Never Ending Game

SCREAMING FOR CHANGE - REPRESS

2012-01-01T12:32:00.000-08:00

Seven days ago I was alerted by my friend Cam that Revelation were selling reissues of Screaming and that they were on colour. I have to admit I was puzzled that a) there hadn't been a massive fanfare regarding this and b)it was Wishingwell Records that was reissuing it. Anyway I ordered and waited literally a week before my Lp arrived in record time. I was eager to see what colour the repress was going to be a much to my surprise it was on clear green. Now lets get down to the nitty gritty here and explore this in more detail. The legit and original second press of this record was also released on clear green way back in 86 with green lettering on the sleeve to match. So what do I actually have here?? Do I have one of those or a repress using the very same colours as in 86. Looking closely at an original version there really isn't that much difference other than the shade of green used on the sleeve is marginally different. The labels are again marginally different but not really enough to separate both the original and this version. However after being pointed in the direction of matrix etchings there is a difference. I'm still bemused about this record as there doesn't seem to be any significant pressing info at hand and the fact that the colours match almost identically the 86 pressing throws a a lot more questions into the mix than answers. At $11 I guess its a definite bargain though!!!!

DIE DIE MY DARLING......

2011-08-25T15:36:00.000-07:00

Die Die on white, I'm excited to finally have this bad boy to add to my collection. Beautiful looking record with a number of small black streaks running through it. Thank you oh Misfits record giver god....another hole filled! Only 500 pressed on white, you know the score this is bad ass!

EVIL AND LIVE

2011-07-04T14:41:00.000-07:00

Here we have the infamous Evilive 12 inch version of the same titled ep. This is another of the 1987 caroline reissues and only 2000 were pressed on clear green wax.

A very small number of these have black streaks in them and although mine doesn't it does have a number of green streaks running through it. Not sure of the significance or rarity (if any) of that but thought I'd mention it.
This recording was taken from a show they did on Broadway in San Francisco in November 81 and shows the true power of the fits in all of their glory. When I got this it was still sealed and after much b=deliberation I thought it would be a bit silly buying a colour vinyl never to open it so after near on nearly a quarter of a century it has now been opened. How old does that make this record sound hahaha!!!

YOT - CAN'T CLOSE MY EYES 12" REPRESS

2011-06-07T10:19:00.000-07:00

Revelation seem to be on the downlow as far as new records are concerned and in line with their record store day release of the Youth of Today ep here is Can't Close My Eyes on two different reissue colours. First up is a red vinyl which looks like it's exactly the same colour as that record store day ep vinyl and second is the grey/purple marble vinyl which also incorporates red, blue, black and white streaks. Not 100% sure on pressing numbers but will amend this as soon as I find out. Fucking great record that needs to be owned.....dew it!!!

**update: and here is the pressing info:
2011 press : 443 red vinyl
562 purple marble vinyl

So with that in mind where the hell does my copy fit into this???

DEADSTOP HOOLIGANS!

2011-05-13T14:50:00.000-07:00

Ah Deadstop, such a great band that is sorely missed by the hc community worldwide, Belgiums answer to Antidote etc. So many good memories and trips to see these guys rip it up on stages at home and abroad. It's been a long time coming for a band to make such great music and also have that electric early 80's vibe about their shows. Fuck, I've seen them playing on a boat on the river Mersey, I've seen them absolutely tear the legendary Lintfabriek club in Belgium up on more than one occasion and also play two incredibly high energy shows in one day at Liverpool and Leeds. This is their very first self titled ep and is on red wax. Nice. It is also the third pressing of this fine slab of plastic and was re-released in 2008. Dead Stop Hooligans!!!!!

As a final note I will never ever forget seeing them play their final ever show in Belgium and then on the way home back through France we were pulled over at gun point by the French police, they asked where we had been, we told them to see Dead Fucking Stop!!...happy times!!!!

TALK IS POISON!!!!!

2011-05-13T14:29:00.000-07:00

Talk Is Poison are honestly one of the most underrated and best kept secrets of the 90's hardcore circles.If you like your hardcore ragingly good and raw as fuck then this San Francisco band will tick all of the boxes. Think Discharge on speed and then some!!! This ep was released on Prank and comes on a hot pink wax. Not totally sure on numbers but I'm guessing it will not be a huge press run. Members went on to be in such household acts such as Look Back and Laugh, California Love!!!

RECORD STORE DAY PART 3

2011-04-16T10:18:00.000-07:00

And RSD part 3....Youth Of Todays last recorded output on a beautiful red vinyl. Now as far as red vinyl goes this is by far the best shade I have ever seen.

Pressing info on this one is 1300 units. Probably an easy find on Ebay somewhere down the line! This is one of the surprising Rev Recs FINAL presses that somehow is now a FINAL FINAL press!! Oh well it looks great....a modern love storyyyyyyyy!!!

RECORD STORE DAY PART 2

2011-04-16T10:15:00.001-07:00

Part two of Record Store Day Revelation Records releases. Burn's self titled Ep that I already own on pink vinyl is now repressed on yellow. Another Rev pressing of 1000! There is a pale yellow version of this bad boy so for completists the search goes on!

Great band, exceptional drummer and excellent record!

RECORD STORE DAY PART 1

2011-04-16T09:58:00.000-07:00

Ok looks like I've got the dubious honour of posting my record store day haul first among the brethren of vinyl collectors in the UK so here goes the first post of three. When O first saw that Revelation was re-releasing a batch of records for this annual event my first thought was "please do the Warzone ep with original cover and inserts", unfortunately this hasn't materialized but I have to say I'm happy with Revs choices even though two of them technically should not have been repressed since they had FINAL presses a few years back (this one included)! Anyway here is numero uno, Quicksands self titled ep on an amazing bright blue marbled wax. I always hark back to the very first time I saw the band back in 1990 at Fowlers yard in Durham and not really knowing what to expect and then being totally blown away by how good they were. Funnily enough I'm sure Quicksands debut tour was in the UK as they were testing the response of the UK audience before unleashing themselves stateside. I guess the word groundbreaking is quite apt for this band and I'm sure as hell that they influenced countless bands that followed. To see them grow from a band that played to about 30-40 people to what they finally ended up being was incredible. Top guys and a top band.

So as far as a world record store day release this was pressed in a batch of 1000 on blue with an alleged clear blue variant out there. I waited exactly 1 hour and 15 minutes in a line of what I can only call NERDS to get these release, was it worth it? Hell yes!!! Would I do it gain, definitely...oh and Cam I'm sorry you missed out mate, good luck on Ebay though I hope you find what you're after.

IT'S JUST A GUT INSTINCT

2011-04-12T15:09:00.000-07:00

One of the 80's hardest bands, not from New York or Boston but from that other tough haven, Baltimore. Gut Instinct play like they look, hard as nails!!!! This ep was a reissue of their original that was issued way back in 1990 and was re-released in 2009 by A389 Recs out of Baltimore would you believe it! And I have to say A389 did a decent job of this.

As you can see this one is one of the 125 pre-order copies that came with this numbered 3 quarter sleeve. The vinyl is translucent purple which adds to the aesthetics of this release.

Vicious Circle Records has released a best-of compilation, featuring everything the band has released. Try and look it up, a very underated band.

MOUTHPIECE - CAN WE WIN EP, COLLECTION

2011-04-12T14:37:00.000-07:00

Delving into the archives I stumbled upon this early 90's classic, the band that filled the void when Chain of Strength were outed as flakey edge breakers and poseurs supreme!! Now for all you readers that did not experience the heady hardcore days of the 80's the early to mid 90's proved to be a bit of a watershed of the original hardcore sound and was full of down tuned guitars, emoness (a word I may have just made up!) the world had never seen the scale of and probably never ever will again!!! For us Youth crew types it was a bleak bleak world that not even a second Biscuits UK tour or a even couple of Slapshot UK tours could save! Step forward the saviours of our scene... New Jerseys, Mouthpiece or affectionately know otherwise as "the Grease". Here we had a vibrant young band playing what we all grew up on and playing it well...damn they could easily have been a west coast late 80s youth crew band. We loved them, we bought the shirts (6 months from New Age Recs!), we bought the eps,we lapped every song and word up until....erm.... Floorpunch came along!!!!! Anyway what we have here are two distinct different versions of the same ep. The first is the light purple first press of the ep that was a press run of 500 copies, check it!
As you can see it's a strange clear light purple vinyl, looks pretty though!!!

So roll on the years to the summer of 2000 and the big news is that the grease are playing a few reunion shows. Unluckily for me I was devoid of cash so couldn't make it out for them. But luckily for me my friend did make it out and saw the Boston show that featured the likes of In My Eyes and others. For these shows New Age pressed some limited eps up and I believe they were issued with a couple of different covers. I ended up with the following limited clear yellow vinyl with collage cover.

The pressing number of this was out of 500 and I think they pretty much all sold out at those shows.

Increase the grease!!!!

EARTH AD, HOLY GRAIL!

