Ink & Dagger – Love Is Dead 7” Repress

Being that tomorrow is Halloween and it’s Devil’s Night tonight,  it would be fitting to make tonight’s post about Ink & Dagger. More specifically their Love Is Dead 7”. In a previous post I wrote about their first LP, The Fine Art of Original Sin, but their first release, Love Is Dead, is the one that made people notice this band and realize that they were an unstoppable force in the Philadelphia HxC scene.

Originally released by Happy Days Records in 1996 (I think…please feel free to correct me), it caused a stir within the hardcore punk community due to its sound and impossibility to categorize. Was it hardcore? Was it punk? Was it noise? It was something that’s for sure.

There are a multitude of pressings and variants of the original release: white w/ tombstone cover, tour press, white (real) blood-splattered acetate covers, white left-over press with “girl on stake” cover, white with vampire covers, white with “test press” written on them, etc. So yeah, quite a few out there. It has been quite daunting to try and obtain all of the different versions. Not to mention expensive.

Evergreen Terrace

Album – Buried Alive By Time

Artist – Evergreen Terrace

Purchased From – Mind over Matter Records

The last record in the recent batch of records sent to me by M.O.M., this one has some really awesome stuff going on. Metalcore may be ‘over’ (as Nick put it in a text message conversation earlier this week) but that doesn’t mean you still can’t get some awesome looking records out of the genre.

There were two variants of this record pressed by M.O.M – clear orange and this one; clear orange with red haze. The records came with a hand screened outer sleeve and were hand numbered. The clear orange/red haze variant was limited to 314, this one is number 180.

 

Empires

Album – Freshwater Reflection

Artist – Empires

Purchased From – Mind over Matter Records

The second album in a batch of records I recently got from M.O.M. Records. If you’re not familiar with Empires, here’s the description from M.O.Ms website;

Four tunes spanning a long-playing 12″ record, this LP finds Empires exploring even more of their black metal infused, ambient, doom-inspired instrumental glory. Equal parts soothing and crushing, this collection of songs runs the gamit of dynamics that Empires has brought to the table on previous releases and only makes us more psyched to hear what they conjur up for their next full length! The artwork is a beautifully printed inner sleeve of photos taken around northern Minnesota complimented by semi-transparent screen printing on the outer picture disc sleeve that houses everything, creating several layers of artwork within one piece. Truly a sight to behold, and all designed by James Kreager of Arctantic Design.

That description mentions the artwork, believe me those words (and the pictures below) do not begin to do this thing justice. It is easily the best looking record/packaging combo I’ve got in my collection. One of the highlights is the lack of a center label, just a great look and not something I’ve seen on a lot of records.

Anyway, I highly recommend this record. Not just because it looks so fantastic but because the tunes are excellent; perfect music for the Fall and Winter.

This was limited to a pressing of 220. They are hand numbered (this particular one is 51 of 220) and pressed on ‘ice blue’ vinyl.

The Firebird Band

Album – Say Hello

Artist – The Firebird Band

Purchased From – Mind over Matter Records

Taking a look at the first record in a batch of records sent to me by Mind over Matter Records (thanks guys!) we take a look at The Firebird Band.

Here’s the description take straight from the M.O.M. website;

This 7″ represents the first proper release from The Firebird Band since 2004’s “The City At Night” – there are two remixes from TCAN as well as one brand new track. While this release is a bit more upbeat and dancier than their previous works, it is not a far cry from the electronica infused indie rock that we’ve grown to love from TFB.

The artwork boasts a tri-fold die cut jacket with an inner sleeve that houses the record. The entire package was designed by Mind Over Matter and is created using laser cutting and screen printing – fully assembled by hand. Each one is hand-numbered, and these are strictly limited to 200 copies

Overall this is absolutely one of the best looking records I own.  Just a really well done release. These are hand numbered, this one is number 91 of 202.

Have Heart

Album – Songs To Scream At The Sun

Artist – Have Heart

Purchased From – n/a

I mentioned in today’s earlier Trap Them post that TSPV contributor Nick had recently given me 2 records at a gift – this is the other record he gave me.

