Damage Control

If you read this thing with any regulatory then you'll know that I enjoyed the 90s era of music, and also that I enjoy test presses. So it will be of no surprise that a combination of the two things is always something that I am excited by.

A year or so back, Nico was in a record store and messaged me asking if I would be interested in a Die 116 test press. I had to ask which record it was, as the band had two releases and I already own a test of 'Dyna Cool', but by good fortune this turned out to be the one that I didn't have... the first record, 'Damage Control'. SO I asked him to grab it for me and then, a year later, he delivered it to my house. What a service!

The test came in a generic white sleeve that someone had written on. I dug out my regular copy to show the cover as it makes for a slightly more interesting picture.

This record was released by Wreck-age Records in 1994, and I bought it when it came out as the description I read at the time said that it contained members of Burn and it sounded like Burn. Back then that was a guaranteed way to get most hardcore kids to throw their money at you. The band had Gavin Van Vlack (Burn), Andrew Gormley (Rorschach, Kiss It Goodbye), Keith Huckins (Rorschach, Deadguy, Kiss It Goodbye) and a couple of other dudes. Their second record seemed to be pressed in higher numbers and better distributed, but it had a different sound and was in my opinion nowhere near as good as this debut five song 12". If you've not heard this record then it's well worth checking out if you like 90s hardcore and any of the bands mentioned.

Hard To Believe

A couple of years ago I picked up an LP titled 'Existing The Dream', the debut from Low Coast, a band fronted by by Jeff Caudill (of Gameface fame). Well, at some point a few months ago, the label put some test pressings up for sale, and even though I can't remember whether I got an email to tell me about it or saw an instagram post, I bought one immediately.

The record was released by Spartan Records, and the test comes in one of their standard test press sleeves, which I have to say looks great.

The name of the band and record is hand written and numbered at the bottom of the front cover. I got number 2 of 10.

I still isten to this record often and recommend it highly if you enjoy Jeff's voice. I really hope that they get around to putting something else out in the near future.

I Don't Like Anything

The seventh and final post in my series of recent Indecision Records releases, and I've saved my favourite until last. 'I Don't Like Anything' is the first full length by Ursula. The band hails from Southern California, and I first heard of them a couple of years ago when I picked up a bunch of Indecision 7"s. Their 'Meet Is Murder' 7" was an interesting record, and I have listened to it quite a bit over the last couple of years, but this LP really takes it up a notch.

I'm not sure why, but I love the front cover art with the skull and flowers, and I love how the splattery vinyl seems to nicely complement the flowers. The whole thing looks very pretty, which is in stark contrast to how this thing sounds.

Ursula have a sound that is hard to describe. The music straddles a few different styles, but the songs are short and generally fast and heavy, with a ferocious female vocal over the top (well, apart from the last song which is a really catchy pop punk song - apparently its a Green Day cover). Without doubt this will be in my list of favourite releases of the year, if I make one.

With Every Passing Moment

My 6th consecutive post about semi recent Indecision Records releases is a 12" EP by a straight edge band from Denver, Colorado called Time X Heist. I've started to notice a bit of a buzz around this band this year so I was keen to finally check out this record that came out last year, 'With Every Passing Moment', although my tardiness meant that the most limited colour of vinyl was already sold out.

It feels like a while since I picked up a record by a straight edge band, and this is like diving in at the deep end. The opening song starts slowly and the kicks into action with a yell of 'STRAIGHT EDGE!'... and then we're off on a 7 song ride, and whilst this isn't exactly covering new ground, Time X Heist do it really well. And let's be honest, there aren't too many bands doing this style these days, so somehow it sounds kinda fresh.

This gold vinyl version is the more common colour of the first pressing and is limited to 250 copies. I'm generally not a fan of this modern 'gold' vinyl, but this one gets a pass as it goes nicely with the cover art.

I also picked up a 7" by the same band, although I am slightly cheating by posting it here as it isn't on Indecision Records. Released by Heroes & Martyrs Records (which is the name of the ressurected label Martyr Records), 'The Unforgiving Minute' 3 song 7" came out earlier this year.

There are about 4 different colours of this 7", but this purple vinyl version (limited to 100 copies) is exclusive to Indecision.

Okay, so Time X Heist may not be the most original band I've listened to this year, but I'm really enjoying both of these records. Sometimes good old fashioned straight edge hardcore is just what the doctor ordered.

