unless it's in keeping with the album artwork always look a bit crap? If I hadn't bought from a store I might have tried to find one of the red or white versions.

Sick Of It All - Life On The Ropes


Probably a bit of a stretch to call 2003's Life On The Ropes a 'classic' of course, but this was cheap in the same store I picked Just Look Around up from, so I'm including it here too.


Back when this came out in 2003, having not given Yours Truly that came out in 2000 much of a listen, I didn't bother with this record, instead picking back up with SOIA for 2006's Death To Tyrants. It's not a bad record at all though.

That's it for 2015, see you all in 2016 and as always thanks for reading and commenting.

R.I.P Lemmy and John Bradbury

Tuesday 29 December 2015

Cowabunga

Can't beat picking up a tour press or fest version of a record.

Justice - Look Alive EP - Ninja Fest Edition


I've got a copy of this record from Justice on clear vinyl with green splatter but this Ninja Fest Version with the TMNT cover is pretty cool. It's only a piece of paper wrapped round the normal record but I couldn't resist picking it up.


On black vinyl they made a 100 of those for Ninja Fest in '04, this is number 58.

Thursday 24 December 2015

Let Me Go

I still have a massive soft spot for Rancid, I haven't liked anything they've put out with any real enthusiasm since Rancid 2000 but if I see a Rancid record I don't have on the cheap then I'll pick it up.

Rancid - Let Me Go


This is a 7" that was released around the time of Rancid 2000 and one of my favourite tracks off that album so win win.


Green vinyl version, I say green vinyl version but actually I'm pretty sure they were all green. I believe that this now means I have a version of every Rancid 7" release (not including the 7" records they released with all the albums spread across them) except for Roots Radicals which I don't think I've even ever seen a copy of.

Wednesday 23 December 2015

Gameface / Old Flings

When I picked up that Fade record from Speedowax, Rich threw in this record too. Who doesn't like free records?

Gameface / Old Flings - Split


I haven't listened to Gameface in the longest time, they aren't really a band I've kept up with over the years. I have their Three To Get Ready LP from years ago but that's about it. Actually though I really enjoyed the track Frames that they offer up here. Really good catchy stuff.


Old Flings are the other band on the split and whilst not normally my thing, again I liked this track Grip. At least on this song the band remind me a bit of a less macabre and somber Alkaline Trio,which actually I'm okay with, as the missus loves Alkaline Trio and I've begrudgingly come to like some of their stuff.

On a side note I really like the centre labels Speedowax have used here. I can't remember if that style have appeared before or not but they are smart.