My 2012 Top 10 list just got BENT (Life)

So this is a record that I've had for months and I'm upset with myself that it wasn't until recently that I pulled it out and gave it a few spins. Holy shit, what an incredible fucking record! Definitely going in the top 10 for the year.... well, shit. My top 10 list is starting to get pretty long. This is one of those records I knew I would love right away after the first track. Great vocals and music, bringing a kind of metal style hardcore like Terror but with a much fresher sound. Angry as fuck and totally awesome. 6131 Records really has it going on right now between this release and Ill Intent's "No Masters".

I pre ordered this from 6131 after taking one look at the incredible Spoiler art on the cover. If you didn't know by now, I'm kind of a fan of anything that Spoiler does for hardcore bands record covers. Here it is on a very nice purple but I'm not sure how many were pressed. I would assume this is the most limited version since it was a pre order. Apparently these guys are from Nebraska, sweet. I love seeing bands killing that aren't from big cities. 

This won't take my "#1" spot for 2012, because that is going to go to Sydney Ducks or Shipwrecked most likely, but this does take my #1 spot for cover art for 2012. I can not think of a record that has a better cover than this released this year, Spoiler strikes again! Check out "The Hard Way" from this release below and get ready to throw some shit around your house:

Slow REACTshun

I have to be the last person to post these. I think my Mom already blogged about this shit before me. What can you do? React! Released these two records a while back, and I think I ordered them with that Mindset Collections pre order. First is Growing Stronger's "Toxic Fumes" on gold out of /200. This is a high quality release right here, real angry straight edge hardcore that is super similar to No Tolerance. If you like No Tolerance then check these guys out. The last track is easily my favorite, and the longest on the record coming in at a minute and a half. It's called "My Last Regret" and reminds me of Floorpunch with a fast first half and a nice sing along breakdown at the end, BRUTAL.

I picked up the Tranzmitors latest release on a whim, not really knowing shit about them. But damn I'm really glad I checked this out because now I love the Tranzmitors. That kind of poppy, catchy '77 garage punk and roll similar to the Real Kids. I guess they're from Vancouver, but they totally sing with  (fake?) British accents. Whatever, it adds to the flavor I say. They also remind me of one of my favorite all time bands, The Last Chordz (also with a "z"). This release is on clear blue out of /200, and worth checking out. If you plan on checking them out though, give them a listen first below because I think this is the kind of band you are either going to love or hate, and there is not much wiggle room in between. I love this shit, though.

The Blackest of Fridays

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. I'm wondering how many of you went shopping on black Friday, or took advantage of all the great sales that a bunch of record labels were having. Unfortunately, I couldn't really afford any because Friday morning I went out and bought another new gun and all kinds of ammo because it is the best day of the year to buy ammo and guns. For those of you that don't know, the little money I have left over after I pay my rent, bills, and vinyl is probably getting spent on something involving firearms. So every year when Black friday comes, I am always heading down to the different sporting goods stores to stock up for the rest of the year. Unfortunately, after spending almost $700 dollars in less than an hour on Friday morning, I had to miss out on all the vinyl sales since I had spent all my money. Bummer. 

Looking through my pictures, I wanted to find something that seemed fitting for black Friday. For some reason I picked these latest Hoax releases up. Some dark ass hardcore that is very strange, but quite enjoyable. All of there releases come with huge posters with strange artwork. Above is their "3rd ep", or their latest release. 

I love the cover art on this release, but the insert is just way too bizarre. I'm looking forward to seeing these guys when they come to the Gilman soon. This is their "1st EP", so I'm still missing the 2nd EP. I hope to get it soon, once I have some money again that is!

Backtracking to the '08 Demo

Here are my copies of Backtrack's "The 08 Demo". This is an EXCELLENT demo, BUT it is probably the weakest stuff that Backtrack has put out yet. I have read before that some people think this is their best stuff. I definitely listen to this regularly because I love Backtrack, but I feel like they've grown with every release. From this to "Deal with the Devil", to finally "Darker Half" which is one of the best hardcore albums to come out in the last decade. This band keeps getting better and better and I hope they stick to their winning formula and keep growing. The clear orange is a first press out of /350 (with /50 being on pre order covers) and the black copy is a 2nd press out of /400. 

Whoa Oh! Just Another (out) Crowd!

Here is another recent pick up from Reaper. The record and layout on this looks fantastic, as with most Reaper releases. This is another one of those releases that I really like at times and at times it's "Meh". It is a solid release, but at times the vocals annoy me (like on "Clockwork"). However, the music itself is so good that I power through it and still rock out. It's definitely not a "regular listen" for me, I have to use it sparingly. However, I'll be looking forward to their next release to see how this band grows. There is definitely a great deal of potential on these 8 tracks. This comes on red vinyl /400 or Green vinyl /1600.

BEWARE, It's another top record of the year.

As the year goes on my list of top releases for the year just keeps getting murkier and murkier. I'm probably the last person to actually get on this record, late the to the party again. For me it's usually very simple, I base alot of my opinion on the vocals alone. If I like the vocals in the first 10 seconds, then I usually can tell I'm going to like the record, or atleast at that point the actual music has to be pretty shitty to ruin it for me. I had been hearing about this record for a while, and totally slept at the wheel as the first press came and went. When the 2nd press came around, I was all over the pre orders at Back to Back to get one of the limited copies. This band brings it all together to be one of the best hardcore releases of 2012. I don't know if this tops Peace's 7" or Ill Intent's "No Masters", some of my other hardcore heavy weights so far this year, but it is definitely right up there with both of them. If you haven't score a copy of this yet then quit playing and go get it. The Sea Foam Green /100 looks fantastic, I really love this type of green because it always reminds me of this.

Waste Management

There's been a ton of hype surrounding this release from Boston hardcore shredders; "Waste Management". To me, this album flirts between "record of the year" and "generic" if that makes any sense. Much like my review of Hounds of Hate, there are times when this 7" shows signs of brilliance, but some of the fast parts just sound very sloppy. What a shame, if this band can just find their strengths and play to that, these guys will be a powerhouse. One thing these guys have going for them is since I wrote my Hounds of Hate review, that 7" has grown on me a little bit. This 7" may also end up growing on me more. Now, if it comes to cover art, this may be some of the best cover art I've seen in years, (next to some of the Spoiler stuff of course!) Looks an awful lot like that World War 4 demo though, wouldn't you agree?

Turnstile Green Cover

Jake gave me a heads up a while back about this Turnstile with the alternative green cover that reaper put up out of /132. Apparently they had extra vinyls so they had to make more covers. I also have it with the regular blue cover on black vinyl that I thought I had taken pictures of, but I can't seem to find. Oh well maybe I'll update it later. I really love this 7", it's grown on me in a huge way. It has a similar feel to Madball and Cold World, with that kind of thug HC, hip hop influenced feel which is right up my alley. I'm glad I jumped on this when I did, because this alternative cover is already OOP.

For your listening pleasure, check out this Vinnie Paz video with him wearing a Turnstile hoodie. Sick!