Monday 29 September 2014

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.

Saturday 20 September 2014

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!

Monday 8 September 2014

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.