2011-04-10T08:24:00.000-07:00

The Misfits Earth AD, possibly one of the greatest hardcore records ever recorded? I think so....Everyone knows how rare this is on colour vinyl and in true Glenn Danzig fashion 1000 were pressed on 4 separate colour pressings. The rundown of this is 100 on clear green, 500 on clear yellow, 200 on clear and 200 on clear purple. The one on show here is one of the 100 on clear, and even though it has a purple tint, it is still classed as a clear version!!! Another main difference with this version is the lighter purple sleeve as is shown against the more regular darker sleeve below:

Funnily enough most of these pressing are streaked due to the fact Danzig would drop colour pellets into each mix whilst visiting the record plant to witness his work being made into vinyl!!!! The Clear green tends to have black streaks, the clear yellow has red and orange streaks, the clear purple has blue and red this clear variant also has blue and red streaks. The clear pressing also comes in an actual clear (without the purple tint) vinyl and also with blue and red streaks. God help any Misfits completists!!!

Again this version is classed as clear and this picture below definitely shows that in more detail.

It's an understatement to say how rare this record is and when you do the Lins tried and tested age calculation, then you'll know that of the 200 pressing back in 83, all of 28 yes 28 years ago I doubt that number still exist, then by my calculation we have one hens teeth of a rare record here. This is why I love vinyl and collecting records so much, you just cannot recreate the aesthetics on any digital format. Mommy can I go out and kill tonight................!!!!

A DOSE OF SOCIAL UNREST

2011-03-17T16:29:00.000-07:00

A brand new Social Unrest ep.....wtf, I didn't even know this was out but I have to admit to feeling a bit of trepidation when I spun this record for the first time in Beatdown Records, Newcastle. Sometimes old bands come up royally with the goods but the majority release records that are in a totally different league to past endeavors and somewhat sour past glories. Anyway I was very pleasantly surprised with this 3 song ep and how fresh it sounds.It has a very distinct californian sound but is catchy as hell and makes you want to listen to the songs over and over. The sleeve has a sticker on it that proclaims that this is the best Social Unrest release since the classic Rat In a Maze Lp and I wouldn't disagree and hopefully we'll get a full length sometime soon. The ep comes on a sickly (and I mean looks like a mixture of pink and vomit) pink wax.

SUPERTOUCH - LOST MY WAY EP

2011-02-10T10:37:00.001-08:00

Brand new Supertouch ep and their first release in 20 years!!! Not sure if I like this record the first time I heard it but it's grown on me. Maybe it's the vocal effect that put me off,but it has a different vibe to their last release. I was gutted recently as they played a one off London show but due to the effects of a two week bout of man flu I had to cry it off. I guess my memories of their previous UK tour in the 90's will have to suffice!

I pre ordered this from Reaper Records sometime in December and Finally got my record today (Feb 10th), a full week and a half after a friend got his but who also ordered about a month after me!!! Not quite sure how that one worked out! I still don't really know what to make of the cover, quite a random pic of a lady swimming, maybe she "lost her way", I dunno!
It always used to be a bit of a bug bear how peeps would diss Supertouch for their progressive sound but would then proclaim their love for some shit indie band that was hip at the time. Maybe it was the fact that they progressed from their classic WNYU sound to the Lp and it was too much to handle. Personally I always loved Supertouch and I'm definitely giving this record a chance. Pressing info to follow.

EVERYTHING SUCKS COLLECTION

2011-01-05T16:16:00.000-08:00

Everything Sucks Lp originally released in 1996 and the "comeback" lp after a long hiatus of releases. I know when I first got the cd I was full of trepidation thinking to myself that like the title this could be the "suckiest" record ever. Luckily I need mot worry because it turned out to be an absolute classic. Brilliant catchy tunes from start to finish with that bigger polished sound doing the band justice. Back to the pressing info...countless copies came on black back in 96. Fast fwd to 2010 and Epitaph decide a repress of another 1500 records is due and here we have 2 of the 500 clear and clear blue, only missing one of the 500 on white. Now roll on their first gig in the UK since 96....April 25th, London.....I cannot wait!
NB* White is now in my possession!!! yay!

ANNIHILATION TIME

2010-12-04T14:26:00.000-08:00

Anyone with a keen love of all things Black Flag, Bl'ast lapped this band up in no time at all. Their first record was pure flag/Bl'ast worship and then they dumped their original singer and got a new guy in who looked like he should be fronting Crass or some other anarcho crust band!!! They even up their musicianship and incorporated some Thin Lizzy hooks into the mix and et voila here we have this record. I've been lucky to see and share this stage with this band on many occasions and not once have they let me down...always awesome. Great record, but I'll have to look up the numbers pressed as I have no idea!

BOSTON CREW PART 2

2010-12-02T16:25:00.000-08:00

If my memory serves me right this was the very last release on X Claim records and number 6 in the line. Absolutely a must have record on whatever format of raging Boston HARDcore! Seriously some of the best drumming ever on a hc release, in fact it seems like the drummer plays constant rolls and fills...incredible. Not sure how many were pressed but I can't imagine it being that many.

BOSTON CREW PART 1

2010-12-02T16:19:00.000-08:00

Had this for a while now and in my eyes another Boston Hardcore classic. Apparently there are two pressings of this here record with the main difference being the size of the letters on the labels!!! Fast and hectic, this record blazes, but unfortunately suffers due to the really thin productioN. The cover art is another classic Pushead drawing....has he ever done a bad piece of art I ask myself!

MISSING IN ACTION

2010-12-02T16:10:00.000-08:00

MIA (Missing In Action) were a hardcore punk band from Las Vegas forming in 1981 out of the ashes of The Swells and heavily influenced by the fledgling California Hardcore scene. This 37 song double Lp discography was released by Alternative Tentacles in 2001 and captures the 1981 - 85 time frame of this band.

Beautiful clear orange vinyl with orange swirls make this a visually great looking piece of wax, with the first 1000 coming on this colour. Sadly vocalist Mike Conley died in an accident in 2008. MIA are definitely one of those unheralded bands from the initial Hc phase that kids need to discover and check out.

CHANNEL 3 - CH3 LP

2010-12-01T14:35:00.000-08:00

The best Channel 3 Lp since Fear of Life in my humble opinion. Dr Strange records released this in 2002 but if you didn't already know you'd probably think it was a collection of lost tracks from the early 80's. Clear red wax, and a numbered silkscreened cover, alas without an insert which is a bit of a let down. I got numero 430 out of 800!!

THIS IS ALSO.....BOSTON!

2010-12-01T13:16:00.000-08:00

Boston HARDcore, it doesn't come better than this classic second release by SSD on Xclaim records, featuring the song Glue that has most likely been covered about a billion times since it was first penned by monsieur Al Barile! Little know fact is that the cover featuring a trash-strewn city street and drawn by the legendary Pushead incorporates his girlfriends name that is spelled out in the trash!!! I still haven't been able to work out her name though! Answers on a postcard.....

DANZIG - RAISE THE HORNS

2010-11-10T09:56:00.000-08:00

Lp number 9 for the evil Elvis and boy is this a good one. In my humble opinion probably the album that should have followed Danzig 4 and a record that boasts some banging tunes (Hammer of the Gods, Black Candy). I pre ordered this about 3 weeks ago and it came right on time, unfortunately the first batch of pre orders are minus a lyric sheet due to an error at the printers so rather than delay the release the record label decided to send the vinyl out first with lyric sheets to follow sometime soon. Two pre order pressings were available with 1000 on clear red and 1000 on black. I have heard of a small amount that are transitional pressings that are clear red with black streaks, but not sure how evident the streaking is. Seriously if you liked the first 4 Danzig Lps then get on this record, its that good.

MOURNING NOISE - SELF TITLED EP

2010-10-05T16:22:00.000-07:00

Released in 1982 and featuring Steve Zing of Samhain fame and Bobby Steele (Misfits) doing some erm.. "special effects" between songs! This was a one time pressing of 1000 all on black and after having been scouring the world for the past 4 years looking for one I finally have the sucker. I guess if you hadn't heard Mourning Noise before you'd probably think that the songs were lost or unused Misfits tunes consigned to the annuls of history! Funnily enough this band hail from Lodi New Jersey exactly the same location as the devilocked ones! So I guess the had ample opportunities to perfect their Misfits sound to the max! Hey they even thank Danzig on the thanks list! Check it! Great record by a great and highly underrated band.

STATIC.....STATIC, THIS IS A STATIC AGE!

2010-09-30T14:12:00.000-07:00

The Static Age history:
On August 1977 The Misfits released their debut single "Cough/Cool" on Blank Records, a label operated by singer Glenn Danzig. Several months later Mercury Records issued a Pere Ubu record on their own Blank Records imprint, unaware that Danzig held a trademark on the name. They offered him thirty hours of studio time in exchange for the rights to the Blank Records name, which he accepted. In January and February 1978 the Misfits, then consisting of Danzig, guitarist Franché Coma, bassist Jerry Only, and drummer Mr. Jim, recorded seventeen songs at C.I. Recordings in New York City with engineer and producer Dave Achelis. Because of the time constraints they recorded the songs live in the studio with only a few takes each and very few overdubs. They mixed fourteen of them with Achelis for their proposed first album, to be titled Static Age. Finally released in 97 by good old Caroline Records, and this here variant although none to rare seems to be increase about 20% per year of its original cost price.l Now to get the other two colours!