Nowhere Nearer

My journey through some of the semi recent Indecision Records releases continues with one that was a huge surprise for me. Yesterday I posted about the benefits of the Raised Wrong 12", today's post is another band fronted by John Pettibone which goes by the name of Heiress. The record is titled 'Nowhere Nearer' and is an interesting example of judging a book (record) by its cover and getting it all wrong.

When I saw the cover art for this and read the name of the band I immediately set expectations to low. I mean, based purely on these pictures, what would you think?

Within seconds of listening to one song online I was ordering a copy. This is an absolutely mammoth record. Without trying to draw any pointless comparisons to other bands, I'm just going to say that this sounds like the soundtrack to knocking your house down with a sledgehammer... slowly. I still have a couple more records to post in this series, but this is probably my favourite of the Indecision releases that I have picked up this year. And even though I had never heard of Heiress before this, and assumed they were a new band, I was surprised to see on discogs that they have been going since 2006 and have pumped out 4 other LPs in that time, which I am looking forward to exploring at some point.

There were only 300 of these made in total, with this version (clear with grey splatter) being the rarest colour out of 100 copies. There's also a less attractive grey with black splatter (out of 200), with both colours still available at Indecision store if you fancy checking this out.

Raised Wrong

Next in my series of semi recent Indecision Records releases is a 12" EP by a band called Raised Wrong. I'm not really sure whether this is a permanent band or a one off project, but no doubt that will become apparent in time.

First thing I really like about this is the 'basic' looking sleeve. I've always liked minimal designs, and the disco sleeve on this one looks great. But then I read on No Echo that they made this to look like an old Profile Records release. So there was a reason behind the design.

So this band features dudes from other bands who apparently came up with the idea for this band whilst playing the Indecision 30 year anniversary show in 2023. A year later and they recorded these songs. The band features John Pettibone (Undertow, Himsa) on vocals, Ryan Murphy (Undertow, Ensign) on drums, Ryan Donoghue (Ensign, Robot Whales) on guitar, and Dave Itow (Amendment 18, Berthold City) on bass.

Everything about this is great. John Pettibone rarely puts a foot wrong, so you know that if he's involved this is gonna be worth your time. Six songs that are around two minutes each, this could probably have been a 7", but then it wouldn't have looked quite as good in a smaller sleeve.

This Is Our Struggle

Next in my catch up of Indecision Records releases that I have been listening to lately is an example of the kind of record that I have been trying to not buy for the past few years... a discography.Or rather, as it is referred to here, an anthology.

The record is titled 'This Is Our Struggle' and is by an old San Diego band called Amenity. They were from San Diego and are regarded as the city's first straight edge hardcore band. I remember in the early to mid 90s I would see their 7"s in every record shop and everyone's collection, which was no doubt due ot the label that released them pressing lots of copies and keeping the records in print. Even though I own a couple of teir 7"s, I couldn't resist this slickly packaged 12".

Indecision pressed all of these on 'gold smoke' vinyl, which looks really nice as it was pressed at my favourite pressing plant, Erika.

This comes with a large glossy booklet with some words on the band by notable San Diego and Californian scenesters. What comes across clearly is that this band was hugely influential and important to people in Southern California who were (and still are) involved in the hardcore scene. And whilst the bookelt is well put together, but the content feels slightly limited compared to other similar projects.

This is a slightly odd record because an 'anthology' is not the same as a discography. This contains some (but not all) of the band's output, and what is here seems to be in a slightly odd order. But overall it's kinda cool to have an Amenity 12" on my shelf, as all their releases were on 7"s. The remastered songs also sound bigger and cleaner. If you've never listened to this band then listen to the song 'Breathe' and you will immediately understand why someone decided to put this together.

In The Meantime

Day 2 in my series of Indecision Records releases that I have picked up semi recently, and today I'm posting the debut full length from a Canadian band called Meantime. Whenever I hear that word in any context, I think of Helmet, but I have no idea if this was in any way an influence on their name choice.

This one came out a couple of years ago, towards the end of 2023. I remember meaning to check it out because of the band name, but I definitely don't remember thinking that waiting for the best part of two years would be the perfect time to give it a spin.

There were two colours, and this is the most limited colour of 150 copies.

This has been a really great find, and to me sounds a lot like it could have come out circa 2005. There are times this reminds me of Have Heart, but it mainly brings to mind Go It Alone, Champion and Strife. Definitely worth a look if you're into any of those bands.

Silent All These Years

My next few posts are me catching up on some Indecision Records releases that I picked up in the last few months.

I'm starting with this 12" EP by Crashing Forward titled 'Silent All These Years'. This actually came out two years ago but, as ever, I'm slightly behind schedule.