Packaged in a nice gatefold jacket, this is the second press of the record on opaque white. There were 1,000 pressed on this color.

 

Trap Them

Album – Seizures In Barren Paradise

Artist – Trap Them

Purchased From – n/a

The first of two records given to me as a gift by TSPV contributor Nick (I’ll be writing about the other one later today), this is a record I’d been meaning/wanting to pick up for a while now. Trap Them is one of those bands that I was kind of late to the party on (not getting into them until I heard a couple tracks off their ‘Seance Prime’ ep) but I’m really glad I got there. Just heavy, over the top and excellent.

Featuring some serious fold out packaging and Jacob Bannon artwork, this is one of the best looking records I’ve added to my collection recently. This is the first press of the record, on a cream and black mix vinyl. There were 1000 of these pressed on this color.

Phantom Glue – Self-Titled LP

Ask anyone who knows me in the record collecting nerd world who my favorite band is and chances are they’ll say Converge, ISIS, Minus the Bear, or 27. When a recent distro update came out from Robotic Empire, they mentioned having stock of a new record: “the new Phantom Glue which features members of the band 27. Check it out!” Needless to say that got my attention right away.

A new band featuring members of 27?!?!

27 being one of my favoritest bands?!?!

Yes please!

I immediately scoured the internet for more info on Phantom Glue and ended up at the band’s Facebook page. Terri Christopher of 27 plays drums for the band. Not only is she a great drummer but also a very sweet individual and person as I got to find out when I met her and the rest of 27 at the Florida shows they played opening for Minus the Bear about two years ago. Or was it three? Getting to meet and hang out with Terri, her sister Maria, and Ayal Naor (the rest of 27) and seeing how awesome they are solidified by fanaticism and respect for the band and their music. And yes…I am gushing big time…I’m such a fanboy!

And the winner is…

If you’ve been paying attention you know we’ve been running a contest for the last few weeks for a copy of I Exist’s awesome “A Turn for The Worse” album.  The contest ended at Midnight EST and it’s time to announce a winner…

Andrew Wyszynski

Congrats Andrew, your record will be in the mail this week. Everybody else, stay tuned we’ve got another contest on deck that we’ll be announcing very soon and we think it’s something you’re really going to dig.

Samiam

Album –Orphan Works

Artist – Samiam

Purchased From – No Idea Records

There have been many a long night where Samiam got me through. Actually I can remember a few where I was sloppy drunk, listening to their records, and crying like a little girl. Samiam are another one of those bands that’s beyond important to me. I think Samiam may be the first punk band I remember having the level of emotion that they had.  My favorite records have always been Soar, Clumsy and You Are Freaking Me Out. Orphan Works is a compilation culled from live, studio outtakes and rarities. The best part is that the songs all come from the Clumsy and You Are Freaking Me Out era, which most fans consider their two classic albums. I remember specifically playing You Are Freaking Me Out to the point of annoying people around me when it came out.

From what I understand, No Idea Records made 300 of these available for mail order only. This particular one got a rough ride from the post office. It seems any time I get records sent from Florida they get bent corners. This album has really cool looking vinyl and the gate fold jacket is brilliant. It’s really neat to see Samiam end up on a superior label like No Idea after years of bumping around on other indies and a major label appearance for Clumsy. If you aren’t a fan of Samiam I would totally suggest you get the two albums featured on this set. They are punk classics.

White Shit

Album – Sculpted Beef

Artist – White Shit

Purchased From – Insound

This is my second installment of White Shit. Same story as here. Dudes from Big Business and dude from Wrangler Brutes. Sculpted Beef is 9 songs and is an A side only with the B side blank and uncut. I really enjoy the gay innuendo on the art work, we need more of that. I love the track Jim Morrison on this record. It’s about a crazy neighbor not The Doors front man. Id really like to buy these guys 10″ but I can’t pay $12 for a 3 song 10″. Great records, great tunes, well worth picking up.