Here's the pressing info for Static Age
3500 black vinyl copies.
2000 red vinyl copies.
1000 yellow/orange vinyl copies.
500 purple vinyl copies.

AND....THIS IS BOSTON!

2010-08-27T15:00:00.000-07:00

Second installment of the In My Eyes - Nothing to Hide Lp series! This time it's a first press of 500 on white. Which leaves me with only a Clear first press to hunt down. I love the aesthetics of this record with the crisp clean layout and gold sleeve. Hotdiggity!

THIS IS BOSTON

2010-08-27T14:41:00.000-07:00

Revelation numero 80. In My Eyes - Nothing To Hide Lp was the bands second Lp and showed the maturity expected. Still busting out revival youth crew but doing it better than most this band kicked serious ass. Also check out how fucking good looking the dudes are,it makes me sick that a hardcore band can look like Topman models!! That gripe aside this record is awesome and reminds me of my trip to Boston back in 98 especially the intro to welcome to Boston! So yeah only 300 were pressed on blue and were only available to Euro tour punters. Anyone remember the London show with the Cro-mags and without Sweet Pete???

OUTSPOKEN - SURVIVAL EP REPRESS

2010-08-20T09:44:00.000-07:00

So here we have a repress of the Outspoken "Survival" ep that was first issued way back in 90's when wearing new era caps meant bending the peak and also baggy shorts, pants and striped tees/sweats were all the rage! Well fast fwd to 2010 and Mr Hartsfield has reissued this rather classic 90s ep on bubble-gum pink wax. It's limited to only 77 and after having first thought I'd missed out on a copy someone posted a link to extras that were gonna be made available. I eagerly paid for the record and waited...and waited.....and waited.....and emailed....and waited.....and finally today the little fucker arrived approximately 3 months since I placed the order. Now I know New Age in the 90's had a rep for sending stuff out slowly but c'mon man it's 2010! It's not like had to wait for it to come from the pressing plant, they were already in stock!! Right, now onto the record itself...basic photocopied sleeve,nice looking wax and double sided old Walk Proud labels make this an interesting if not somewhat underwhelming reissue. As can be seen in the pics above it does say that there are only 77 copies, however I feel kinda short changed with this one as it feels like it was quickly put together at the last minute, when with a little bit of extra work it could have looked amazing, oh well just my point of view. I love Outspoken and I loved Survival when it first came out, sure it didn't invent the wheel lyrically but it was a heartfelt, sincere, powerful and a record that I will always hold in high esteem.

THE BLACKEST CURSE

2010-08-15T04:53:00.000-07:00

This is my first Integrity buy since To Die For which I believe came out in 2003. I think the whole non buying of Integ stuff was mainly due to the amount of absolute idiots that latched on to the band and the amount of Integ rip off bands that were forming on a weekly basis. Luckily I've come to my senses now and bought this here Lp on a whim from a local record store (Beatdown Records, Newcastle). Anyway apparently 1000 were pressed on this kinda clouded clear vinyl, with 700 on white and 300 on clear red, with a total first press of 2000. I wasn't sure what I'd be getting but I admit this record is a grower and sticks to the tried and tested Integ formula. In fact this record makes me wanna bat someone in the face, its so goddamn aggressive! I think my only gripe with this release is the fact that rather than have a lyric sheet/booklet included the band have opted for a huge poster instead, which is kinda weird because the cd version does have a booklet included. Oh well small whine aside this is a top notch record. MICHAAAAA!

HANDS TIED - SELF TITLED EP

2010-08-14T13:22:00.000-07:00

Hands Tied have reformed. I for one are happy to see one of the 90's premier youth crew revival bands back in the fold and eagerly anticipate their new ep on Livewire Records. HT are better known as Tim McMahon's first post Mouthpiece band and whereas Mouthpiece had obvious Chain/West Coast straight edge influenced jams HT are more in line with what the NY youth crew was creating. Great great record and this here version is the limited Euro tour press out of 300. I lucked out with numero 78! My one abiding HT memory was moshing it up to them at the Sheffield Corporation whilst they played a cover of Project x's Straight Edge Revenge only for me to break the strap on my highly expensive original x swatch! Luckily I was reacquainted with said watch at the end of the show and spent a bit on repair work!

DOUBLE NEGATIVE -/-

2010-08-12T11:03:00.000-07:00

Wow is the word that springs to mind when you see the packaging on this record. DN offer stripped down dirty and nasty hardcore with influences that range from early COC and others that have been gathered by the respective band members over their 25+ years of hardcore involvement. I have to say that this is a record from a bunch of 40 year olds that pisses all over most of the current so called hardcore scene. Flawless from start to finish. Now let me get onto the whole package which includes a free mp3 download, deluxe foil-stamped covers, and obi strip. I mean come on for $12 this is an absolute steal and looks incredible. I love it when a label puts a lot of effort and funds into producing something as cool looking as this slab of vinyl, it's most definitely a labour of love on Sorry States behalf to which they should be applauded wholeheartedly. Hot pink wax which is number 213 out of 286!

MISFITS - WALK AMONG US LP, PURPLE COVER

2010-07-27T11:23:00.000-07:00

The best Misfits Lp....I think so! , nothing too special about this 88 pressing and made in large quantities. Reissued by Warner Brothers: WB 7599 25756-1/4; Ruby (July 1988) LP and cassette reissue with purple cover and green logo. Apparently, an extremely small number of LP copies have white Slash center labels and different matrix etchings. This is what the Misfits were all about catchy melodic punk, awesome vocals and lyrics concentrating on the darker side of life!

MISFITS - EARTH AD , TRANSLUCENT VINYL

2010-07-25T13:20:00.000-07:00

The full length Lp that catapulted the Misfits from a horror influenced Ramones style band to a horrorcore outfit. There are still hints of the trademark early melodic assault but this Lp takes the bull by the horns and thrashes most of the way through! Out of the 3 presses this is apparently a first press and to quote misfits central "There are also light purple front cover background copies on thin, translucent vinyl with PL-902-A MASTERDISK EDP SM3 in the side A matrix, and PL-902-B MASTERDISK EDP M2 on side B." So there you have it and as highlighted by the sun shining through the second picture this is a first press translucent vinyl with just the plan 9 logo and no barcodes in sight on the flip side of the sleeve.

ALL HALLOWS EVE

2010-07-24T17:29:00.000-07:00

Second installment of Samhain's NCF and this one was released in May 1986. This is the UK only release on Revolver records and as you can see in the pics there are a few subtle differences like a different record label and the obvious Revolver logo on the back of the record sleeve.

SAMHAIN - NOVEMBER COMING FIRE LP, CLEAR ORANGE

2010-07-24T16:35:00.000-07:00

Possibly my favourite Samhain record and definitely the most polished, released in Feb 1986. I'd been thinking about getting this record for a while when I was given the opportunity to conduct a really good deal for it, which I couldn't turn down! There's something about this record and the end of summer beginning of Autumn that fits just nicely alongside the pumpkin clear orange vinyl! Most rabid fits/hain collectors know that there were only 500 of these bad boys produced and getting one on Ebay will cost you an arm and a leg and quite possibly more. I've been lucky with this one so another want has disappeared off my wants list.

MISFITS THE LEGACY

2010-07-02T01:48:00.000-07:00

The Misfits Legacy of Brutality originally released in March of 86 and limited to 500copies on clear red and 500 on white. Transition presses from one colour to the other included 16 pink copies and subsequent copies of red (with black streaks from the first pressing) and white copies (with pink/red streaks from the red version). This was basically because of the pressing plates not being cleaned. Anyway now on to this version that I own. This is mostly white bar one small pink streak in the vinyl so I guess it does count as a streaked version just.I'll hit up a photo once my camera battery has restored its charge. Lukily I also hit up a pretty good trade for this bad boy and to say I'm happy to own it is an understatement. Now someone get me a colour Earth AD on the cheap!!!

CHAIN OF STRENGTH - THE ONE THING THAT STILL HOLDS TRUE

2010-06-05T16:42:00.000-07:00

Ok here's the full collection of Chain material on one big fat plastic disc. Bonus is obviously the previously unreleased track "Impact". Anyway as Rev Recs decided to do a bit of a cash grabbing exercise back in 2001 and me being a huge Chain fan I quickly ordered this. I was hoping to get the more ltd clear green but hey Grey is better than black!!! This one is limited to 440 pieces.

