Sub Society 7" Pink

I've had this 7" in my collection for a long ass time. Probably since before you were born. Well, maybe. But until a few short weeks ago I never knew it existed on colour vinyl. Then I saw it on eBay and knew I had to have it. Money was irrelevant... but fortunately it didn't take much.

The band is called SUB SOCIETY and this 7" is one of only two pieces of vinyl they released. This one was put out by Vinyl Communications, a label out of San Diego mainly active in the late 80s and early 90s. I have this on black, but I think this new copy I just picked up looks a bit more interesting:

This band gained attention from having some songs featured in a couple of skateboard videos in the early 90s. Well, that's how I picked up on them at least. I used to have a copy of this video and I must have watched it easily 100 times. Great soundtrack that also features several Operation Ivy songs (which was how I got into that band too). If you're in your 30s and used to skate then you probably love this video as much as I do:

I also did a bit of internerd research on this band. There's a website that a member of the band has put up that hosts most of their output as mp3s that you can download for free (including the songs on the 7" shown above). Check the link below if you are interested. Also, I read that the band's singer sadly passed away in 2010 from Heart disease at the age of 38. As well as Sub Society, he had been in a band called Inch, whose first LP I also have tucked away in my collection and which I am now going to revisit. RIP Stimy.

SUB SOCIETY WEBSITE & MP3s

Finally, if anyone wants my black vinyl 7" then get in touch.

R'N'R / Fit For Abuse Test

When Kyle was continuing his mission to make his life simpler by selling his records on eBay a few weeks ago, I (as usual) ended up watching about 20 items... and then, a day or so before they were due to end, I (as usual) decided not to bid because all of them passed prices that I wanted to pay. Well, all except one that is. There was one record that was still stupidly cheap, so I kept watching it. And then on the final day, just before I went to bed I noticed that there was only about three hours of the auction left to run, so I sat and thought about whether I could be bothered to bid or not. The reason I was not sure about bidding is that I was not even sure that I cared about the record. So in the end, because I was not hugely bothered by it, I put in what I thought was a low bid, thinking "if I won it for that then that would be cool, but if I got outbid then I wouldn't care". Well, wouldn't you know it, when I woke up the next morning I discovered that I had won it.

This is the item in question. A test press of the Fit For Abuse / R'N'R split 7" that was released by Bridge Nine Records back in 2005:

Now, I have this split 7" in my collection. I only have one copy of it, which is the most common version. I've never been motivated to buy more copies as I just don't really rate it too highly. What I found interesting about this record when I bought it 6 years ago was that, even though I bought it for the R'N'R side (because back then I was loving the R'N'R LP) it's the band on the flipside - Fit For Abuse - whose songs are WAY better.

Anyway, even though I'm not hugely into this record, the main reason I was watching this thing is that it is on red vinyl. So what? Well, checking the B9 discography for this release, there were 19 test pressings made in total, of which 15 were black and 4 were on red. Yup, that's right - there are only 4 of these things in the whole of the known universe (although I concede that there may be more out there in a parallel universe). So I figured that this was probably just about THE most limited record ever made on Bridge Nine (although, that said, I am also aware of a green vinyl Betrayed 7" of which there are also only 4 copies known to exist), so if I had a chance to get it for cheap then that would be cool... and in the end that's what happened.

Ok, so the reason it was cheap is that the majority of people don't care about it, but it's still a nice one to have.

Opening the Fire & Ice account

I don't know when it happened exactly, but at some point in the past couple of years or so I (like most people when they get older) started to become resistant to new music. I guess I just feel like I have heard it all before. When you have been around as long as I have, most new stuff sounds just like something older. I always used to be open to new bands and I never wanted to lose touch. But it just happens. You get old & you just don't have time to keep up. I mean, I want to listen to new music, but I find it harder & harder to sift out the good stuff from the eighteen million bands out there.

Well, fortunately, I have other people who advise me from time to time. Mike is one such dude. He kept telling me to listen to some band called Fire & Ice, telling me they were good and made up of dudes who were in Iron Boots & Down To Nothing. I dunno why though, but for a long time I just ignored him. But then he himself caved in & started listening to The Descendents & Rot In Hell because I shoved pictures of their records down his throat so often. By that point I figured I owed him, so downloaded some Fire & Ice.

Well, wouldn't you know it, I felt like an idiot for not taking his advice sooner. Fire & Ice crank out some great tunes. Once I realised this, it wasn't long before I started looking for their records on eBay. And recently I opened my account with one version of each of their two 7"s...

The first is the Winter 2009 tour press of the first 7" 'Gods & Devils'. It's not numbered, but I think there are 100 of these things.

I also got the record release version of the second 7", 'Grim'. This one has a folded paper cover slipped over the top of the regular cover and is numbered out of 50.

The songs on these two 7"s have provided the soundtrack to my bike rides to & from work these past few weeks. The perfect sound to get my legs pumping harder & faster. That's probably the best compliment I can give any band these days, and it's also about as close to moshing I get.