There were 300 of these made, all on this colour of vinyl, and the label still has a few left.

The band are from San Diego, and feature Oscar Paz on guitar (Impel, Kill Holiday, Hingada) and Ati Moran (brother of Rob from Unbroken) on vocals. To me this sounds vaguely similar to other San Diego bands, but also the guitar sound vaguely brings to mind moments of Black Flag or The Suicide File. This is actually really good and catchy and definitely a bit different to the average hardcore record. I think I read that they are now working on a new record and I will definitely be grab that without hesitation whenever it appears.

Marathon

A few short years ago I really enjoyed 'World House', the debut LP from Mil-Spec. Almost two years ago they released their second LP, 'Marathon', and by the time I became aware of it the colour vinyl copies (on violet) were gone. So I decided to just wait it out.

A few weeks ago the band posted on instagram that there was some tour merch left, and in the picture I spotted a colour vinyl copy of the LP, so I went to the store and placed an order. This was also a rare opportunity to get something shipped to me directly, as this was being mailed from Canada, and it seems that their overseas shiiping price are stuck in the early 00s.

I'm pretty sure that I have never seen a record with a hexagonal label before, and it looks pretty cool. I like how they have built it into the cover art by using a disco sleeve.

Just like the first LP, this isn't the kind of record that hits you immediately. But over the past few weeks I have been playing this daily and it just keeps getting better and better. And included with the record I received a flyer to tell me that there will be a new Mil-Spec record coming in October 2025, so probably in late 2027 I'll be picking one of those up too.

Things That Make No Sense

A few weeks ago Nico stopped by for a short visit on his way home from a couple of days in the UK to watch a couple of HR (of Bad Brains fame) shows. Time passed way too fast and we ran out of time to get food, but it was a good couple of hours of record nerd chat... and a small exchange of records that we had been holding for each other for a few months.

One record that I was really stoked about was this test press of Dag Nasty's third LP, 'Field Day'. Apparently he offered it to me and I paid for it months ago, and I had absolutely zero memory of this, so it was a nice bonus.

This is a test press of the European pressing on We Bite Records, whiich is my third copy of this record (along with the green vinyl on We Bite Records, the green vinyl on Giant Records) and also the 6th Dag Nasty test press in my collection. I just need a test press of the Giant Records version and I will consider this collection complete.

Also, I know that this is their worst record, but I still find it odd that this record has never been reissued. I mean, surely it would sell based purely on the fact that its Dag Nasty. Is there a reason that it has been kept out of print I wonder? Anyone know?

Give Me Stabb Or Give Me Death

So a couple of months ago I spotted a colour vinyl Government Issue LP on eBay UK for what looked like a good price. Truth be told, this is not a band that I have ever really paid attention to or been particularly interested in. I'm not sure why. I think this just goes back years to pre-internet days when I would make judgements about bands based on band name, cover art or what the band members looked like which, over time, turned out to be mistakes. I think in this case it was the word 'Government' in the name that somehow made the band sound boring, which clearly makes little sense. But that's me sometimes I guess.

Well anyway, I checked the value of the record on discogs to find that it was a very good price, so I bought it. And wouldn't you know it, I instantly loved it. And then the seller listed another couple of GI records, so I bought those too. And then I messaged and asked if he had any more, and did a deal to buy a couple more. All of a sudden I had a small GI collection out of nothing.

First up is the band's first 12" record, 'Boycott Stabb', which was a split release between Fountain Of Youth Records and Dischord Records in 1983. I don't think that this pink vinyl copy is a first press copy, but it's a fairly early pressing. Sadly this copy is missing an insert, but this seems to be quite common. I'm guessing that not all copies actually came with one originally.

Next up is the 2nd LP 'Joy Ride' from 1984 on Fountain Of Youth Records. According to discogs (which is not completely reliable) this blue vinyl version is a second pressing from 1987, and it wasn't repressed again until Dr. Strange Records stepped up in 2010.

The 3rd LP from 1985, 'The Fun Just Never Ends' also on Fountain Of Youth Records. This yellow vinyl version appears to be part of the first pressing. This one was also repressed by Dr. Strange in 2010 and 2022.

Next up is a 12" 'mini album' titled 'Give Us Stabb Or Give Us Death', released by Mystic Records in 1985. This was also issued as a 7" with the same title. Oh, and there is also another 12" version which includes a bonus 7". I'm not sure which came first, but trying to figure this out in 2025 seems harder than it should be.

