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!
