Cold Steel - Perfect Peace cassette 1990

Cold Steel - Thrash metal from Long Island NY.

I posted Cold Steel's "Dead By Dawn" demo a while back and I think I like the demo a little more than the "Perfect Peace" cassette in all honesty, though "Perfect Peace" has it's moments the music seems a bit more commercial and gimmicky to me in places. I still hear the Anthrax,Testament, Metallica, Flotsam and Jetsam influence at least to my ears, but the Anthrax type choruses are a bit much for me at times...Dave G.

Here

Gray Matter 2x7" Dischord/WGNS 1991

Bite The Bit







I fell in love with the opening song " Bite The Bit" on this double 7" the first time I heard it back in 1991. I'm not sure this 7" still holds up for me beyond the opening track but it's still worth posting. In my opinion Gray Matter's best record is "Take It Back" from 1986, so if you like this 7" I would recommend you give "Take It Back" a listen if you haven't heard it already...Dave G.

Artificial Peace / Exiled split 7" Fountain of Youth 001 - 1982

Artificial Peace and Exiled sound very similiar to me on this split 7". Both bands play a mix of mid tempo and fast paced hardcore punk with pretty poor recording quality in all honesty. This 7" definitely has a certain charm, however I think I prefer the Artificial Peace songs on the Flex Your Head compilation and also on the recently released Artificial Peace discography.

I am posting this up as a reminder to everyone to purchase a copy of the official AP discography from Dischord so please go order yourself a copy...Dave G.

Angry Red Planet - Too Much Knowledge Can Be Dangerous - Angry Red Records 1983

Angry Red Planet "Too Much Knowledge Can Be Dangerous" is one great trashy yet melodic punk hardcore record from Detriot Michigan. Angry Red Planet also released another 7" Gawkers Paradise (Touch & Go, 1985) and an Lp called Little Pigs Little Pigs (Angry Red Records, 1987) , both of which come with my highest recommendation. There is also a second full length Lp from 1989 called Give Em' Enough Dope...Dave G.

Zeros - Wild Weekend / Beat Your Heart Out 1978 Bomp Records

Wild Weekend
Beat Your Heart Out







Bomp

This is the second Zeros 7" from 1978 and it is a classic slab of KBD punk rock. The a-side is a fast catchy punk rock song and the b-side is a more mid-tempo Ramones style song that will get caught in your head for the rest of the day once you hear it.

Bomp records has a few Zeros Lp's available through their mailorder so please order some records or cd's from Bomp. A good Zeros compilation to start with is "Don't Push Me Around" which collects the Zeros early singles,demos and unreleased songs...Dave G.

Abrasive Wheels - Army Song 7" 1982 - Riot City

Army Song







Abrasive Wheels

This is the third single from Leeds UK's Abrasive Wheels, released in 1982 on Riot City Records. What you get is good solid rough and tumble street punk with plenty of sing-a-long vocals. Probably one of the best singles to come out of the early UK punk scene, so give it a listen if you've somehow never heard this one before.

Abrasive Wheels are actually still actively touring, and have just released a new Lp titled "When The Punks Go Marching In Volume 2"... more details available here ... Dave G.

Patrik Fitzgerald - Safety-Pin Stuck In My Heart - Billy Bragg - Between The Wars

Patrik Fitzgerald
Billy Bragg

Billy Bragg and Patrik Fitzgerald are both urban folk singers or acoustic punks if you will. I prefer urban folk singers personally. Both Bragg and Fitzpatrick started performing during the late 70's early 80's British punk movement, and both artists wrote acoustic punk/folk songs dealing with working class issues. Anyway, I thought it would be a good idea to post these records up today to show a little different side of the punk rock and roll genre.

Up first is Patrik Fizgerald's first 7" from 1977 "Safety-Pin Stuck In My Heart" , which is probably his most well known song. Fitzgerald went on to release a total of eight 7 inches and 2 Lp's in the punk rock heyday between 1977-1982. If you like what you hear then check out his complete discography Here and start tracking down the rest of his musical catalog.





Patrik Fitzgerald - Safety-Pin Stuck In My Heart





Up next, I am presenting the "Between The Wars" 7" by Billy Bragg. Bragg is definitely the more well known and accomplished of these two artists, and the 4 songs on this 7" from 1984 are some of his finest works in my opinion...enjoy! ... Dave G.





