Midnight-Satanic royalty LP

Midnight have been around a while. A mate actually gave me one of their 7"s in a trade a few years ago but I'd be lying if I said I'd played it more than twice. In fact I was thinking about selling/trading it but I'm glad I didn't now. I only heard this album via download a week ago. It was that good I ordered it straight away. Just 6 days later I recieved it. Considering Hell's headbangers are in the US and I'm in the UK-that's what I call fast!!!! Anyway, Midnight play METAL!!!!! It's more in the NWOBHM style rather than thrash/death/black etc. Seriously, this is one of my faves of 2011. My copy is on dark blue with a nice poster. Glossy sleeve, this is one quality release.

Front line-Basic training 7" Purple vinyl

Just when you think there's no more hidden treasures in the early USHC archives comes along this awesome 7" which is a vinyl conversion of a long lost demo tape from 1982. I'm no expert on early 80's like some folk I know but I do love a lot of that stuff. It was some of the most hardest, urgent and authentic music ever. Of course a lot of it wasn't well played or well produced but that was it's charm. That said, like anything there's a lot of mediocre stuff out there and you have to wade through some junk to find the good shit so it's great when something like this shows up. Beach impediment records have done an awesome job here. The packaging is simple but still nice and even features a sticker and an old interview with the band. Obviously a real labour of love. 400 on black and 100 on purple and would you believe that they've already sold out? Hope for a second pressing. Hey, if he does another colour I'll buy one.

Trial-Foundation 7" repress

Originally released in 1997, New age records have decided to do a timely repress, of four versions. 500 on brown,300 on clear, 200 on marble grey and another 77 on the same colour with the special labels for the customary '77 pressing'. The last time I ordered from new age was back in the early to mid 90's and I always thought they were pretty ok despite their bad reputation for running a slow and crappy mailorder. There was no paypal back then so I would get my dollars from the bank or travel agents, send them off and hope for the best. I'd generally get my package in 3-4 weeks. This time it took over 4 months but there was a delay at the pressing plant so I don't blame them. I think React are the slowest mailorder around. It took them 3 months last time to post my order which was in stock for fuck's sake. Anyway I digress...
Trial are one of those bands that people who weren't around hold up as some magical type band but for me they were just there. I never saw them live so maybe that's why they never affected me as much as Strife or earth crisis who I did see back then and was awe struck by. This 7" does hold up well. It's probably either nostalgia or the fact that there's a 90's revival of sorts going on . Still I'm digging this. I do wish New age would re-release the mean season LP next though simply because I only have the CD.

Morbid angel MMXI box set

Anyone who knows me prety well is aware that I have a soft spot for some old metal stuff. I was more into Thrash than death metal as when Death metal started getting big in around 1989 I was already really into hardcore and it's attitude so I kinda shunned metal for a bit because I realised how silly a lot of the lyrics and images were (always loved slayer and old metallica though). When I was really into grind and power violence around 1992-3 I started listening to a bit of death metal too and along with Entombed, Autopsy etc, Morbid angel were always one of my favourites. Nearly 20 years later and I'm buying represses of their classic records in the form of this box set which collects their four best albums ('altars of madness', 'Blessed are the sick', 'Covenant' and 'Domination'). As you can see these all come on white vinyl and also in nice gatefold sleeves. This box set was limited to just 100 and they didn't last long in the earache store. One has already gone for a daft price on ebay and there's some silly cunt trying to sell one for £666 although I can't see him getting that. Still, some of us actually buy records because we actually like the music and even play them from time to time not to simply make some quick cash.

krakdown-s/t 7" repress

This was originally released back in the day on common cause records minus a couple of tracks that are featured here on this better looking repress by state of mind records. There are just 500 of these pressed. Listening to this reminded me that Krakdown were a pretty overlooked and underrated band. It's not surprising really as they were always going to be overshadowed by the likes of YOT, Warzone, Gorilla biscuits,SOIA, sheer terror etc and all the other bands that dominated New York in the late 80's. Even on the awesome 'NYC hardcore-the way it is' (easilly one of my all time favourite hardcore comps) it's easy to forget that they were actually on it despite their contribution being really good. Shame really that it's a repress of a long out of print and largely forgotten record that is the reason I'm reminded properly of this band. Anyway if you haven't Krakdown this band then I highly recommend this. It's raw and hard and the lyrics are cool. Much better than any of what NYHC turned into during the 90's with shit bands like 25 Ta life etc. State of mind are putting a discography I believe. I look forward to that.