Ceremony Covers 12" EP

I always thought Ceremony were just alright... well, until their 'Rohnert Park' LP came out last year. Then I thought they were next level incredible. They shifted their style to reflect a more traditional (aka old) hardcore punk sound. I thought this was a brave move for a band to make, given their previous sound. I even recommended that fellow old fart Lins87 check the album out as I figured he would be well into it, but I'm willing to bet he never did, the fool. Anyway, Ceremony are back with a new 12" EP of cover songs. To be honest, there's only one song that I was familiar with, and I'll bet that's one more than your average Ceremony fan, so I guess for a lot of kids this may as well be a new release.

Well, I have to say, there are no real surprises here. It kinda sounds like anyone who heard the last album would probably expect it to sound. I mean, here's a band who sound like an 80s hardcore punk band playing mainly covers of other 80s hardcore punk bands. If you liked the last album, you'll like this I am sure. And even better, this is a real treat for vinyl nuts, as it has a cool rose design screen printed on one side of the vinyl. Looks very nice, as you can see:

I believe these dudes have now left Bridge Nine for Matador Records. Not sure what to make of this, but if nothing else I'm not sure Matador have a history of making limited colour records, so it's probably bad news for us nerds.

The Rule Of Nines 7"

A month or so ago, it was announced via the xStuck In The Pastx blog that the pre-order was up for the Rule Of Nines 7". For once, I was excited enough to order right away, rather than wait a few months in some stupid attempt to save money (which never works, seeing as buying later invariably means paying more).

The Rule Of Nines was a band fronted by Jon Roa in the 90s for a short period which also featured a dude who had been in Forced Down & Pitchfork. I had read Roa's piece on the band on Double Cross earlier in the year and remembered the song to be pretty good. So I ordered the record. It turned up last week and I have listened to it about three times a day since. In short - I'm loving it.

Getting in quick meant that I was able to order both versions that were available. So first, here's the rare version, with a 'badlands' sleeve numbered out of only 25 copies:

And here's the regular version, of which there are only 100 copies:

Yup, there are only 125 copies of this thing pressed in total. I would say that if you like the mid 90s, music and records in general then I think you'll have three reasons to pick one of these up. Head on over to the Irish Voodoo Records store to grab one before they vanish. And if you're quick, it looks like you may still be able to get one with the badlands cover.

Oh yeah... and because I'm a helpful person I thought I would post up the video for one of the songs for you to check out:

Blacklisted 7" Rocky Balboa Sleeve

Some records you just want to own for the cover alone. Here's a shining example. The first Blacklisted 7" with Rocky cover.

As you can see, there were apparently 100 of these things made, but I have no idea whether this sleeve was made for a tour or some other special occasion. Anyone?

Purple = Brown

I was in a local record store (remember them?) last weekend and found the recent Youth Of Today 'Can't Close My Eyes' 12" in the rack. Since it was pretty cheap, I figured I would ask what colour it was on. I mean, when I got my copies from Revelation a couple of months ago, I was slightly disappointed to find that my 'purple' copy was kinda grey and bland looking. So I figured that I wanted one that was properly purple. Anyway, dude in the store got the record out for me, and it looked brown. So I figured I would pick it up anyway.

And here it is next to the other copy I already had. Quite a difference in colour here, wouldn't you agree?

I still kinda want one that is actually purple, but I don't want to go the extremes of buying 6 copies like Dobek did... although you have to admit, this picture does look kinda cool, right?

Descendents 'ALL' Blue

I haven't been able to add anything to my Descendents collection for a long time, as it seems that there have been very few of the coloured SST records on eBay in the past few months. But a couple of weeks ago I spotted one that I was very keen on, the 'ALL' LP on blue. I've seen this go for $150 in the past, so I was stoked to bag it for $38, which seemed like a very good price to me. I can only assume that the rest of the world was asleep.

One thing I have noticed about Descendents coloured vinyl is that the SST dudes seem to have taken the trouble to match the vinyl colour it to the cover art pretty well. I mean, 'ALL' comes on blue and also grey. 'Enjoy' comes on white a pink. 'Milo Goes To College' comes on grey. I like it when vinyl colour matches artwork. It just seems like someone spent time thinking about things, which I am into.

I see that Tim McMahon voted this his favourite Descendents record in a recentish Double Cross poll. So if you're the kind of person who trusts Tim's judgement more than mine (you idiot) then I would advise you get onto this album ASAP... although you may be waiting a while to pick up a blue vinyl copy for such a great price.

FP D1C Gold

Imagine the scene... you're sat at work one day when an email pops into your inbox asking you if you would be interested in buying some dude's spare Floorpunch 'Division One Champs' 7" on gold vinyl. What do you think you would you do?

Me, I replied within about two minutes to say "yup"... and after several weeks of negotiation and attempts to find rare Warzone records to trade, we eventually came to an agreement and I paid cash. Or virtual cash. You know... robot money.

If you know the story behind this record you'll appreciate how difficult this is to come by. Some refer to it as the chung king of the 90s. Most people who have one aren't going to let it go in a hurry. I think I've only ever had one chance at this before, about 5 years ago (for nearly half the price!). Cost is irrelevent though. I never thought I would own this, so I'm happy.