A HIT SQUAD FOR GOD

2010-06-05T03:38:00.001-07:00

If you're a fan of early 7 Seconds material then this ep is a definite nod in that direction. The other cool thing about this 83 released disc is that Moby (yes that Moby) played guitar on it.
I managed to score this on Ebay after a very long search led me to a seller based in the UK. Luckily the price was incredibly low for such a great and rare record and to make matters even more interesting the vinyl is on closer inspection clear (ish) purple. The copies that appear on Ebay for the past 8 or so years have all been black, so not only did I luck out with the price but also the rarity of the actual variation. I'm not even sure how many were pressed on this purple coloured wax and I'm interested to find out. Actually I'm beginning to think that this might be a second pressing collaboration between the original label (Pregnant Nun Records) and another. Also on all 1st pressings Moby is listed as MH but on this sleeve his name is actually listed as Moby! Anyone with more info please feel free to comment.

*update

Light Blue cover, different back cover design than first press. There's a mention of the second 7" Just A Frisbee on the back and in very tiny letters "Pregnant Nun Records #1 second pressing. -Taken from www.albarkley.com

GOATSNAKE

2010-06-03T16:08:00.000-07:00

Goatsnake, yes not a hardcore punk band in the slightest I hear you say but their history is steeped in hardcore punk history. Vocalist Pete Stahl was a mainstay in the DC punk scene in the early 80s and was the voice for Scream and provides the excellent voice for Goatsnake. Alongside him on guitar in the snake is Southern Lord's supremo, and current member of the infamous SUNN0)) Greg Anderson who forged his early musical career in the NW hardcore scene and in particular with the bands False Liberty and straight edge youth crew stalwarts Brotherhood. I still find it amazing that a man who ( I presume still has) has true till death xxx tattooed on his arm would turn into the biggest long haired stoner going but boy does he do it well!!! Goatsnake mix the intricate heaviness of Black Sabbath and the doom of Saint Vitus to absolute perfection.This Lp on show is the European reissue of the snakes 3rd Lp and has been beautifully packaged in a heavy duty card gatefold sleeve and complimented by thick 180g clear purple vinyl. Limited to only 760 pieces worldwide this will be a big hitter in Ebay sometime in the future. I guarantee that Goatsnake will damage your car stereo beyond repair and in fact I can vouch for it!

Here's a funny Greg Anderson story.... so me and a couple of friends went to see SUNN0)), now if you know anything about this band you now that a) its not very kind to your ears and b) they dress like monks in long brown robes. So just before they went on stage we were hanging around the back of the venue and lo and behold the whole band appeared from another door walked past us solemnly to the door that would take them onto the stage dressed in their monk robes, now the thing is onstage because of the dry ice and darkness you don't really get the chance to see their feet, anyway as they walked past us in single file all very serious I clocked the biggest whitest pair of nike trainers at the bottom of GA's outfit, It looked absolutely ridiculous.I mean a monk wearing brand new nikes is not something you'd see on a regular basis, so with that in mind next time you see SUNN0)) be sure to check their footwear out! I then shouted "Gregg judging by your footwear will we be getting any Brotherhood tunes tonight", to which he turned round and glared!!! If looks could kill I wouldn't be writing this!!

UNHOLY PASSION

2010-05-16T03:47:00.000-07:00

My love for all things Danzig lead me on a bit of a chase to get hold of any Samhain colour vinyl and here I managed to do a pretty reasonable trade which included a couple of Floorpunch Records and other bits and bobs, for a 2nd press of Unholy Passion.

According to official pressing info there were 500 on clear red with a Maroon cover and 200 on white with a tan cover. So that means the hunt for the white goes on!!! I love Samhain just as much as I love the Misfits and this 12" ep has a stonking rehash of All hell break's loose done in the distinctive Samhain way.

SOCIAL CIRCKLE - CITY SHOCK LP, THE EURO VERSION

2010-05-08T17:03:00.000-07:00

520 copies only of this Euro repress of the US press that was put out by No Way Records. Of that 520, 110 came on this clear mint vinyl and the rest were black. Great new band that nod towards the formative years of hc and also incorporate a dash of 70s punk into their sound.

VERBAL ABUSE - JUST AN AMERICAN BAND LP, WHITE/BLACK SPLATTER

2010-05-08T17:00:00.000-07:00

Another No Way Records reissue and this time they put out a classic classic west coast slab of wax. If you haven't heard Verbal Abuse then do yourself a favour and take a listen. I guess their most recent claim to fame was that Slayer covered five yes five!! VA songs on their Undisputed Attitude covers lp back in 1996. I've never been a big fan of splatter vinyl but this one actually looks ok. This record is from the second press of 1000 with 500 coming on black/white splatter and the other 500 solely on black. Another reissue that also sticks to the original cover and insert combination.

TURNING POINT DISCOGRAPHY x 2 LP, CLEAR

2010-05-08T15:19:00.000-07:00

Another youth crew reissue that basically puts the Jade Tree Records cd discography onto vinyl courtesy of Think Fast Records out of Florida. This captures every recorded output that the band did, demo, ep, lp, comp tracks and some live material added on the end of the discog. I love TP and have done for years, they aped Youth Of Today to start with then developed their own more melodic offerings in the later part of their existence. Such a shame that Skip (vox) is no longer with us and this release is a testimony to how great both he and TP were as a band. Interestingly my record is from the first press and is ltd to 200 copies only. For collector nerds like myself the rest of the press looks something like this :-
1st press:
- 14 rejected test presses
- 14 approved test presses
- 2 rejected clear
- 2 rejected white
- 2 rejected black
- 200 clear
- 300 white
- 525 black
2nd press:
- 5 test presses
- 500 orange

UNIT PRIDE - THEN AND NOW 12", CLEAR RED

2010-05-08T14:27:00.000-07:00

In the year of 2002, California's Mankind Records reissued the classic Unit Pride ep on 12" format. This also includes the Holding on Strong demo and all in all is a pretty good reissue. Lyric sheet is well laid out with decent photos and aesthetically it stays true to the og ep.

JUDGE - WHAT IT MEANT 2XLP, CLEAR RED/ORANGE & CLEAR/CLEAR YELLOW W/SPLATTERS

2010-05-02T06:09:00.000-07:00

A complete discography of Judge material, released in 2006 by Revelation. This double Lp package includes the "New York Crew" 7", the "Bringin' It Down" LP, the "Storm" 7", the "Chung King Can Suck It" LP and previously unreleased demo tracks and as an added bonus liner notes by Porcell and never seen before photos. A really nice package for the Judge collector, however god only knows who came up with the colour schemes for the vinyl.

STRAIGHT AHEAD - BREAKAWAY 12" EP

2010-04-30T18:18:00.000-07:00

Two fucking words Tommy Carroll. Carrot topped, Human dynamo, crazy ass front man, golden gloves boxer and the guy that once infamously spat at "rockstar" Kirk Hammett who was in the audience at a Crumbsuckers show!! The record I own is from the 3rd press and in my honest opinion one of the greatest pieces of NYHC that has been committed to plastic! On an interesting collectors note, the story from duane (Some Records) was that he had the 3rd batch pressed up (black labels w/ white print) and then couldn't afford to pay the bill, so the pressing plant repo'd them. presumably the plant sold them off to a distributor because they seem to be only slightly less abundant than the 2nd press. Pressing info is:-
Breakaway 12" EP (1987 I-Risk)
1st press = 1000 with plain white DJ sleeve
2nd press = 500 with lion sleeve and white labels w/ black print
3rd press = 500 with lion sleeve and black labels w/ white print
Anyway watch the video below and pray for a time machine to take you back to the greatness of Straight Ahead!

YOUTH OF TODAY - WE'RE NOT IN THIS ALONE LP, CLEAR PURPLE

2010-04-30T17:42:00.000-07:00

Another classic YOT release that again was reissued and also remixed. This reissue was also in 97 and again aesthetically looks totally different to the original. The remix from the second Caroline Recs press of this is used on this version and in my eyes is the best mix. I was so stoked to hear this record when it came out back in 88 and not only did it push the sxe scene back into the limelight, it also was my first taste (pardon the pun) of vegetarianism. Thought provoking lyrics, powerful music and the incredible opening seconds of this record (weeee'rrrrrrrreeeee back!!!!!) made this an instant classic in my eyes.

YOUTH OF TODAY - BREAK DOWN THE WALLS LP, WHITE

2010-04-30T06:43:00.000-07:00

Reissued in 1997 by the good folk at Rev and originally released on Wishingwell Recs (86) and Rev Recs (88). This was the record that made me realise how good YOT were and how powerful their message was. I vaguely remember it taking a while to get used to the parrot like vocals but eventually everything clicked into place and a classic in it's genre was found. This reissue isn't anywhere near aesthetically to the original which I guess is a good thing because what's the point in creating a carbon copy, however I do find the layout to be pretty bland and uninteresting. Saying that it's a classic rev release so in that respect definitely worth collecting. Breeeeeaaaak ....... downnnnn....thhheeeee.....walllllllsssssss!

