Best Of Times

Another 7" that I got from Wanna Hear It Records last month, this is a classic release on Bridge Nine Records when the label was truly at the forefront of modern hardcore.

Released in 2002, the Death Threat / Over My Dead Body 7" was one of three split 7"s that Bridge Nine put out which were great records and with multiple versions for nerds to collect (the other two being the Right Brigade / A Poor Excuse 7" and the Good Riddance / Kill Your Idols 7"). At the time when this came out, Death Threat already had a full length out on B9, and Over My Dead Body had a full length out on Indecision Records. Both bands were very much at the top of their game, I would say.

This pressing is one of two slightly different tour versions, with a photocopied sleeve showing a group shot of all of the band members together. There were 100 of this sleeve made printed on white paper, which were sold by Over My Dead Body. There is also another version of the tour sleeve which is printed on red paper instead of white, which was sold by Death Threat. Both copies are limited to 100 and each contains a green vinyl record (with green being the more common colour of the 1st press).

This 7" contains three songs by each band. Two original songs each, and then the third song by each band is a cover. Death Threat cover 'Best of Times' (Chain Of Strength) whilst Over My Dead Body do 'No Class' (Reagan Youth). Overall the split feels like a genuine, well planned split rather than a few songs from two random bands cobbled together. I love buying records from this era, and with at least three more versions out there that I don't have, I'll probably be collecting this one for a few more years yet.