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!!