Three Way

Here is the recent three way split  with ACxDC, Magnum Force, and Sex Prisoner on a one sided 10" record, put out by To Live A Lie Records.  Going into this I wasn't a fan of ACxDC, as I thought their previous material was kind of boring.  However on this record they really stepped it up and crushed it.  Their portion of the split is seriously good.  Next up is Magnum Force who I've been a fan of since their last 7" on TLAL.  They bring their early Magrudergrind style of fastcore infused grind to the table.  Last but not least is Sex Prisoner.  I love their previous material, and this is no different.  Mosh-heavy powerviolence done very well.

As you can see in the pictures, the B-side was screen printed.    The insert is a four page booklet, with one page dedicated to each band.  This thing is solid all around.  Purple marble vinly was limited to 100 copies and has since sold out.

Not Bitter

Another day, another post about a band involving the nu-scene in Boston.  Here is the now-classic Rival Mob demo - 'Bitter Rivals.'  I've had this record in some shape or form a few different times now, but in the past I had either traded it or sold it.  Not this time.  Ever since the last time I traded this I've wanted it back very badly, and of course I wouldn't settle for anything less than a first press copy on color.  I don't need to get into the details of this band's sound, because by now you all know and love them.  This is actually probably my least favorite release by the band, but it's still essential.  New LP still rules.

It's A Test

Here's another one I've been waiting on.  The newest LP by Washington's premier powerviolence duo, Iron Lung - 'White Glove Test.'  It's hard to believe the band has been around since the late 90's and this is only their third LP, however they have been very busy with numerous splits and collaborations under their belts.

What you get here is that classic Iron Lung experience - nothing more, nothing less.  There was a double LP version pressed that was a tour only exclusive, and since I wasn't able to catch the band on tour I couldn't get one.  I'm not too upset about it though because the second LP is a noise record, so I probably wouldn't have listened to it more than once anyway.  Another solid output by an always solid band.  The art on this thing is killer too.

Holy Grail

I've finally done it.  It took years of collecting, but I've finally acquired the rarest (known) variant of my favorite record of all time.  A few weeks back Six Feet Under was selling upwards of 500 punk/metal/hardcore records on eBay, which included this pink copy of Integrity's 'Humanity Is The Devil.'  I've had a second press copy of this on black with the silver sleeve for a while now, but if you know me you know that second presses aren't good enough - especially when it's an Integrity record.  This variant comes up so rarely that when it does show up, it always goes for a lot.  This time was no different.  Knowing I had just gotten my tax return and that it would be months before I got another shot at snagging this, I put in the highest bid I've ever placed on anything and thankfully won.

Other than a few creases in the cover, this thing is in great condition.  The record itself plays flawlessly and includes the blood book and an old Victory mail order catalog.  Man, did this label go way downhill or what?

Still Relevant

In 2013 comps aren't really necessary.  In the past comps were good for finding new bands to check out, and often had songs exclusive to the records.  However in this day with the internet available, you can check out (almost) any band with a quick search - it's not hard to find new bands.  With that said, the second release on John Caution's (of Weekend Nachos fame) new label, Bad Teeth Recordings, is a comp called 'Wake Up Dead.'  There are an awesome collection of bands on here, some of which I hadn't heard (surprisingly) until this record.  These are all new/previously unreleased songs from Curmudgeon, To The Point, Sex Prisoner, Sucked Dry, Thick Skin, and The Repos.  Included is an eight page booklet, one page per band, and a note from the man himself.  All of the songs are jammers - no filler on this thing.  I got in early enough to grab a red copy.  Looking forward to the next few releases on Bad Teeth including, but not limited to; new Sex Prisoner 7" and the debut/final LP from Sorry Excuse.

Cry Wolf

Hot off the recent post about The Rival Mob's debut LP, here is another long player that I've been awaiting eagerly - Nails' new LP, 'Abandon All Life.'  When their first LP, 'Unsilent Death' dropped it easily made my end of year list, and this one is no different.  If you don't know, the band takes elements of death, grind, hardcore, and crust, mix them up, and blow out your fucking eardrums with the end result.  This thing is absolutely crushing in terms of speed and straight up aggression.  Todd Jones proves again why he is one of the most important guitarists that's been involved in hardcore in the past decade or so.  A complete rager from start to finish.  All copies were pressed on black, and I read somewhere that the initial run was 3,000 pieces, which is close to being sold out already.  That's crazy.

Ask A Punk

The Altered Boys demo that came out last year (or maybe late 2011?) was a promising effort, but their new self titled 7" on Katorga Works blows that out of the water.  Fast and tough hardcore that sounds like a mixture of Urban Blight, Think I Care, and something out of the late 80's, this is right up my alley.  All copies on black vinyl.  New EP due out real soon on Deranged Records.

Top Contender

Well here it is, a record that I've been waiting for for a LONG time.  I'm speaking of course about the debut LP from The Rival Mob - 'Mob Justice.'  I don't need to say much other than this will make my top 10 of 2013, and it meets any and all expectations you'd want from the band.  Sorry for the bad lighting in the pictures - the seafoam green is actually a really awesome looking color.

World Unfolds

Mind Eraser is one of my favorite bands of the last decade - actually maybe ever.  This is their 'The Prodigal Son Brings Death' EP from 2008.  In my recent pickup of the No Tolerance 7" test press, I also upgraded my copy of this Mind Eraser 7" to a more rare variant, for a cheap price too.  Aside from the 'Glacial Reign' LP, this is some of the band's best material.  I was VERY bummed to hear in an interview with DFJ (ME's vocalist) that the band was going to call it quits after their next LP.  It's bittersweet news because I'm more than a little excited about the new LP, but bummed about them disbanding.  Oh well, can't win them all.

Orange/black mix vinyl, limited to 200 copies.  Also, it's kinda lame how the font on the insert is completely illegible.

Unbreakable

Here is the new, (almost) swansong of straight edge powerhouse Vaccine.  At some point last month the band announced they were calling it quits, which is right around the time their latest 7", 'Dead Inside' came out.  This one continues the band's sound with little variation, but that's okay because I love their short blasts of powerviolence-infuzed hardcore.  Their final show is coming up soon, as well as their final release, which is a split with No Faith.  If you don't know, No Faith is a side project of Vaccine that features members of that band playing noisy pv.  Anyway, this band will be missed greatly by me.