VOORHEES - SPILLING BLOOD, CLEAR/RED SPLATTER

2010-04-25T03:41:00.000-07:00

So last night saw one of only two Voorhees reunion shows (1 in Amsterdam, 1 in Leeds Uk) and to mark the 20th anniversary of their existence Grot ecords re-released Spilling blood without reason on colour vinyl. Their were two colours on offer a clear red splatter that I picked up limited to 100 (which all sold out) and a clear red limited to 500. The record is a faithful reproduction of the original sleeve and the vinyl is awesome thick wax. I'll be picking a red version pretty soon and if you get the chance, try and get hold of this record as it is one of the best ever that this tiny island has produced.

I guess I'm biased having seen many different incarnations of the Hees over the years and being friends with the band members for many years but to me Voorhees was more than a band but a group of friends that did well playing the music they love. Last night proved that even 20 years on they still have the passion, anger and skill to blast out their extensive catalogue brilliantly......MORE VIOLENCE IN HARDCORE!!!

DAG NASTY 85-86 EP BOXSET, VARIOUS COLOURS

2010-04-23T16:13:00.001-07:00

It's late and I'm tired, so I copied this from Flex!!! Great band, love Shawn Browns vocals over pretty much all of the other dudes.

4 x 7” on colored vinyl (white/green/purple/pink), 3500 made; 5-6 test pressings. + info sheet.

The first two EPs of this set contain the legendary demos with Shawn Brown (later with Swiz) singing: vocals are a lot rougher and less pop oriented than on the first LP. The 3rd EP has demos with Peter Cortner, very similar to the versions on Wig Out LP. The 4th EP contains goodies, two nice unreleased songs w/ Peter Cortner and Dave Smalley, a live track and a second version of Another Wrong.

WIDE AWAKE - S/T EP, SAMMY COVER

2010-04-23T15:50:00.000-07:00

So the story with this one is that I had the first press cover and unfortunately one of my cats decided that she would use it as cat lit and proceeded to golden shower the record. Yup had the damn record for near on 20 years and in an instant it was no more. So after much searching I located a spare that a friend had and we traded.

As an aside the last time I saw Sammy was around 7-8 years ago whilst he was on tour with Rival Schools, I actually bumped into him as I was on my way home from work having absolutely no intention of going to see his newest band. Anyway we ended up going for a Chinese meal and after much reminiscing over past tours (esp Youth Of Today in 89), records and other stuff, he pretty much told me that I was on the guest list and that I had to go to the show. To be honest I actually enjoyed it although to this day I still own zero Rival Schools records.

Wide Awake what a great yet underated youth crew band....awesome.

AGAINST THE WALL - IDENTIFY ME EP, GREY MARBLE

2010-04-23T14:28:00.000-07:00

One of Mike Hartsfield's (New Age Recs) many bands and boy does this one rage. Although hailing from S Cal these boys have a harder NY influenced sound mixd in with that OC SXE vibe. Released on Nemesis Records (you know the label with that horrible baseball logo), this ep comes on a grey marbled wax. Definitely a band to check out if you haven't already. Sadly Travis Hunt the drummer for ATW and later Mean Season died in an automobile accident in 2006 at the age of 34. RIP Bro.

DANZIG - MOTHER 12"

2010-04-22T15:50:00.000-07:00

Danzig's Mother 12", only released in the good old UK and although not particularly rare a really nice looking slab of vinyl. Which in turn leads me on to my "one" Danzig encounter. Back in 1989 Danzig supported Metallica at Newcastle City Hall and much to my good fortune I managed to be front row when the master of evil and shortness played on his debut UK tour. Anyway can't actually remember the song but whilst I was enjoying being so close to the man himself his mic chord managed to wrap itself around my head and before I could free myself the man himself decided to yank the chord which promptly tightened behind my neck and the next thing I knew I was face down on Danzig's boots and partly on stage with him! Fuck yes beat that!!!!

This 12" was released in 94 and the only interesting fact is that he live version of "Mother" supposedly taken from Thrall-Demonsweatlive is actually just the '94 remix with live crowd noise. "Mother '94" is identical to "Mother '93."

HAIL DANZIG !!!!

SICK OF IT ALL S/T EP, RSD, CLEAR

2010-04-18T11:49:00.001-07:00

Well this one was a bit of surprise considering a) I hadn't realised that it was world record store day and b) that Rev had planned to reissue the first SOIA ep on clear vinyl. Anyways thinking I was gonna be too late to pick one up (as only 550 are in circulation world wide) I made a trip to one of 3 local record stores that I thought might have actually had a chance of ordering them in. Luckily for me the only one open on a Sunday in Newcastle had one copy left and I quickly bought it up. Now to the interesting facts....apparently there are 4 different covers one of which is a black and white version which was previously seen on the original 80's "Gilman Street" press and one like mine which is from the original pressing run and has the old New Haven Revelation Records address on it (see pics). Some inserts (like mine) seem to be old original 80's ones and some are from the last press with the "fake paper clipping included". Anyway for more pics see the related thread on the Livewire Records Board and happy hunting.

MISFITS - DIE DIE MY DARLING, CLEAR PURPLE

2009-09-28T11:01:00.000-07:00

5OO only on clear purple, released in 84 and is the first press of about 5! So many different colour permutations on the logos and back photographs you'd be better off checking misfits central out. Got this in an Ebay deal and spent probably too much for my measly budget to sustain but luckily I'd sold some shit previously that came to this price..bada bing! Unfortunately the down side to paying a fair whack for a rare record is that you can be hit by a customs charge if the stupid seller puts it's actual value on their customs form. Tip to record buyers....always make it a habit to ask sellers to mark no value and gift on their customs form or be prepared for customs to tax your ass!

MISFITS - COLLECTION II CLEAR RED

2009-09-17T13:57:00.000-07:00

My other installment of Misfits Collections appeared to day and its the least rare one. See below for more info!

MISFITS - COLLECTION II CLEAR GREEN

2009-09-03T13:57:00.000-07:00

I've never really been that bothered about picking this up before now but came to the swift conclusion that a) it's colour vinyl and b) its the Misfits. Seems like yesterday when this was released but infact it was 95 and god knows why I didn't pick this up at the time. Only 3500 on clear green world wide with 6000 on clear red and only a mere 100 on clear. this variant and the clear red are the easiest to find and pick up without spending mega bucks. The most interesting fact about this record is that six of the tracks are not songs the Misfits recorded as a functioning band. They were recorded in 1986, several years after the Misfits broke up, by Glenn Danzig and Samhain bassist Eerie Von for a sequel to Walk Among Us.

YOUTH OF TODAY - CAN'T CLOSE MY EYES 12"

2009-08-27T15:24:00.001-07:00

Youth Of Today's debut ep reissued by those German reissue experts We Bite Records. Got this from Volume Records circa winter 89 and was just stoked to have the songs again on vinyl. If my memory serves me right I got the Caroline Records reissue the summer before. Anyway it was rumoured to be on colour wax and once opened indeed I found a nuclear clear yellow version. Really nice looking vinyl that these pictures don't really do any justice to.

ARTICLES OF FAITH - WHAT WE WANT IS FREE EP

2009-08-06T15:27:00.000-07:00

Articles Of Faith from Chicago but prolly wished they'd come from Washington DC as their sound was very much camped in that scene. For me personally the song My Fathers Dreams embodies all that is great about this band. Fast, melodic harmonies and intelligent lyrics. Included with this ep was a crimson ribbon with the band name printed on it which were apparently given out as arm bands at a new years eve show. There are different pressings of this ep the first being on Version Sound and the second on Wasteland. The very first pressing came with a black and white 2 piece sleeve (500), with subsequent red and blue paper sleeves to follow for the second press on wasteland (500 each).

COWS AND BEER

2009-08-06T13:36:00.001-07:00

Not the reissue recently done on Barbarian Records but the original version sound copy. This was a weird score because initially I bought the ep minus a cover for $20 with the the intention of somehow getting a xerox of the sleeve (Which I did). Luckily tho I had a contact who informed me that his copy of the record had been damaged and he couldn't be bothered searching for another but e was willing to give me the og sleeve and insert for $10. Obviously I snagged them and put all of these components together. Saved me about $90 - 100!! Great mid western hardcore from a band that redefined their own sound on every subsequent release. This and the first lp are essential listening pieces.

NEGATIVE APPROACH

2009-07-30T15:00:00.000-07:00

I can't begin to explain how stoked I was when I secured this bad boy in a deal recently. Ok so it's a second press but its a NEG APPROACH ep and that's pretty much all that matters to me. This fuels memories of seeing NA 4 times over the last couple of years. London at the Tuffnell Park dome, Belgium at Antwerp w/ Discharge, Christ On Parade and Warcry, played infront of 2000 rabid fans going ape. I can honestly say I've never seen as many injuries at a gig than I did at this one it was pure unadulterated bedlum. The next day with Agent Orange at a secret gig (announced to 2000 the day before!!) at the world famous and now sadly defunct Lintfabriek club in front of a cosy 200 punters, where I witnessed Brannons scowl from about 5 foot!! and finally Manchester. I've longed to own a NA ep for a while and I scored a decent deal on this. It's in great nick especially considering its age with a flawless insert and heavy card stock cover complimented by a near mint piece of shiny black vinyl. Definitely one if not my favourite hardcore ep ever. I'm happy!!!

