Raw Justice

Another post, don't get too excited this renewed vigour will probably be cast aside by mundane stuff like work, but for now here's another record off the MASSIVE stack.

Raw Justice - Artificial Peace

Straight & Alert Records are another company out there at the moment that I know will deliver the goods with every release and this is no different. Raw Justice are from France and play some fast old school hardcore in that Boston style. Their good at it too, this is the first release I've heard from them but I'm keen now to go back and check out the older releases.

I opted for the 'Bathory Cover' version of the release for reasons I can't remember but it seemed a good idea at the time I'm sure. As you can see it's out of 100 and hand numbered. There's a 'band pic' cover version of 100 too as well as the standard cover version of 326. All versions come on black vinyl.

Collateral Damage

Wow, has it been so long? I haven't blogged in ages. I need to get back in it big time. Let's start with a record I got a while ago and didn't get round to listening to for weeks.

Rude Awakening - Collateral Damage

I hadn't rushed out to buy this record on release, I'd got a couple of the bands 7" releases in the past and whilst on the whole liked them, I had found the band a little hit and miss. So I just added this to a Rev order I made a couple of months ago casually, not expecting much from it.

Truth be told though, this is a good record. Rude Awakening have harnessed their sound a bit and deliver a solid record with no clunkers, just 10 good tracks of angry hardcore in the Expire vein with some massive riffs. Shame I waited so long really as this white vinyl version is out of 1000, the other two version are on much cooler colours and limited to 150 and 350.

The only thing I would criticise with the record is the less than brilliant cover. I get the intent but the graphics themselves are pretty poor. They look like something Matthew Broderick would have knocked up on his computer in War Games!

Soul Search

The backlog is getting pretty severe now so I really need to get cracking on getting up to date. Time just isn't my friend at the mo. Anyway, to kill two birds with one stone lets focus on Soul Search.

Soul Search - Nothing But A Nightmare

I loved the bands 'Bury The Blame' release from a couple of years ago so looked forward to this Revelation Records re-release of 'Nothing But A Nightmare'. It's quality too. I really enjoyed this, it will be getting some more spins for sure.

I believe this was released on dark grey and light grey although I have no idea of numbers, nor do I know which this is. Dark grey? It must be right??

Soul Search / Minus - Split

I'd picked this up a short while ago too, the split release between Soul Search and Minus. The Soul Search tracks on here are decent too although I've gotta say I prefer what's going on on 'Nothing But A Nightmare' to the tracks here.

The Minus tracks are pretty decent too, I'm actually not that familiar with them but I seem to remember thinking I need to check them out further last time I listened to this. Red vinyl of which 800 were pressed. 500 were on clear and 200 on clear with red splatter.

Where I Stand

Another post (finally) and another release from Speedowax Records. I've had this for so long that I can't even remember if I ordered both versions of the record originally or if Speedowax chucked the second in. Either way I'm glad to have both as it's another quality release from the label.

Truth - Where I Stand

Truth are a band from Texas and they play straight-edge youth crew hardcore in the way it's supposed to be played. This is a really solid effort and foundation from the band.

As is the norm with a label that pay as much attention to detail as Speedowax do not only is there two different colours of wax but also two different sleeves. 

The solid red vinyl sits in the red sleeve whilst the coke bottle green version comes in a black and white version of the sleeve. Excellent sleeve and packaging from Speedowax on this release too.

I've said it a thousand times but if you don't already own a load of these releases the Speedowax back catalogue is well worth wading through for some hidden gems.

Monster Surf

Some people really like purely instrumental music, I've always found these types to be beardy musos with a lack of experience with the opposite sex. Me, I like my music to have some vocals on top.

Monster Surf - Night Birds

So, I guess to get it out of their system before their Fat Wreck Debut full length Night Birds have released this instrumental record Monster Surf. If it wasn't for having all their other stuff I might not have bothered.

Don't get me wrong, the musics fine and is very Night Birds but without Brian Gorsegner's vocals there's just nothing to pull me in and make this interesting. That's just me though, fans of the bands surf element will still lap this up as it's been really brought to the front of the bands sound here.