You're long gone, but I'll never quit.
Through thick and thin I'll stick with it.
Time goes on...

Mouthpiece LP ltd sleeve

Being a lifetime Revelation Records collector, i was disappointed a few weeks ago to see that there was a limited copy of the Mouthpiece discography LP available for This Is Hardcore. I read before the show that the LP was limited to 50 copies. It was pretty obvious that it would sell out so my chances of getting one were slim. Turns out I was wrong. My chances were zero. It sold out and nobody I knew that was going was able to get me one. I figured I would have to pay big bucks on ebay at some point. Fortunately I was wrong on that count too. A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to get one from a very nice chap who had about six of the things spare and wasn't asking for much at all. Brilliant!

So for anyone who hasn't seen it, this version is the second pressing on green with a limited cover numbered out of 50 copies. The cover shows simply a bearded GI Joe and a gold Rev logo. Looks great.

Cool that I didn't have to hit up ebay. Shame I wasn't so lucky with that DTN LP with a screened cover. Don't suppose anyone has one that they don't want?

Tremors 'Island Songs' 7"

Here's something that makes a real change these days - me picking up on a newish band early doors. Usually I'm about 4 years behind. Still, even though I'm always behind, at least I manage to keep in touch with the important stuff (unlike this poor fool).

Tremors are a newish UK band hailing from London town. I know nothing about them other than they have scouse scally Graham on vocals. Dude used to sing for a band called Dirty Money. You may have heard of them.

But back to the point - Tremors. I saw this band play a few months ago (not sure why exactly I went out of the house, must have been having an off day). It was a cold dark night and they didn't really grab me. I probably wanted a pizza to be honest. But despite me not being in the best of moods, I liked how the band had anger, energy & honesty. I figured that these short blasts would sound a lot better once I was familiar with them, so I knew I wanted to check out their record when it eventually dropped... which was a couple of weeks ago.

I was lucky enough to get one of the red vinyl copies numbered out of 100.

All I can say is that this band rages. This is what I would call 'proper' hardcore punk. No posing, no bullshit. Just fast, angry hardcore that harks back to the early 80s. Probably not the kind of thing that kids who love B9 releases will love, although there is no doubt in my mind that people who celebrate the early Dischord catalogue will lap this up. If that sounds like you, and you still feel the need to keep up with current bands, then you could do a lot worse than check this record out.

This version here is the UK pressing put out by The Essence Records. However, there is also a US pressing coming out on Six Feet Under Records at some point in the near future. The US version will have different artwork to the UK version, so if you're one of these weirdy record collector types then you might want to consider buying one of each. This red vinyl version is now sold out, but it's still worth picking up as this UK pressing features an extra song that won't be on the US version. Pick one up in THE ESSENCE STORE.

End To End

The End To End 7" is probably most famous for being the OTHER record on Foundation Records. The one that isn't a Chain Of Strength record. I acquired a copy of this many moons ago, and never really thought it was anything special. It contains four songs, one of which is a live recording of an SSD cover which really should have been left off. One of the other three songs sounds like a Chain song, but the other two aren't so great in my opinion. Overall it partly suffers from the quality of the recording. Also, I never really understood the artwork on the front cover. What the hell is that all about?

This grey vinyl pressing was probably on my want list for about 15 years. No doubt some would find that hilarious.

This month's Integrity post

If a month went by without some kind of Integrity post on this blog then you would know that there was something wrong. I like to think that one of you would even take the trouble to call the police or coastguard. No need this month though. Things are doing fine.

This months additions to the integ mountain are both clear, which is reason enough to whack them together in one post.

Item 1 - the split 7" with Creepout. This is the A389 repress. Clear is the band color limited to 100 copies. I think I have four copies of this record now and I still haven't listened to the Creepout side.

Item 2 is a curiosity. Yet another copy of the 'To Die For' 10". I previously bored you with the BLUE vinyl and also the RED vinyl copies that formed the first and second pressings. This clear one is a special one off of 50 copies which kinda combines the two. The sleeve is the blue cover on one side and the red cover on the other.

Also comes with a different insert to the two previous versions which is simply a picture of Grizzly Adams:

Like a fool I bought mine on eBay without realising that the label have some for sale in their store. So I thought I would be generous and give you all the heads up as there are only 50 copies in existence. HERE YA GO

Screaming For Purple

I haven't bought many records for two months. Not really sure why. But all of a sudden it seems there are LOADS of records out there. New releases, newish releases, and people offering me stuff. And stuff on eBay that I can't resist having a go at... like this Uniform Choice LP:

I wish there was pressing info available for this record. I have seen different shades of this record, from a light lilac colour like this one, to a more deep purple verging on maroon. There is also a grey. But the more I look at variations, the more I wonder whether they are actually different pressings or whether (like the recent Youth Of Today 12" reissue on 'purple') it was all one pressing on the 'recycled' vinyl that usually ranges from grey to purple even though it's all one pressing and one 'colour'. I don't think that is the case with this LP, because I've not seen that 'colour' used on records that came out pre-late 90s, but it would be a convenient explanation for the colour variations. If only somebody actually knew!