Weed & Purp Drank

Here is the Power Trip - Armageddon Blues Sessions LP. It is a 6 song, one sided LP with the other side having an etched Power Trip logo. Power Trip is one of the most hyped bands in the hardcore/metal(?) scene these days. I can appreciate this release for what it is, but it's not necessarily my style so Power Trip is not going to get much play time for me. On the other hand, My girlfriend loves them.  This copy was the most limited press on "Weed and Purp Drank" vinyl out of /326, but there is no green at all in this, so I'll just call it purple marble. 

Minus S/T

I was really looking forward to Minus' debut LP on Triple B. Sharing members with Downpresser, one of my favorites right now, I figured this shit would be real nice. I saw Minus live once and I was a bit tipsy, but I do recall liking them alot. This release has been a little disappointing for me. The music on it is really heavy and brutal, but as I've said before releases for me live and die with the vocals. I can usually tell right away if I'm really going to like a release. While Downpresser has unique vocals that stick out, Minus just kind of blends in with any other hardcore band and has a hard time separating itself from the pack. It's a shame because the music is so great on this. I still enjoy this record, but it probably won't be on regular rotation for me. On a side note, this cover has to be going for lamest cover of the year. I believe this was pressed on solid red vinyl out of /300, but I can't confirm.

Death Threat / Rude Awakening

Above is the lasted offering from Triple B, the highly anticipated Death Threat and Rude Awakening split. This was the most limited color on red and black swirl out of /300, which is now sold out. They also have black /500 and clear red /700. Unfortunately, I am really disappointed with this release. I was really looking forward to some new Death Threat recordings because it has been a while, but these songs just seem flat and forced. DT's singer sounds really bored. I actually enjoy the Rude Awakening tracks on this alot more and I've never been a huge Rude Awakening fan. This release is no doubt Rude Awakening's best stuff they have made so far though, and they are sounding pretty fuckin' good I must say. On a plus note, I don't know what it is about the simple cover and lay out but I really love the cover art and layout for this release. 

Rude Awakening

Here is the 2nd press of Rude Awakening's "The Awakening" on Triple B Records. This is the rarest color on clear green out of /100. I have never been really crazy about Rude Awakening's recordings, but I saw them live a while back and I was really impressed. I've been trying to listen to them more but it's taking a while to grow on me I suppose. If you like Rude Awakening I would go pre order their new split with Death Threat that went up for pre order yesterday.

So ten days into the month and I am still at only 2 posts so far. The past month or so has been crazy, but I really need to step my game up. I've been waiting patiently for a bunch of pre orders to show up so hopefully once those roll through I will be rejuvenated and feel like taking more pictures and doing more posts. Record blogging is a cold game, yo.

Clear on Pink

When this record came out on Triple B last year I made the mistake of ignoring it for whatever reason and missing out on the limited clear vinyl /100. This time I scored the most limited color from the 2nd press, pink out of /100. I have always had a HUGE soft spot in my heart for pink vinyl, so I am really digging this! Great choice by the label. Great record, if you haven't had a chance yet go check it out!

I guess I'll take it...

A few months back I ordered a sweet Fire and Ice wind breaker from their big cartel. After about a month of no wind breaker and no word I started emailing them to bug them about it. It took a couple weeks but finally I basically got an apology and was assured that I would get a "surprise" with my wind breaker. Visions started coming of a Fire and Ice test press, or maybe even a rare record release copy of one of their releases or something cool like that. I waited anxiously for my wind breaker and my "surprise". Well, it turned out to be a rather anti climactic copy of "Grim" on black vinyl. Major let down, but still a nice gesture I suppose. I didn't have a copy of this 7", so I'll take it. 

If you want to see what a real Fire and Ice collection looks like, then read The One Thing That Still Holds True. My shit is just stupid boring compared to this:

Clearly Sleeping, Again...

Here is another great record from last year that I slept on for too long. I missed out on all the limited versions and had to settle for the most generic version out of /600. Excellent straight edge hardcore, I don't know why I slept for too long. Oh well. It has proven to be difficult to search for much info on this band with a name like "Clear". I can only imagine trying to find any of their shit on Ebay, might be worse than searching for "Give". 

So I've been in a major slump for not only posting but buying records as well. As I've talked about before, with all the stuff going on this country and the focus on banning guns and ammunition, it's been hard for me to justify any of my limited funds on slabs of wax right now. Once all the smoke clears (no pun intended), I can get back in the game. 

A little food for thought for everyone, regardless of how you may feel about guns or the 2nd Amendment... I encourage people not to celebrate more of their freedoms and liberties being taken away. In years from now there may be an administration who is the opposite, and looking to take away things that you hold dear. Regardless of which way the political tide flows, look at the big picture of our rights being restricted or not. 