MISFITS - HALLOWEEN

2009-07-10T10:39:00.000-07:00

Been after this for a while and hit lucky with a guy on ebay who decided that he would pull the auction when I offered him some loot. Luckily for me I offered him way below what this normally goes for and got myself a great deal. Then I thought shit what happens if this guy renegades on this deal and decides not to send the record! Well I need not worry because it literally arrived a week after payment. Sometimes you've got to spend big to attain that goal and here is the proof. I love the Misfits and I love this song, both versions of it. Yes!

BLACK FLAG - TV PARTY EP, CLEAR RED

2009-06-09T12:10:00.000-07:00

Got this in an extremely cheap Ebay visit. I love it when the listing is so badly written no one even knows the record is actually for sale! Anyway $2 for this reissue of the classic Flag ep is worth being rather pleased about! Comes on standard clear red and is hopefully the start of more coloured Flag vinyl!

FINAL CONFLICT - SELF TITLED EP, TEST PRESS

2009-06-06T10:32:00.000-07:00

Another pretty impressive score with this ep. This Final Conflict hailed from Minneapolis (home of Husker Du) and should not be confused with the other Californian Final Conflict! Now that my introductions have been made I can tell you that this ep was part of the first wave of US hardcore and was released in 1983 on Reflex Records which was part owned by Bob Mould of Husker Du. If Negative Approach had hailed from Minneapolis they would have sounded like this! Not too sure how many were pressed but It'll be low. I've very rarely seen this on trade lists etc so it's definitely in the hard to find category. I guess if you look at it that say 500 were originally pressed in 83 then by the year 2009 I'm sure less than half of that number will actually still exist. Below is a test of this very record which was created at Rainbo Records, California. A truely underrated classic.

Check Final Conflict out here:
http://www.7inchpunk.com/?p=427

WHITE CROSS - SELF TITLED EP

2009-05-19T10:15:00.001-07:00

Been after this gem for a while now and luckily got a decent score on this one. Raw as hell hardcore that would sit well with your Negative Approach records. Also features a fella that went on to be a part of the spectacle that is GWAR! This record typifies the hardcore spirit in music and aesthetics, raw and simple. Infact I'm sure if my memory serves me right that this was actually recorded live. If you haven't heard White Cross do yourself a favour and soulseek them, this is raging!

BAD RELIGION - RECORD STORE DAY

2009-04-22T13:26:00.000-07:00

To coincide with the world record store day and to honour the fact that the first Bad Religion ep was sold primarily through small indie records stores Epitaph have reissued this ep in a press of 400 records per colour worldwide. I do know it has been pressed on black, white, clear red (US pressing), pink and red (Euro pressing), but I don't know of the numbers. Anyway a nice addition to my collection and its already selling for 2 times the amount I bought if for on Ebay! score!
Update - Thanks to Marcus I now have the US pressing on white and oddly enough it comes in a fold out poster sleeve and also with a lyric sheet which makes it totally different to the hard card sleeve of the European version.

And another addition is the European press on Hot pink wax. Nice!!!!!!

WOLFSBLOOD, SILVER LABELS

2009-04-21T14:34:00.000-07:00

So I was browsing through records at what can only be described as a pretty crap record fair when I came across a very small Misfits section hidden amongst a plethora of hideous rock records being sold by a guy that could only be described as the worlds biggest Beach Boys fan!!! Anyway after checking the vinyl I instantly noticed that this was a German first press version of the Earth Ad, but with the hard to find silver labels! I couldn't believe my luck because not only is this scarce in numbers but the seller had priced it at £15 which considering I've seen it sell on Ebay between $120 - $150 was an absolute bargain. Not being phased I calmly took the record in my hands and approached the seller and said "hey I'll give you £10 for this, its a German bootleg"! He looked at me and I thought haha he may be stupid for selling it at a ridiculously small price to start with but he really isn't that stupid! He said "ok" and I quickly paid up, left the fair and laughed! Its times like this that makes record collecting so much fun. The real info on this record is that has 15,000 copies were pressed. This pressing is available with two different center labels: a common black label with silver writing, and a less common silver label with black writing.

EDGEWISE - SILENT RAGE EP, CLEAR

2008-12-05T17:36:00.000-08:00

Phillys Edgewise were one of those bands that emerged late 80s and put on their release in 1990. Not a bad band by any means but nothing groundbreaking or particularly outstanding. Still worthy of a spot in my collection although being honest I think the last time I spun this record was in the 90s also! The poster sleeve is awesome and compliments the clear vinyl. I also scored on of those horrendous paper stickers with this record. What is the purpose of those damn things, absolutely useless! Ordered this direct from the label when it came out and it took about 3 months to arrive. Aaahhhh the good old days!!!

ALONE IN A CROWD - SELF TITLED EP, MINT GREEN

2008-12-05T16:01:00.000-08:00

Contrast Records re-released this classic a few years back. Obviously I had to have one even though I already had the og Flux press, I was interested to see how this would compare and another plus was the fact it came on colour. AIAC was basically Jules (Side By Side) progression band that has stood the test of time and whose anthem "is anybody there" covered by a ton of bands. Infact circa 2004 in the UK there must have been at least 4 bands covering this song at the same time! And I remember one gig when two bands covered the song in their sets!!!! Great record with possibly one of the most charismatic front men to grace the hardcore scene. This reissue has been done well and the vinyl looks great. Luckily I was one of the 170 to get the 1st press variant although there is a rarer green, light green, clear green swirl variant of 30.

BURN - THE LAST GREAT SEA

2008-12-05T15:52:00.000-08:00

Taken from the Rev Records site. Shortly before the demise of Burn in 1992, the band recorded three songs which were never released. These recordings became highly sought after by fans and tenth generation dubs have been circulating the underground scene for years. Burn were one of those bands that were too talented to be a hardcore band if you get my drift. Complex song structures and a groove that was against the grain in a scene were talent wasn't really a badge of honour! Two words ALAN CAGE!!! Packaging is a bit sparse but I love the insert pic of the band. Great shot of them in a non live environment.

KORO - SPEED KILLS LP, CLEAR BLUE

2008-11-26T13:17:00.001-08:00

Ah Koro what a wonderful band and for the most and only for those "in the know" hardcore geeks! Koro release a legendary ep that is as rare as hens teeth and probably about a million times more expensive. Luckily Sorry State records released this ep for all of us that are feeling the credit crunch and it can be seen in previous posts within this blog. This LP contains 11 songs and while some of them are re-recorded versions of songs from the EP, the new ones find the band bringing even more complexity to their songwriting, even breaking the one-minute barrier on a few tracks. This LP is also exquisitely packaged with lyrics to all the tracks and a lengthy interview with Koro guitarist Carl Snow. And it comes in this second press format as a limited out of 200 clear blue. I'm so happy that this gem has been released and urge all of you hardcore purists to track what is essentially an unreleased till now record by a classic band.

DECRY - SYMPTOMS OF HATE EP

2008-11-07T01:57:00.000-08:00

Kickass band from Los Angeles that unfortunately degenerated into a shit cock rock band by the time of their last release, the terrible "Japanese ep". This is a pretty decent ep which was the precursor to their excellent "Falling" debut Lp. Decry managed to capture that snarley, spit laden punk rock attitude with relative ease, and also without the use of hyper speed in their songs unlike most of their contemparies. Anyway below is a video (the only one I could find) of Decry in action:

HONOR ROLE - IT BLED LIKE A STUCK PIG EP

2008-11-07T01:30:00.000-08:00

From 1984 I present to you Honor Role from Virginia. This is one of those mostly unheard gems from American Hardcores rich historical past. 9 song blast with kinda unique higher pitched vocals. I got this record along side the Public Humiliation ep from Bob Durkee, otherwise know throughout the music world as a producer/engineer (Mountain Goats) and photographer (Corrosion Of Conformity - Animosity Lp). Picked this one up at a steal for under $15 which made me happy and especially knowing it came directly from someone who was linked to the band.

SAMHAIN - UNHOLY PASSION LP, BLUE

2008-11-06T07:11:00.000-08:00

Don't really know much about this other than its a really well done bootleg. I read somewhere that only 400 copies exist of this and knowing how rabid Misfits/Danzig collectors are this will no doubt be worth more now than what I initially paid for it. Even the small detail like the labels are done incredibly well enough to make you think its legit! Anyone with any more info on this please leave a comment.

POISON IDEA - PUNISH ME EP, PURPLE

2008-11-03T02:10:00.000-08:00

Another kick ass Poison Idea ep that was Licensed from American Leather Records for a Euro release.This differs from the US version in that the front cover art has a border and the back cover is white on black as opposed to black on white. The US sleeve was fold-over and the vinyl pink, also got to love the cover drawing! I remember seeing Poison Idea sometime in the 90s and the local rumour circuit was rife with the fact that the club they played at apparently reinforced their stage for the gig due to the combined weight of the band members!