This was released by Wallride Records and I'm sure I read previously that it's a one time pressing out of 700. I don't know if all copies were on black or not but I presume they were.

I really like the little Wallride Records Dracula!!!

Lost In Life And Death

I was super stoked to pick this up recently, in fact it killed two birds with one stone not only the best looking press of the record but also a limited tour version too.

Backtrack - Lost In Life & Death

So yes here we have a tour version of Backtracks Lost In Life record. Cleverly titled here 'Lost In Life & Death' as its from the 2014 Life & Death tour.

Numbered 7 out of 125 the cover is just a wrap around of the existing record sleeve but being out of only 125 it's a great pick up.

I also think this third press colour of Purple and Black mix is the best looking press of the record too and a version of been meaning to get me hands on so that's pretty cool too.

Runaway Girls

Once again those dastardly fiends over at  Rise Above Records drop a Uncle Acid single on me that nearly went completely unnoticed. I think I may have just randomly clicked on the website one day and it caught my eye in the new releases section.

Uncle Acid - Runaway Girls

So yes here we have another track from the Mind Control sessions, a track that didn't make the record in the form of Runaway Girls. It's a good track too but then I love everything this band do so that's really no surprise. It's backed by a previously unreleased acoustic version of Devils Work. This is the 'closing chapter' of Mind Control - I really hope there is still more to come from the band.

I have no idea of numbers for this release, in fact I can't even remember why I picked this blue vinyl version, I think at the time it just sounded the nicest. Love the artwork and theme that the band have kept during these releases too.

Wait! Hardcore Gods Live In Parts Unknown

I'm gonna throw up four records at once in the interest of time. Because I hate doing this I always try and find a tenuous link between the records to at least make myself feel better. I bought all of these in physical record stores at around the same time..not bad...that will do!

Madball - Hardcore Lives

Okay, let's get the elephant in the room addressed first. Cynical types might say Madball have gone a bit 'Terror' with this record, the album title, the videos, the first few songs on the record, shit Scott Vogel even guests on the record. But you know what fuck all that. In my eyes Madball can do what they want and that's exactly how I view this record - band doing what they want. 

In fact the band sound like they are having a good time which means it's added a rejuvenation to the band. Plus it's easy to dismiss the Terror thing when tracks like Doc Marten Stomp sound like something Lars Fredericksen would have penned. I think it makes for a really enjoyable listen.

Because I bought this in a shop I had to settle for a black copy of the record. I think it was also pressed on Orange though which I'm sure looks superb. First of three nice gatefold sleeves too.

Cold World - How The Gods Chill

I have to admit to being slightly worried about this new Cold World LP. It seemed like such a long time since we'd had anything new from them and they had shown so many sides to their game that I really didn't know what to expect. Thankfully, this record is superb. Mixing everything the band have done and throwing it into one big melting pot. 

The metallic stuff sounds great as does the rapping stuff. I think in the past it has sounded disjointed on some tracks but Cold World seemed to have made it work pretty seamlessly here.

Luckily I don't think there was a black pressing of this so I was always going to get a colour copy. White in this case, the most common colour.

Bane - Don't wait Up

Good lord, a new Bane record, maaaaan it's been too long. This is probably their last which is a shame but at least they will go out with a legacy in tact as this is a good record. I must admit I haven't given it enough spins yet to really have it sink in but every listen does seem to get better.

Orange copy out of 500 if memory serves. Very nice.

Every Time I Die - From Parts Unknown

To start with any band that uses a wrestling term as an album title is okay with me! Now that's out of the way...

I love Every Time I Die or at least I love  MOST of their stuff. The first two full lengths were excellent but they seriously lost me on 'Gutter Phenonemon' and 'The Big Dirty'. Both were just a bit too influenced by the bands more poppy and southern rock flavour for my liking. But since those two records the band have at least been re-writing those wrongs on each subsequent release culminating in this one which is excellent!

The band have got the balance between the mental heavy hardcore stuff and they're rock n roll swagger bang on for the first time since 'Hot Damn'. All my Every Time I Die records are on black vinyl so it would have been rude to break that trend here!

