Black God - s/t 7"

I tend to do a lot of reviews I don't end up publishing. I over think them and sometimes a record comes out that doesn't need a story or a long winded explanation. This is that record.

This is Black God's first release. 6 songs, 7"s. No song over 2 minutes (BG rule #1), simple packaging, download code. Short, fast songs with vocals that are sometimes sung and sometimes yelled. Awesome riffs that get stuck in your head. This band is full of vets and if you like any of their previous bands you will love this. By The Grace of God, Coliseum, Young Widows, Black Cross etc.

Record sleeve has lyrics printed on back and comes with a download code. My copy is on a purplish marble. Total pressing of 1000 but no break down of colors. Get this asap at No Idea Records

Back from hiatus.

Things got a little crazy early this summer and I decided to give the blog a break to tend to other things for a while. I now feel I have a bit more time to devote to this and am happy to be back at it! I have a pile of records waiting to go up on the site so please keep checking back. I will have reviews going up in the next few days for Black God, Jesuit, Melvins, Rosetta and more.

Also like I have mentioned in the past I have extended an offer to some friends to review some records as well so hopefully I will have something new to post from those people in the weeks to come.

Thanks for sticking with me!

Wino / Scott Kelly split 7"

I have found myself getting more and more selective when it comes to buying smaller format vinyl records. 7"s don't get played as much as Lp's and they take up a ton of space because they amass so quickly. It used to be that I would pick up a 7" to check out a band. If I like them great, if not then I'm only out a few bucks and I can get rid of the record. However the price of small records has gone up a few bucks and I have boxes and boxes full of them taking up space. Now, sadly, it's easier for me to check out bands online and buy their records (or not buy their records) from there.

Last year I joined the Volcom singles club  and was really happy with it. I've never been a member of any vinyl club before but I got a lot of great records and was especially stoked on the free Mastodon record they threw in as a bonus (among other items). I joined up again this year and just got my first two records. I still have to listen to the other one but this split I am writing about it worth picking up, even if you don't join the club.

This is a split 7" between the notoriously heavy Wino and Scott Kelly(Neurosis). Actually, let me be honest, the selling point of this years subscription for me was a Scott Kelly record. I think 2 years back now I ordered the Blood and Time record from Southern records in the UK. I have dealt with the Southern Label/Distro a few times and suggest checking them out and ordering from them. The friendliest customer service you will ever find and really great product, prices and shipping time.

Anyway, I absolutely love the Blood & Time record and the Scott Kelly track on this split totally lived up to my own hype. The man's voice is filled with scars, pain and honesty. For as miserable as some of his material can be, it more often then not brings me a comfort to hear him sing his songs. Scott Kelly writes some of the most powerful songs around and knowing he is out there doing this still after all these years makes me happy. This song alone is worth the price of the record.

However there is still another song! This one comes from the legend that is Wino. Wino and Scott Kelly put out some great songs in the band Shrinebuilder. Wino has been making music for at least 35 years now and has worked with just about everyone at some point. The Obsessed, Saint Vitus and Shrinebuilder are three of the most well known bands he has been in and I like all those bands. I wasn't really sure what to expect from a solo song though. I never got around to getting the solo record he put out a few years back. This song is great. Musically a little more upbeat then Scott's song but still the lyrics stay true to topics our little community is familiar with. I was really surprised and pleased after hearing this song. It's been on repeat for a little while now and I like it more and more with each listen.

I'm not going too into detail about either song because both are available to listen to for free on the Volcom site. Go and give them a listen and decide for yourself. Also available at the link are the two new songs from Wino's new band Premonition 13. There are also pictures of both the limited color records.



Volcom club records are all out of 1000 and are hand numbered. I am pretty sure vinyl club members get an exclusive color and I heard there are only 200 subscriptions available. So act fast before you miss out. If you don't want to drop the cash on the club (which is only like $40 plus a one time shipping charge) you will be able to buy the records individually on the site. Don't sleep on this record!

Baroness - A Horse Called Golgotha 7"

So Baroness didn't put out a new record last year but it was one of their biggest years yet. Seemed like they were always on tour getting their name out there and doing very well for themselves. The Blue Record still gets regular play in my house and while listening to it today(at the same time I was getting my ass kicked at Scrabble by my girlfriend) I decided this would be a fun record to share.

Baroness aren't really known for releasing singles or 7"s. In fact this is only the second 7" I am aware of. If I am wrong in that please don't crucify me! This record came out on Relapse around mid 2010 I believe. There are two songs on here, one album track and a cover song. The album track is the song A Horse Called Golgotha which after my first listen of the Blue Record was a stand out song and still one of my favorites on the album. Everything about this song just works. Give it a listen and see what I mean.





I like the song a lot more then I like the video but I think this track is as good as any for those who still haven't heard this band.

The cover song, to me, is a wonderful one. It's a cover of the Descendents song Bikeage. The Descendents are hands down one of my favorite punk bands ever and I have been listening to them since I was a freshman in high school. It saddens me that while it seems so recent, that was over 15 years ago. Good grief. A kid in one of my art classes let me listen to Milo Goes to College and I was hooked. That is another story all together though! Baroness covering a Descendents song was an easy sell for me. It's a good cover too. Could be a little faster and the vocals don't get me as excited as Milos version but I am just nitpicking. Fans of either band will be pleased and fans of both bands win all around.

The artwork is the final selling point for me. The cover features an image I always thought was one of guitarist/vocalist John Baizleys best. It's called Morphine Hawk and it's just an amazing drawing. I have a hoodie with this design and I love the hell out of it. It's a simple cover but I think it looks incredible. Packaging is just the sleeve and record inside. No lyric sheet or anything like that. It was released on a few colors and above are the three I got when I ordered. A sort of clear red, black and pink. I know there are other colors out there. I think this was out of 1000 copies and is since sold out but you can hopefully still get them for cheap on ebay and maybe even in your local record store.

2010 good riddance!

Well 2010 has come and gone. Unfortunately I didn't get to write as much as I had wanted to towards the end of the year. After Christmas I ended up doing something to my back and have been in a good amount of pain ever since. I spent a few days in bed and now I am up and about but still hurting every day. I am about to run out of muscle relaxers and am dreading the entire process of seeing a doctor. I haven't had a doctor in like 15 or so years, the hunt begins this weekend. Hoping to get things looked at and taken care of sooner then later and as much as I am dreading this it will be good to be able to get things fixed instead of just dealing with them. I can't imagine what it would feel like not to be in some sort of pain every single day!

Hoping that 2011 treats everyone well and we get to see some monster releases and tours. I can't wait until the weather warms up and I get to hit the road and catch some cool shows around Cleveland and Toronto. For a Christmas gift I got a pair of tickets to go see Motorhead in Toronto. Very stoked on that! Can't wait to see what the year brings us in records! I, for one, am extremely excited that there will be a new All Pigs Must Die record out. Those dudes killed it with their EP and I am thinking they will be a force to be reckoned with this year!

So on that note I hope to be a little more consistent with the reviews and updates. I also think I am going to start putting up a post a month documenting records I have scored at thrift stores/flea markets. I find a bunch of rad stuff out there and hope you find it interesting enough to read about!

Take care of yourselves!