MINOR THREAT - IN MY EYES

2008-10-23T04:15:00.000-07:00

Here is the pressing info on this. 4000 made. First pressing (1000) on red vinyl, yellow labels, 125 of those with xerox sleeve which has the name "Gary Cousins" on it, the others have printed sleeves with "Gary Cousin". 2nd press (1000) with yellow labels and printed sleeve. 3rd press (2000) with light blue labels and heavy sleeve plus lyric sheet and sticker. Not really much to say other than if you are straight edge then this is a classic, if you are not straight edge then its still a classic. Its a classic!!!!!!! I really wish I had cool story for this record but alas it was bought off ebay for a reasonable amount. Honestly!

DEEP WOUND - DISCOGRAPHY LP, BLACK/RED FLECKS

2008-10-23T03:35:00.000-07:00

Deep Wound Discography LP compiling the 1982 demo, self-titled 7” and the tracks from Bands That Could Be God comp. Raging hardcore and a well put together comp musically. The cover is a bit crap. Really think the label could have offered something slightly better than this! No information about numbers pressed either. My variant is black w/ a small amount of red flecks. Got to look really close up to see them though.

IQ 32

2008-10-22T06:39:00.000-07:00

Another Necros rip roarer! Touch and Go pretty much along with dischord released most of the non west coast hardcore that in turn became legendary. This ep is no exception since its a split label release! I remember the first time I heard that there was a band called the Necros, "they must have gothic overtones" I said but boy was I wrong! Straight to the point hardcore, simplisticy all produces favourable results. A lot of peeps think that the Conquest For Death LP is better but I beg to differ. As for this pressing its the 3rd. Heres a run down of the complete pressing info. 3000 made, 3 pressings of 1000 each. 1st pressing with green labels, 2nd pressing with tan labels, 3rd pressing with white labels, all have different lyric sheets. 100 of the first pressing in special 'Skate Park' sleeve, numbered, sold at a Necros gig at Endless Summer Skate Park. + lyric sheet.

NECROS - CONQUEST FOR DEATH EP

2008-10-21T08:45:00.000-07:00

Basically two songs with the A side being a different version to that on the LP , and the B Side is included on German license pressing of the same LP. Nice thick card sleeve with awesome artwork on the front. Another great ebay find at a reasonable price.

SOCIAL DISTORTION - ANOTHER STATE OF MIND EP

2008-10-21T02:48:00.000-07:00

Social Distortion - Another State of Mind ep:
2000 pressed on black
1st press, 13th Story Records, released 1983

Anyone that knows me knows of my love for Social Distortion. Just something about the way they put songs together and their plethora of influences that they incorporated in them. This ep was released on the bands very own 13th story record label and the songs taken from their debut LP. Pretty slick paper cover for a self release with a glaring typo on the back. Mommy's Little Monster has turned into Mommies Little Monster!! This was also released in 89 by Triple X records on clear vinyl and ltd to just 500 copies.

NEOS - HASSIBAH GETS THE MARTIAN BRAIN SQUEEZE EP

2008-10-20T08:01:00.000-07:00

NEOS - Hassibah Gets The Martian Brain Squeeze ep:
? pressed on black
2nd press, Ratcage Records 25, released 1983

Manic 14 song ep from the Neos. Honestly this ep is blisteringly fast for the age of it. The cover and lyric sheet are both huge fold outs with so much writing on them that you'd be hard pressed to read it all in one go! I love how witty yet intelligent the lyrics are, and for a number of reasons definatley a groundbreaking band in my opinion. This variant is the second press that was released on Ratcage Records, the original being issued on the bands very own label Alandhiscar Records. The main difference between the two is that this variant which was pressed in the UK runs at 45 where as the self released one runs at 33.

UNIT PRIDE - THEN AND NOW EP, CLEAR YELLOW

2008-10-20T07:49:00.000-07:00

Highly underated late 80s youth crew band fron Berkley California. Featuring Eric Ozenne of Redemption 87 and Nerve Agents fame. I will testify that I also think that Chain Of Strength hijacked the start of Making A Difference and put it to their True Till Death tune. Seriously I defy anyone to tell me otherwise!!! Anyway 50 copies of this record came with a limited edition cover (commonly refered to as the "Calvin And Hobbes" cover or the "Jason Bush Can Suck It!" cover), hand-numbered on the back of the record cover and on the B-side label of the record. Regular copies are also hand-numbered on the inner dust sleeve (mine is 339 numbered out of 1,000) but I don't know if the two different numbering systems overlap or if they are independent of one another. There are also regular copies that came with a fold-out, live photo poster of the band in addition to the normal insert but the quantity made is unknown.

ARMED CITIZENS - MAKE SENSE EP

2008-10-20T07:07:00.000-07:00

Great early NYHC here. The thing I love about record collecting is when you find a real bargain not only in price but also in quality. I got this locally about a year ago and only paid $6 for it which was a bargain. The ep and cover are in mint condition and looked like they'd hardly been touched, my gain for sure. I also love collecting small bits of US regional hardcore history and this record fits right into that mold. Although the cover is paper I like the use of the red ink on yellow, makes it stand out nicely plus the back cover drawing is immense, pure punk rock. Just imagine seeing them at the A7 or CB's in the early 80s.

KRAUT - UNEMPLOYED EP

2008-10-20T06:38:00.000-07:00

Ah Kraut made famous by CIV who covered their classic tune "All Twisted"! and featuring soon to be Cro - Magnon Doug Holland on guitar. Anyway I picked this bad boy up in a great trade a number of years ago. I love Kraut because they have that early NYHC attitude to a tee but they were very proficient musicians and could pen tunes that were so catchy your mum would prolly like them! I guess if the Clash had been a NYHC band then Kraut would be that band! This is my fave Kraut release and the lyrics to the unreleased song Matinee are so funny. 5000 pressed which I guess back in the day that was a massive pressing run.

CRUCIFIX - 1984

2008-10-17T17:30:00.000-07:00

3 track ep from this San Francisco based peace punk band. I guess the American equivalent to Discharge. A definite rawer precursor to their incredible Dehumanization Lp. I always found this ep to be misleading because it was released in 1982!!! This record came with a Crucifix patch which added to the overall greatness of this release. The layout has a total UK anarcho feel to it which isn't really surprising considering Crucifix's influences.

SAMHAIN - INITIUM LP

2008-10-16T02:50:00.000-07:00

Theres definately more to Danzig than just the Misfits. This was Danzigs post Misfits outfit and criminally underated in my eyes. Released in 1984 (Plan 9 Recs) and reissued in 1986 and 89. The 1st press variant which I have is of 5000, but there was also a run of 100 white copies and 15 black w/white streaks. The 2nd press of this record was on red and limited to 500 with subsequent 3rd and 4th presses on black. I love Samahain because they were the natural progression from the Misfits, rough around the edges but with Danzigs trademark writing skills, best highlighted in the track All Murder, All Guts, All Fun which could have been a Misfits tune. Still not sure why there was a need to rename Horror Business to Horror Biz tho and quite frankly this version is far less superior than the original!!! This record is like an unfinished sketch, but you can definately see the direction that Danzig wanted to take.

CARRY NATION - FACE THE NATION EP, CLEAR

2008-10-03T08:16:00.000-07:00

Carry Nation were regarded as a super group featuring Dan O'Mahoney and Gavin Oglesby of No For An Answer, Steve Insted and Big Frank Harrison (Nemesis Records). Named after the Hatchet-wielding champion of alcohol prohibition, these dudes produced 4 powerful semi political songs on this ep. I always laughed to myself when looking at the thick card sleeve on this record that proudly displays Carry Nation - Face The Nation 1985 - 1989. How did they only manage to record 4 songs in 4 years, that by anyones standards is pretty slow going!!!!!

MAJORITY OF ONE - RAGE EP, CLEAR YELLOW

2008-10-03T08:03:00.000-07:00

The second MOO release on my blog and probably the better of the two. Again powerful hardcore with great lyrics and this time I got a full colour simplistic double sided cover and clear orange vinyl. I picked this up at a gig they played in Middlesbrough on their Euro tour sometime in 91. I remember that one of the MOO guitarists had went missing in Amsterdam a couple of nights earlier (apparently due to homesickness although at the time rumours were abound that he'd broke edge and ran off with a hooker!!) so they played as a 4 piece but still rocked hard.

MAJORITY OF ONE - ONE MAN EP, PHOTOCOPIED COVER

2008-10-03T04:57:00.000-07:00

Majority Of One or MOO as most people like to call them released a couple of decent eps in the late 80's early 90's. I always thought they were underated and offered something a little different to the plethora of youth crew bands around that time. Powerful yet rocky hardcore, great lyrics and a good voice round off this record. As you can see in the pics this variant is not the standard one but came with a photocopied cover which included an explanation as to why. I remember being totally underwhelmed when I got this and thought that the label was a rip off but in hindsight I guess their reason was valid enough. The song Night train rips on this ep, prolly their best song.