Glow in the Dark Fire & Ice

Since I've been super busy lately and haven't had time to take any new pictures, so I've been going through some of my old pictures and trying to knock out some posts. I actually took these back in March and have been sitting on a bunch of other records for one reason or another. Fire and Ice is a band that has really been growing on me. At first "Not of this Earth" wasn't doing a whole lot for me, but it has really grown on me over time. It's turning out to be one of my favorite releases of 2012. Above is my copy of "Collections" released by Triple B on glow in the dark vinyl /300, which is still available. This is the first glow in the dark vinyl I have ever owned and it looks really amazing. I had to hold it in the sun light to "charge" it for a while and then bring it into a dark room to check it out in its shining glory. 

It came with this huge poster as well with the lyrics on the back and a collage on the front. You can see just how big it is compared to the actual record. Triple B really went above and beyond on the packaging for this. Although "Not of This Earth" has grown on me, these tracks are still in the process of growing on me. They aren't as polished as "NOTE" and there are parts where the vocals kind of irritate me. I'm sure with more listening time I will enjoy it more. I remember John Joseph's vocals on "Age of Quarrel" annoying me when I first heard it, but little did I know it would end up being my favorite record of all time. We'll see where this one ends up.

This is America's Hardcore

So I have never really been into collecting compilations, and that is the only reason I didn't pull the trigger sooner on this release. I was at a Rotting Out show last year after this came out and I remember they had some limited colors of this, but I wasn't really feeling it and decided to pass. Time goes by and I decide I want it, so I picked up a copy of the most generic pressing (700 on blue and white splatter), and that is fine because I love the look of this vinyl. This release has a bunch of solid bands and a great  full color booklet, with each page being dedicated to a band and with the song lyrics. Another Triple B release that was very well done. The other pressings look fantastic, as you can see below. If I ever see the Red/White/Blue Tri-Color vinyl (/100) though I will definitely have to make a run at it. 

Drowning in an Age of Ignorance

I really love this Downpresser 7". This was released on Triple B out of 300. Downpresser is a pretty solid band. They aren't anything unique but thats okay. One thing that I've noticed about them is that they have really good lyrics. There vocalist has a good voice too, but there is one thing about this release that really drives me crazy... I can't stand when bands record the vocals on two separate tracks and then splice them together using pro tools. Yeah, alot of people probably can't tell and don't know what I'm talking about, but for anyone that has been in a band or a recording studio knows what I mean. If you are in Downpresser and reading this, PLEASE just record your vocals on one track, it will sound better and more natural and sometimes hearing the breathing whatever in the vocals just makes it sound harder.

I love the artwork on this thing. Being called "Age of Ignorance" and the guy getting pummeled by... Ignorance rays? I'm not really sure but I see what they are getting at with it. The back is sick with the zombie ghoul thing vomiting, the spider, gun, smashed TV, nasty rat, its just awesome. This reminds me of the Trapped Under Ice and Dirty Money split that Spoiler did. I think this thing is OOP but if you see one on ebay it is definitely worth the pick up!

Soul Searchin'

Here's the Bury the Blame 7" that recently came out on Triple B. Good release, pretty decent layout. Nothing ground breaking or original about these recordings, but sometimes thats a good thing. This came out on clear red, clear green and black, with 300 on red and 100 on green. There was also a United Blood sleeve (/50) and Tour pressing sleeve (/100). I don't think they ever had green available on their site unless maybe in a pre order, but after pre ordering the last Stick Together 7" I really don't think pre order matters at all, you're not gonna get that color unless you catch one of the bands early shows when they start their tour. Usually by the time East Coast bands come out to the West Coast they are long gone. However, there are actually a couple copies left on red if you hurry up! 

Here's a copy of Intolerable Weight, which I believe was their first 7". This also came on Gold vinyl, but besides that I'm not too sure about what other different variations there were. I love this cover art! As if you didn't realize by now, anything with Spoiler art is kind of a big deal to me. My only gripe is why did they not have him incorporate the "Intolerable Weight" text into the design? Having it just in a regular ass text underneath it looks like they added it real quick later on Microsoft Word. I mean what the hell, if you're having Spoiler do a sick ass cover for you why not go all out? Maybe it was his call? Either way it is a small gripe for such an awesome cover.

Awesome vinyl, Terrible Design

Here's the "Blind Faith" LP by Dead End Path on Triple B. It's a second pressing on "Cotton Candy" limited to 100 copies. I love the vinyl color on this thing! I have never seen a "Cotton Candy" vinyl, but I am a sucker for pink and purple vinyl, so a weird ugly swirl mix is right up my alley. However, I really can't stand this album design at all. Did the guy who does all the Trapped Under Ice records think this one up? Even worse is the poster included and the gatefold picture:

The same thing twice... the band standing around in a grave yard wearing suits. Ok? Thank God it came on this ugly, yet fucking awesome, Cotton Candy swirl! A quick check at Triple B shows 61 copies left, so you should have plenty of time to scoop one up if this is your thing.