Templars have always been one of my favorite bands, and always will be. As a youngster I once drove 8 hours each way just to see them play. A few years back
when TKO Repressed the class "Dans Les Catacombs Du Studio de L'Acre"
collection by the Templars, I was all over it. I was then able to snag
the test pressing for this release, with the black and white sleeve. It comes on black vinyl with plain white labels.
The "Band Edition Test Pressing" had a red and white cover, and wasn't really a test pressing but more of a band only alternative cover. It came on the the clear vinyl with red and white black splatter which was the limited version out of /200 for the main release. There was also a bunch pressed on black vinyl for the main release.
The top left is the original pressing on Vulture Rock (clear vinyl), Top right was the main release, it is not shown that well in the picture but its like shiny tin foil front cover. Then the two test presses on the bottom. Make sure to check out the original pressing from my 50th post...
Here is Valencia, Spain's PODER ABSOLUTO ("Absolute Power"). This is some awesome raging hardcore. I have always been a sucker for any punk or hardcore that is sung in Spanish. This record rules though, and it is quickly becoming one of my favorite records of the year. It was put out by Fight Em All Records and this is the clear copy out of /100, with /200 also on black. Don't sleep on this record and cry later. Not sure if they are still available on clear, but it's worth a shot!
I saw this get posted on Facebook a while back as being up for sale. Apparently I've been living under a rock because I thought it was a repress of their first LP with new album artwork. I ordered a copy from my phone and went on with my day. I later realized it was in fact a brand new LP from the Stranglah. Doh! Glad I got my hands on a copy because as expected these sold at real quick. As far as I know, they followed the same recipe as their debut LP and released these all on black vinyl.
After ordering it, I scoured the internet for a free download and started listening right away. For some reason I was not as impressed by this release as their debut LP. Something about it sounded flatter than their older stuff. When I got the LP, I listened to the actual record several times and realized the digital copy I have is just not that good of quality compared to the real recordings. It gave me a sour first impression, but on further listening I have fallen in love with this record. It is without a doubt more "Oi!" than the last record, which is fine by me. I don't know if this record will live up to the same hype as their debut LP or which will stand the test of time better, but to me it's apples and oranges with both of them being fantastic.
As evident in my second post ever on this website, I am a huge Reducers SF fan. Reducers SF are West Coast Oi!/Punk rock legends that have been mostly dormant over the last decade. I grew up on this band, and would go see them all the time. They were a huge influence on me to say the least. When Pirates Press records had their 10 year anniversary weekend, they announced a Reducers 20 year anniversary box set (Has it been that long? Jeez...). It came in a nice silver box with all three of their albums and a brand new "B Sides" style collection LP which I was thrilled to get.
There was three pressing versions, with a total of /500 pressed. TKO Records had the most limited press out of /50 with all of the records on gold vinyl. Revelation had the largest pressing with /350 and each record on a solid different color (blood red, bronze, royal blew and piss yellow). I opted for the over the top Pirates Press version out of /100 but by far the most unique.
Here is their debut LP (1999) and my favorite of their work. This is arguably one of the best Oi! releases ever made, a total classic. This version comes on "Bronze and Black A-Side with White & Beer Splatter vinyl B Side".
Here is the bands second release, "Crappy Clubs and Smelly Pubs" (2001). Many consider this is their best work, and this is also considered a classic Oi! album. I absolutely love this album and it has my favorite Reducers song on it (Empty Bottles). Also I love the nod to the Randumbs on here with a "Our Noise" cover. For those of you not familiar with the Randumbs, they were a really fast and angry punk band and the Reducers took the song and made it way slower and catchy, and they sound nothing alike. It's awesome. Randumbs version comes in at two minutes, Reducers version comes in at three minutes and twenty seconds. This is on "Royal Blue and White A side with Gold, Royal Blue, and Black Splatter B-Side vinyl".
On a side note I was lucky enough to go to the record release show for this album at the Pound in SF. Unfortunately, my 14 year old ass got beat up in the parking lot after the show. Oh, the good old days!
"Raise Your Hackles" was their latest release (2006). This is a good solid release, but I guess I never had the same love for it as it's younger brothers. Looking sharp on "Yellow and White A side with Gold, Yellow, Red, and Black Splatter b-side". This is probably my favorite looking pressing of the bunch.
I was most excited to get this out of everything. First thing I did was rip this thing open to get the digital download of this. Getting a download of Reducers covering "Situations" and "Last Train to Dagenham" is worth the price of admission for this box set alone. All of this stuff was either unreleased or incredibly rare, so I'm thrilled to get my hands on it. It comes on "Red and White A side with Red and Silver Splatter B side."
Looking good Reducers! Great job Pirates Press, and thanks for bringing one of the Bay Area's best Oi! bands to the fore front for a new generation to enjoy.
This Angel Dust "A.D." album has been the a hot topic on the internet this year. Some people love it and think it's the record of the year, and some people absolutely hate it. I have tried really hard to get into, but it is just not my thing. There are some songs on here I like (stepping stone, beat my brain, set me up), but over all it is way too poppy for me. It features the singer from Trapped Under Ice, but rarely sounds like TUI as they take a pop punk approach. If you know anything about this blog, you will see I have zero pop punk on it.