There were a couple more LPs sold that I bid on and didn't win, so I have a bit of a gap here. The next one I bought is the band's 7th LP 'Crash' from 1984 on Giant Records, and this clear vinyl version looks like a first press copy. This one has been repressed by Dr. Strange and also a UK label called Audio Platter. I think this is my favourite of the bunch, so far at least. It's very melodic and reminds me of Dag Nasty.

And finally, a live 2x12" titled 'Finale'. This was released by everyone's favourite european record label, Lost and Found Records, back in 1989. There seems to be a whole range of different colour combinations out there.

Truth be told, I don't like getting several records by a band at one go. I prefer working through them one at a time in chronological order, getting to know each one properly before moving on to the next. When I immediately have 6 new (to me) records by one band then if I don't pace myself it is more likely that I'll skip over one or two without giving them adequate time. So even though I have had these records for a few months, I have only managed to get through listening to half of them.

Self Inflicted

This is the final in my series of Dischord related posts, and this one I got absolutely agews ao but never got around to putting up on here. It got stuck in a pile of 7"s that was in a weird place, and I recenrly unearthed it when I was tidying the record room.

This is a 'mixed colour vinyl' pressing of the Hammered Hulls 7". I got a copy of this on black vinyl back in 2020 but of course I'd rather have a colour copy of any record if possible, so when this repress was announced I had to get one.

Most of these appear to have been pressed on either a very dark grey or a very dark purple vinyl, which is slightly disappointing. A nice clear, white or light grey would have felt more suitable and interesting.

I still play their LP regularly, and if you like that one then this is still pretty essential as it contains two extra songs. And if anyone wants one I have a black copy going spare.

Still Screaming

A couple of years ago I finally got around to listening to the fifth (I think) LP from Scream, 'Fumble'. This record came out in 1993, which was ten years after their first LP, and featured their new drummer, a certain Dave Grohl. I mainly bought it because it was one of the latest round of Dischord colour vinyl repressings, and the price was really good. I loved the record and even thought I was stoked with the yellow vinyl, I felt slightly miffed when I went to discogs to add it to my collection to find that there had already been a colour vinyl pressing of this record seven years previous, in 2016. So of course, I did what I always do and I added it to my want list. Semi recently one showed up for sale in the UK at a great price, so I bought it.

When I bought this my plan was to keep the clear and sell the yellow. But when the clear one arrived, the sleeve was not in top condition. I thought about swapping the sleeves over but the yellow one comes in a sleeve with a sticker on the shrink, so it doesn't feel right. So for now I'll have to keep both.

10 Feral Hymns East

The final couple of records that I bought from Dischord recently were two more colour vinyl Lungfish represses. I got sucked into buying these in 2022 having never previously listened to the band before, but I loved every second of every record and knew that this was going to be a long and fun journey. I then picked up three more of their LPs in 2023, but it has been two years since then and the flow of these reissues seems to have slowed somewhat. So when I realised that a couple more had appeared this year, I was keen to grab them.

First up is the band's 11th LP, first released twenty years ago in 2005 as DIS147. It was semi recently repressed on blue vinyl.

I also grabbed this red vinyl repress of the '10 East' 7", which first came out in 1995 as DIC99.5. All the original copies were on gold vinyl, and those now seem to sell for a decent chunk of change. So for a late to the party chump like me, this red repress will have to do.

Of course, about two days after my order shipped, another Lungfish colour vinyl LP was announced on the scene (their 9th LP, 'Necrophones') and I will get one of those eventually. But the totally random order in which these records are being repressed is still baffling to me. By my quick count there are still three more to go before the complete set has been reissued, and it's anyone's guess as to which will appear next.

Messthetics

I usually don't like listening to a band's output in reverse chronological order, but it doesn't always work out that way. Last year I got into The Messthetics after a brief chat with Nico, and I picked up their 2nd LP, 'Anthropocosmic Nest', from a UK distro simply because they had it in stock at a good price. Well, my recent Dischord order I made sure to also pick up their first LP which was repressed on clear vinyl (the first pressing was black, following that familiar Dischord pattern).

This record was released in 2018, and this colour repress followed five years later. I'm kinda glad I wasn't into this band from the get go and waiting five years for this beautiful looking clear version to appear.

As I mentioned before, this band features two members of Fugazi (plus someone else) playing instrumental tunes, and in my opinion this album is better than the second one. This is perfect for anyone who works a desk job and needs some music to kill the silence that's energetic and interesting, but who also doesn't want something that's gonna make them get so pumped that they want to stage dive from their desk.