Boston Straight Edge

Step Forward - s/t 7" - 2014 Painkiller Records PKR-055

Not many bands can survive the short lived attention span of hardcore folks for 8 years without releasing anything new after they only put out one 7". These dudes did though. Great Boston Hardcore in the tradition of the originators.

Just like with the first record they released there is a limited clear vinyl version of this out there but I'm fine with a common black vinyl copy.

Social Damage! One eye at a time

Social Damage - eye for an eye 7" - 2014

Social Damage originally released two demos in 2013. I missed out on the first one but got the 2nd. Then both were put on seven inches of vinyl by Straight & Alert Records from France last year. And a little later they put out the band's first real 7" together with Life To Live Records from the US.
If you read the previous post you'll know that they were on tour with Alexis S&A's band Raw Justice in November last year and that we did a show for them. I also mentioned the turn out was pretty bad. I guess you can say that with a paying audience of nine people. What's wrong with kids today? Well, around here they probably are just too spoiled just like I am. Or maybe a US band with 2 obscure demos and a just recently released 7" on a small label shouldn't go on a euro tour.
Whatever it is I dig their raw, pissed and fast (not too fast) old school sound. They delivered a great set and then retired to their room for the night pretty fast.

5 variations of this record do exist including this the most common one out of 328.

another Raw Justice

Raw Justice - artificial peace 7" - 2014 Straight & Alert Records S&A11

This is the second 7" by the frenchmen from Raw Justice. Just like the first one this has a definite Judge feel to it but the LOC vibe was taken back a little in favor of a bit more old time Boston Hardcore.
In November last year they did a tour with Social Damage from the US that Alexis who runs Straight & Alert Records and sings in Raw Justice put together. We helped out with kind of a last minute show and just like I figured not many people showed up. Real Hardcore seems to be dead around here. What a said state of affairs.
Nonetheless they are the nicest guys and we had some good long chats after the show. Didn't have that with a band in a while but maybe that's just because we don't usually book bands that need a place to crash.

There were 2 different pre-order versions with different covers available. Each out of 100. This regular pressing is out of 326.

EPM splits pt. I

Empowerment / Krank - split 7" - 2014 Prügelprinz Records ‎

This is the first part in a four piece split series. Empowerment provide tracks to all of those and the other side holds tracks by bands they're friends with.
EPM are pretty much Germany's Cro-Mags only without the homophobic bs. Straight up NYHC with a positive message.
As you can see Krank (translates to 'Sick') from Hamburg are delivering the goods on the other A-Side. They are one of the best current Punk bands in Germany and even internationally. I for one have a problem with bands singing in a language I don't understand. If you don't or can read german I strongly suggest you to check these guys out.

As far as I know each instalment of this series is a one time only pressing of 500 copies. Mannheim's Prügelprinz decided to do a ltd. clear vinyl version out of 100 and this here black copy is one out of 400.
Once the series is completed all 4 covers will form a bigger picture when put next to another. Great idea. That's the kind of shit that makes collecting interesting.

a Blotter with original artwork

Blotter - under armour '77 7" - 2014 Katorga Works KW-032, False Form FF-013

I got the euro pressing of this record a while back and posted about it here. Back then I complained about the different cover art and mentioned that I needed a copy with the original artwork so here it is. Luckily the insert is the same as the one with the euro press so I can let that lesser copy go to a home that's not too concerned with looks or just has a different taste.

blood pressure blood pressure

after 16 days non stop working and a few days of recuperation and catching up at home here i am again. picking up right where i left off

Blood Pressure - s/t 7" - 2014 Beach Impediment Records BIR-012

Not much to say about this baby. It's one of those bands that grabs me right from the start and doesn't let me down until they're done. Great raw and primitive hardcore punk.

This is the US pressing but there is also a pressing out of the Netherlands on Even Worse Records.

Back To Back - narcissist

Now as the last post for today I chose a more recent release by a current band. And when I have the time to resume posting I will return with the same topic.
know your history but don't live in the past.

Back To Back - narcissist 7" - 2014 540 Records 540-044

Their first vinyl output was the flesh and bone 7". Released 3 years after the demo tape which I missed completely. That one was probably one of my favorite new releases in 2013. So good. It blew me away right upon first hearing it. Accordingly my expectations for this, their 2nd 7" were very high. Maybe too high because they weren't met. Still a great record better than a lot of other in the flock though. Definitely worth checking out. Raw and distorted oldschool hardcore punk. Just the way I like it.

Not quite sure but I bet this is the only existing version other than a test press.

Survival Jamz

from posting an old collectible record through the  reissue of an old collectible record i'll take you to this discography of sorts of a band not quite that old but already old enough that loads of hardcore hype kids these days probably don't know them anymore

Jaguarz - jungle jams / survival 7" - 2014 Climbin' Aboard CA-024

In 2003 they released their awesome demo which got the vinyl treatment last year and because there was still some space left on the wax Climbin' Aboard Records added their song from the 'Sweet Vision' comp. All their material is great and 'survival' (from the comp.) is their strongest track so it's great to have all their stuff in the same place to conveniently listen to at once. I believe there was also a rehearsal or a live tape released or at least passed around that might have had one or the other unreleased song which is why I wrote sort of a discography.

500 copies were made in total.
My version is out of 250.
150 were made on yellow and 100 on green.
Probably a one time only pressing and it seems to be sold out.

lockjaw dead friends

Lockjaw - dead friends 7" - 2014 Antitodo 003

This record was originally released in 1983 as the band's 2nd and last 7". To be honest before I got wind of the repress I had never even heard of the band. I gave it a quick listen online and decided to get a copy. So far though I have to say it doesn't do much for me. Maybe I have to listen to it a few times but with all the records I buy all the time I'm not sure if this will get the spins it needs to win me over. We'll see.

There were 500 copies pressed of the original on black vinyl but only 300 of this reissue. All on clear.

YOTCCME

back on the workforce. not much time lately.

Youth Of Today - can't close my eyes 7" - 1985 Positive Force Records 04

Youth Of Today was one of the first hardcore bands I came across. But somehow I never got as religiously into them as a lot of other folks. I always liked them and appreciated for their importance in the history of hardcore music but that's that. I never felt them like I did Uniform Choice, Wide Awake, Turning Point and others who except for UC maybe might not have been as crucial but for some reason spoke to me a lot more. Not that I could explain it. Just a feeling.

That being said as a collector I still had to have a first press of their first 7" and now I finally have one. If it wouldn't have been for a friend of mine selling his collection I would probably still not have picked it up. It just wasn't that high up on my priorities list. But I must say once I put the needle to this platter and heard the original recordings for the first time I can understand where all the worship is coming from better. This is a fucking killer. At the time of it's release it must have ripped the whole scene a new one. And of course even today it puts a lot of efforts to shame.

I never intended to collect this release but I definitely had to have at least one copy for my collection so what better to get than a first press. Yeah I know it's not the most impressive version to get but I don't mind. There are quite a few different pressings and variations out there but as I already mentioned I'm not too much into YOT which is why I'm perfectly satisfied with what I got. Somehow I feel that a first press trumps any other pressing no matter how rare. A rarer first press variation might have been better. If there is one. I don't even know because I never cared enough. Besides I'm a regular guy so a regular 1st press is best for me