This was a split release between Reaper and React Records with /400 on white, /400 on clear, /1000 on black. This pink marble was limited to the band on tour and out of /150, being the hardest color to find. I was never interested in owning a copy of this album until I saw Reaper post a pink copy on their web store, so I figured why not.
Here is Finland's The Achtungs, noisy garage punk that has old rock and roll undertones. I threw this release in on a whim during a recent order with Going Underground as a I saw the limited pink vinyl left out of /100, and I'm glad I did because this release has all but vanished in only a couple weeks. This is really catchy garage punk that is really buzzy and sounds like it was recorded on an old four track. Pretty cool stuff, check it out if you get a chance. They remind me of The Shirks.
I saw this thing posted on a few other blogs so I figured I would check out. Glad I did this band tears it up! I don't know much about them, their label says they are from Virginia and DC? Their label also says they are a "one man band", but I've also read they share members with Coke Bust and other bands. I know one thing, this is good stompy USHC that is done right. They are still available at Thrash King on the limited /300 gold vinyl, also with /600 on black. Definitely worth checking out!
Canada's Bishops Green is quickly becoming the premier Oi! band in the scene. Their has been an incredible buzz around their recent releases. They have been the topic of many discussions in the Oi! and punk scene, and rightfully so. At first I didn't like this release as much as their debut LP, but this has totally grown on me and I just can't stop listening to it. This is some seriously great Oi!, it is not generic at all and is refreshing as hell. I still do prefer their self titled debut release, because it was overall darker record. Either way, this is a must own for any Oi! fan.
I believe this is the 2nd press. It is out of /250 and it listed as "Double Mint / Swamp Green with White, Kelly Green, Coke Bottle Green Splatter Vinyl". Pirates Press got creative with that one, but this is one of the most impressive looking slabs I have ever seen. With the embossed cover and gate fold to boot, Pirates Press went all in on this one.
When this release first came out, I missed out on the limited white version on Quality Control. Bummer. But, I knew it was coming out on Painkiller so I did not want to miss out on the limited "camo" vinyl out of /200. The day they put up pre orders, they did not give an option to select camo vinyl. I ordered it the same day it came out, so I just crossed my fingers and hoped I'd get the limited version. Weeks go by, and I see a posts on Skull Fucked and Utopia Banished with the limited version, and pictures of a beautiful green marble vinyl. A few weeks later mine finally shows up, I peek inside and sure as shit I got a black copy. Disgruntled and feeling rejected, I put it back away and put it in my "needs pictures" pile.
Time goes by and I see Mike posts his copy, which reveals a really dark looking version of the camo green. I instantly ran up stairs to check mine, and was thrilled to see that I did get the limited version. It just looks like shit. About the release... This is a excellent record. I would dare to say this is Violent Reaction's best stuff yet, because they went more Oi! on this record than any of their previous releases. I can't wait for these guys' LP on Revelation.
So I've never been really big on Discography type releases, therefore I never have owned "What it Meant" on vinyl. I've seen some color options come and go, including a hideously ugly splatter one a few years back. When I saw it was pressed again on color, I decided to take a stab at it in my last Rev order. This copy is on a much more appealing blue pressing, with both records being blue. It's not BID on mint green, but it will have to due.
As far as the release, what can you say? One of the best hardcore bands to ever exist's complete discography. You can't beat that!
Here is the RevHQ mail order only light grey vinyl copy of "Nothing But A Nightmare" by Soul Search. The light grey is out of /550 and exclusive to RevHQ, while the dark grey is out of /1110. This EP was originally pressed last year on Back to Back with a different cover. I remember when it came out on Back to Back, the most limited color copies sold out quick so I lost interest and never bought a copy. I figured with Rev repressing it I wouldn't make the same mistake again. This is a good solid release, but it's not necessarily anything that blows me away. If you like hardcore that's heavily influenced by metal then check it out. Keep an eye out for their LP coming out on Rev soon.
Here is a band that is simply way too under rated. Oakland, CA's LIVING EYES. These dudes are raw and grimy just like the city they came from. Here is their one sided LP on Deathwish, "Who Will Remain?". I never knew who these dudes were until last year when they opened up at One Voice Fest and I was totally blown away. They absolutely killed it with a ton of energy and they were angry as fuck. I think if they were from New York or Boston, they would be blown the fuck up. This release has a silk screened cover, dust sleeve and B-Side. I love the design on the dust sleeve, but my favorite part is the nuclear reactor on the B-Side. Red vinyl out of /330.
Here is their demo from 2011, "Starve for Agony" on clear out of /926. The limited version was clear with red splatter. More of the same punishing hardcore, a must have.
Here is a two song ep from New Jersey's Altered Boys, and let me tell you that it is fantastic. Everything that Altered Boys has ever put out is fantastic, and I think they really are one of the more under rated bands right now. They play that USHC sound that everyone seems to be doing right now, but they do it very well. This is on yellow vinyl and out of /150, and it's still available. Head to their bandcamp for a free download as well.