Discharge/Off with their heads-Split 7"

I thought my eyes were decieving me when I saw that Drunken sailors had released this. Yes that's actually Discharge and that's actually off with their heads sharing a split with each other. Discharge's side is good stuff. Like most people in hardcore I dig and own most of their early stuff but I am sceptical about old bands releasing new records (especially when it's not anything resembling the old line up) but this is good heavy shit.
OWTH were the reason I bought this and their side rocks of course. 200 were pressed on red and 800 on black. The red copies went really quick but you can still grab a black one. Apparently this isn't going to be repressed so don't leave it too late if you want one.

Reproach-The bitter end LP

I didn't know these guys were still around. I have a couple of 7"s that they did a few years ago which I was really into at the time but I had no idea they were still going until this turned up on the ever reliable Deep six records (the 21st century's answer to Slapaham-one of my favourite labels ever). Naturally I made a purchase and I'm glad I did, not only did I get the limited red/pink-ish colour of 100 but it's one of the best releases of 2011 (which has been an awesome year for music). This Belguim ragers play fast, thrashing no bullshit hardcore with great lyrics. This has been on heavy rotation this week on either the deck or my ipod.

Death is not glamorous-Soft clicks LP Test press

Another one for my dead & gone records test press collection. This time it's the 'soft clicks' LP by Death is not Glamorous (or DING as they also seem to be known as). I love this band and I love this album-so much that this marks my 4th copy. It's just nice, positive feel good hardcore punk although it seems wierd listening to them at this time of year-they're more of a summer band, not that we really get summers anymore in the UK. This didn't come with a special cover or anything-just a plain white dust sleeve. There's only 10 of these I believe.

Deep wound-s/t 7"

Since this is my 200th post I wanted to do something pretty special . I have bought loads lately but I still wanted to do something a bit more than just posting about some recent item. I’ve decided to go back in time by digging out a significant record in my collection- significant for a few reasons. One because it’s one of my favourite ever 7”s and not to mention one of the pride and joy’s of my collection. Also because at that point when I bought it (1999) it was the most expensive record I had purchased at £50. Seems like a bargain now but back then it was a big deal. I knew it was a big item but there wasn’t the same price measuring tools around like Ebay (which was still in it’s infant stages) and Popsike. I had just been made permanent at work and felt like splashing out on a nice item and this one was in the pages of record collector so I called the bloke up and it was a done deal. I first stumbled across this record via bootleg in the early 90’s as it was when Dinosaur Jr were massive and this was the previous band of singer/guitarist J Mascis (who played drums on this) and bassist Lou Barlow ( playing guitar here). It was also one of the best and fastest records of that era. Recorded and released in 1983 by Radiobeat records, there were only 500 copies pressed until the said bootleg surfaced (which is a very good I must say-most bootlegs of that era looked and sounded like shit). This was Deep wound’s only proper record (apart from an appearance on a comp) and it just summed up everything about early US hardcore-fast, brash and snotty. Nearly 30 years on it’s still one of the best hardcore punk records ever and I can’t ever see that changing anytime soon.

Brain F#-Sleep rough LP (UK pressing)

After two really good catchy 7"s, North Carolina's Brain F# have dropped a full length 12" upon us. It's more of the kinda garagey punk style (they're not that easy to define)that they displayed on the singles. In the states this was a split release between Grave mistake and Sorry state records. Over the pond, us lucky Brits have a special pressing thanks to the ever reliable Static shock records. 125 on purple, 125 on clear and the rest (350) on black. I've already played this 3 times and it's getting better with each listen. Not for everyone I'm sure but I dig it. My only complaint is that the f'n download card doesn't work. Bah!!!

Hang the bastard/Brotherhood of the lake-Split 7"

Hang the bastard have been around for two or three years as far as I'm aware and I was never that bothered about them until I saw them last year with Black breath. I picked up their LP (hellfire reign) at that show and it was a regular on my turntable and Ipod for months. I couldn't believe how much they've improved. So I was excited about a new HTB release and I ordered the full package-3 colours and the package also came with an alternate red sleeve, a patch, badge and sticker. Quite nice when you look at it as a whole. The black is the most limited colour of just 100 copies while there are 200 each of the other colours. HTB sound great on this. I saw them last weekend at the thirty days of night bash in Manchester and they were the best band on the bill next to the awesome Oathbreaker. Certainly one of my fav bands in the UK right now. Brotherhood of the lake are a band I know nothing about except they're also from the UK. They sound ok here though. Typically heavy and metallic. I'd like to hear more but this 7" is crucial in my book for HTB.