EVEN SCORE = TONY VICTORY

2008-10-03T01:26:00.000-07:00

By no means a classic record in the sense that the music will blow you away, but nonetheless an important release because this is the band that was fronted by a one Tony Victory! Yes the dude that does Victory records and is partly responsible for all of the dirge that parades it self as hardcore these days. I sent away for this record back in the day! and to be honest I've probably spun it about 10 times in the last 19 years or so! Such was the impact that this record made! Not even really sure why I kept it to be honest!

HARDSTANCE - FACE REALITY EP, CLEAR GREEN

2008-10-02T03:44:00.000-07:00

The band that got Zach De La Rocha of Inside Out and more widely known Rage Against The Machine started, although he doesn't actually sing on this record (plays guitar). The music is what I would describe as a less metallic Judge but powerful and ryhthmic. There were 5 different pressings of 1000 on the following colours and in this order, clear blue, clear red, clear green, black and clear. I'm sure I had a clear blue at some stage, better check around my house!! There was always something very basic about the packaging that kinda made me not want to listen to this as much as I really should, don't ask me why, must have been psychological!

POISON IDEA - PICK YOUR KING EP, CLEAR BLUE

2008-09-27T16:39:00.000-07:00

Most of the early 80s revival bands around today owe a massive amount of inspiration to this Poison Idea ep. Fast hardcore with that jangly guitar sound is so prevalent today and none do it better than one of the originators. I was lucky enough to get this one one Ebay not so long ago for a decent amount. This is the 3rd press of 1000 on Fatal Erection and was released in 1985 unlike the first to presses which came out in 83. This is also the second variant that came on colour vinyl (the 1st press being on clear) and another difference is the photocopied double sided sleeve which is basic to say the least, but hey thats hardcore! I love this ep so much, both musically and lyrically.

7 SECONDS - COMMITTED FOR LIFE EP COLLECTION

2008-09-25T04:03:00.001-07:00

I love this ep, fast, raw yet with that unmistakable 7 Seconds melodic trademark. I believe in total that there are 6 or 7 pressings of this with different colour sleeves. Not a bad number sold if 6 or 7000 are the numbers in question! The first press I have is the non glued cover on thich red card with a white lyric sheet. The label glued a few hundred of these to make "proper" sleeves but gave up and ended up with this folded sleeve which pretty much was the blueprint for all subsequent following presses. Also included with the first press variant was another insert that was a photo collage of band and friends. The other presses I have are the 2nd with a light blue paper sleeve and white lyric sheet, 4th press gold paper sleeve with red ink and salmon lyric sheet and the 6th press with the orange paper sleeve with black ink and a white lyric sheet. I think the two that I am missing are the white paper sleeve with red ink and a yellow paper sleeve with black ink, which are the 4th and 5th presses, although I stand to be corrected on that one. *Update* - At last I managed to score a 3rd press white paper with red ink copy of this so now all I need to complete this collection is the Red with black ink and 5th press on the back and the gold with red ink and 6th press on the back.....I think!!

JUDGE - NEW YORK CREW EP

2008-09-25T01:20:00.000-07:00

Judge - New York Crew ep:
1000 pressed on black w/white labels
1st press, Schism Records 2, released 1988

Check the other listing for a descriptor of this here ep. This was pride and joy of my collection for a number of years, before the concept of collecting really took hold. I knew it was a rare record but what was more important to me was how good it was. This press is the original Schism Records variant before Revelation Records got their hands on it. The labels are white (yellow for the second press) and the lyrics unlike the second press that came on a seperate lyric sheet are printed on the back of the ep cover. A killer ep! and lets hope the rumours of a Judge reunion next year are unfounded as I'd like the legacy of this band to remain intact!

KINGS OF PUNK

2008-09-24T06:54:00.000-07:00

This reissue was only available through the Reflex Records mailorder for those lucky enough to have remembered to order it and ltd to 100 only! I was one of the unlucky ones and had to secure this a year later whilst delving around Phil Reflex's basement. Luckily I'd already secured the Negative FX test press that his label had put out when I saw a spare copy of this classic bit of plastic. I chanced my luck and said "Phil how about I give you 15 Euros for this", luckily my fellow Euro was in a giving mood and said "no, no, 10 Euros" to which I gratefully agreed, took the record and ran to my car and locked it in the boot before he could change his mind! This is another of Reflex Records official reissues of classic early 80s Lps and again another sterling job. The lyric sheet also serves as a band history and interview piece and the blue vinyl is amazing, really bright and just plain nice. I think my only gripe with these releases was that the Lp sleeves were a tad bit on the thin side but other than that a great effort. On a historical note the cover art was not a gimmick, singer Jerry A. actually carved that into his chest for the cover photo. Ouch!

NECROS - CONQUEST FOR DEATH LP

2008-09-24T06:37:00.000-07:00

Necros - Conquest For Death Lp:
? pressed w/ blue writing
? pressed w/ green writing
1st press, Touch and Go Records lp2 , released 1983
1st press, Aggressive Rockproduktionen Records 21, released 1984

Two versions of the basically same Necros Lp. The first is the US pressing on Touch and Go with the Blue writing and has 13 songs, the second is the German version that has green cover writing and an extra track which is the b side to the Conquest For Death ep. Both Lps have huge fold out lyric sheets with the German version being darker ink than the US counterpart. Classic band, classic songs!

POWERHOUSE - SELF TITLED EP

2008-09-23T06:30:00.000-07:00

I had to include this ep on my blog solely for the reason that it is an excellent record from a very underated and little known straight edge band. Hailing from Florida which wasn't exactly the hub of all things edge in the late 80's Powerhouse (not to be mistaken with the 90s Oakland based tough guy band!) released via New Age Records this gem. Fast youth crew inspired core that has to be heard to be fully appreciated, I just wish a label would reissue this for the todays youth to get a chance to hear it. Thick card sleeve and a huge lyric sheet plus a dust sleeve that is stamped with the pressing info. I have seen a clear blue variant of this at some stage during my constant ebay trawling.

SLAPSHOT - STEP ON IT LP, CLEAR GREEN

2008-09-23T05:59:00.000-07:00

Ah Slapshot...what a great band, I remember catching them on their first UK tour in 1990 at Newcastles now defunct Riverside venue. This was the gig that everyone was talking about. Would Choke hit the kids with his hockey stick, would the crusty punks v local straight edge schism kick off? Well Choke did bring his stick out and unfortunately he did not hit anyone, the crusties also did not show and all in all a good time was had by all in attendance. This is a limited (if you believe the front cover sticker) variant of the 1st press of this Lp and comes in a nice clear green. The Lp dust sleeve also acts as a lyric sheet and the front cover photograph pretty much sums up this band to a tee. Hard as nails and absolutely no frills. I believe that there were 500 pressed on this colour and I have seen another variant on clear red.

CHAIN OF STRENGTH - WHAT HOLDS US APART EP, MINDPOWER PRESS, YELLOW SLEVE

2008-09-22T03:12:00.000-07:00

And here is the Mindpower Records version of WHUA ep. So what we have here is basically the 2nd press of the Foundation Records WHUA ep that Mindpower Records bought from them and issued with either a light blue card sleeve (200) or like this variant with a gold card sleeve (800). I recently watched one of the light blue sleeved copies go for over $150, which basically shows the collectability of Chain records. Note the glossy Foundation Lyric sheet that is included, so other than the sleeve its mostly a Foundation release! I'd love to know why Foundation sold 1000 of the second press, did the owner give up on hardcore, give up on Chain....someone give me an answer on this one please! I recall buying this from a 2nd hand record store around 93 for the pricely sum of £1, little did I or the store owner know how much in value these would rise to!

Check this link http://vimeo.com/1669873 for a video of Kevin Finns Chain WHUA collection. Seriously mindblowing!!!

CHAIN OF STRENGTH - WHAT HOLDS US APART EP, CONFUSION PRESS

2008-09-22T02:37:00.001-07:00

Chain to me was the quintessential "Youth Crew" band in my formative years, I loved everything about this band, their music, their style, their coolness. Ok so there have been an abundance of rumours and stories about the flakiness of Chain dudes but one thing you cannot fault is their musical ability, which to me has always been grade A. This ep is a weird one because it's the second press of the "non rejected" Foundation Records version of WHUA ep. I'm really not sure how many were issued with this sleeve, but the ebay price of this is getting higher each year. Apparently 1000 pieces were pressed for this second press with the majority being sold to Mindpower Records (see the other WHUA ep post) and a small number being given the "Confusion" sleeve. This variant has exactly the same Foundation small glossy lyric sheet as the Mindpower press.

ADOLESCENTS - SELF TITLED LP

2008-09-19T06:05:00.003-07:00

The "Blue" Lp, a classic in its own right and was the blueprint that influenced thousands of bands that followed. Its one of those catchy records that has you singing along whenever its played. This Lp is another true 1st press that includes a lyric sheet with later reissues came on clear red and blue vinyl and did not include the lyric sheet. Not really sure of the numbers for this variant but I can imagine them to be pretty high.