Stranger Places

In 2013 Strange Places released their debut 7" on Carry The Weight records. I liked it a lot and dug the sound the band was going for. Well, their back with another release and it's pretty darn good too.

Strange Places - Stranger Places

On the bands last record I said that they were mixing up metallic hardcore with stoner rock. This time round the band have ditched the hardcore tinge somewhat for a more metal flavour. Shit, in places when the band aren't in the doom/stoner mode this sounds straight up like Ride The Lightning era Metallica. Not that this is anyway bad. The bands infectious personality shines underneath all this and tells you this is a band doing what ever the fuck they want, and it's all the better for it. 

As is the case with most releases it seems at the minute I missed out on the colour version of the record and had to settle for the black version of the release out of 400.

The Coalesce Kids

I'm always eager to fill in the gaps in my Coalesce collection. So recently I picked up a copy of this split 7" from 1997.

The Get Up Kids / Coalesce - Split

This release sees both bands cover a track by the other band. Strangely the tracks are then renamed, I don't know why and I don't know if I've ever seen that before either?!? Now, I don't mind the Get Up Kids, they have some decent songs but this is far from their greatest moment. Coalesce fair far better making The Second Place or 'I'm giving up on this one' as it's called here sound very much like one of their own songs.

I knew this release was available on about 13 different colours so was bummed at first to just be picking up a black one. That was until I took it out of the sleeve and realised it had stamped centre labels, the other copies if seen had proper black centre labels. Discogs seems to suggest this is a 1st Press version out of 300 sold on The Get Up Kids Fall/Winter tour of '97. Be nice if it was that version, can anyone confirm??

New York Crew

Some poor sap listed this on eBay as 'Judge Record', so I knew not many people would stumble upon it. It turned out no one else did and I scored this for 99p!!!!! Brilliant

Judge - New York Crew

Much like the Chain Of Strength 7" I picked up recently there's really not a lot to say about this Rev classic. It's Judge, it's New York Crew! It's hardcore history!!

I believe this is the second press which were all black with the yellow sleeve as opposed to orange.

Forgotten Goals

So last year I think it was, Rev put out a gold reissue of the first Civ record. I ordered it and it completely escaped me that it actually never turned up. That was, until an email came from the store I'd ordered it from asking if I was ok with them sending me a Pink copy as they had never got the gold version in.

Civ - Set Your Goals

To be honest I just wanted a coloured vinyl copy and wasn't bothered if it was gold or pink. This colour seems to suit the cover pretty well so it's all good in my book.

Who doesn't love this record? Back when it first came out I thought it was great and listening again now it's not hard to see why. Great infectious stuff mixing hardcore and that more pop-punk kinda sound perfectly. Shame the follow up was a bit of a stinker.

Pink vinyl version is out of 550 pressed. Here it sits with the black version of the record I already had.

Paid In Full

Back in December I posted up the debut 7" by Cross Me that Speedowax had put out. I liked it a lot and I think I said something like 'by rights these should be the next band to blow up'. Well, I don't know about blowing up but in the last 7 months or so I've certainly seen them getting more attention. They've also just dropped their second 7", but we'll get on to that in a minute. First...

Cross Me - S/T

When I saw that the ever brilliant Speedowax were putting out a second press of the first Cross Me record I jumped at the chance to get another copy, especially as the previous pressing were all on black vinyl. Different colour cover for the second press (it's Speedowax so of course) and a nice red vinyl to boot. 100/107!

Cross Me - Paid In Full

So on to the new record. I was stoked when I heard that Cross Me were putting out another record, and then I realised who was releasing it - The dreaded Flatspot Records. I won't go over it all again but I'd been less than impressed with this label in the past. This time though the record got here with no problems and surprisingly as their packaging is still fucking awful, no damage!

So what of the record? Well it's good, it's really good. The band seem to have gone a tad thrashier on this release and I like it, Bad Company especially from the couple of listens I've had is a barnstormer, sounding like a more metallic Expire! Great stuff and another sweet release from the band. More please!

 

Milky Clear vinyl out of 250