Billy Bragg - Between The Wars

The Nolan Gate - Alchemy 2011

The Nolan Gate


One of New Jersey's longest running metal monsters has awakened from a 4 year slumber to unleash it's newest album "Alchemy" on the unsuspecting masses.

The Nolan Gate sticks to what they do best on this 7 song album which means you get big angry choruses, heavy rumbling bass, pounding drums and wave after wave of pummeling riffs to keep your head banging.

The Nolan Gate has been pounding it out on the Jersey club scene for 10+ years and they definitely deserve to be heard so please purchase a download of "Alchemy" for a measly $2.00 to show The Nolan Gate some love...Dave G.

Sample songs:

Grinding
Swordsman

Purchase "Alchemy"

Notes:

released 24 October 2011

Recorded at Moonlight Mile Studios in Hoboken, NJ
Engineered and Mixed by Mike Mobius
Mastered by James Plotkin

Mordred - 1986 Demo Tape

A commenter mentioned Mordred on my previous Mercenary post so I figured I would dig out Mordred's first Demo Tape and throw it up on the blog.






I don't have much to say about Mordred honestly. I remember Mordred moving in a more funk metal direction after the release of this demo tape, however the music on this demo is good straight up Thrash metal...Dave G.

Mercenary - Demo Tape 1986

Here's a demo tape I mail ordered directly from the band back in 1986 and never received.I remember reading an incredible review of this demo in some fanzine back in 86 so I was literally dying to hear the tape for myself,therefore you can image my incredible disappointment when the tape never arrived and the band ignored my follow up letters asking when they were going to send my tape etc. Keep in mind this was pre-internet and email so I couldn't just type in Mercenary demo tape mediafire and download the music so when the tape never arrived I was literally deprived of their music for many many years to come until I finally bought a copy of the demo off ebay sometime back.

Since over 10 years or so had gone by from the time I ordered the tape and then finally actually heard it the music had less of an impact on me than it would have if I had received the tape back in 86 when I was 19 years old, however the demo is still really good and holds up well today. To my ears I think this demo sounds similar to The Legacy demo tape... who morphed into Testament.

Oh well, I guess this post gave me a chance to vent a little hahaha...I feel better now...Dave G.

Here

Infernal Majesty - None Shall Defy - Roadracer Records 1987

A straight up Canadian underground thrash metal classic. If these guys had a better name, better album cover and didn't look like complete poseurs then maybe this record would have been huge haha...but hey it's the music that really matters and this record kills from start to finish with technical riffing, ripping solos and time changes galore...this slab of wax contains everything you could possibly want from a thrash record so check it out...Dave G.

Files borrowed from Cosmic Hearse..

Mercy - S/T album 1984 - Fingerprint Records

Excellent early 80's metal Lp from Sweden's Mercy. This album features Eddy Markulin on vocals who most of you metal heads know as Messiah Marcolin of Candlemas fame.

The music is really excellent NWOBHM with hints of doom and moments that are reminiscent of Mercyful Fate...without really sounding like MF.

A highly recommended listen...glad I was able find this copy recently hiding out in a local record stores used bins...Dave G.

Jaguar - Axe Crazy / War Machine - Neat Records 1982

Axe Crazy
War Machine








Since I posted Goldsmith and Soldier up I figured I would dig this classic 7" out of the archives to finish off my little NWOBHM run.

The A side of this record contains a nice uptempo rocker and the b-side steals the show for me with a nice ballad type rocker reminiscent of Iron Maiden's Remember Tomorrow or something along those lines...Dave G.

Goldsmith - Life Is Killing Me / Music Man - Bedlam Records 1982

Life Is Killing Me
Music Man








Here is another NWOBHM 7" that my metal hating friend gave me last week.

Pretty cool obscure record that's worth sharing and worth a listen if you like this kind of
thing...Dave G.

Soldier - Sheralee / Force - Heavy Metal Records 1982

Sheralee
Force








I bought some records from a metal hating friend last week and luckily for me this 7" was one of the gems he had no use for.

Soldier deliver sold NWOBHM on this 7" with the up tempo A side Sherilee being the standout track for me with its sold riffing and catchy vocals. The B-side is more mid tempo but still a good solid rocker with some nice guitar soloing running into the fade out. If you are a fan of early 80's NWOBHM then you really can't go wrong with this 7"...Dave G.

Mothman - Axe Hold and 5 Songs of Freedumb Demo Tapes

The mighty Mothman formed in the nether regions of NJ somewhere around 1993, and used to play a lot of shows locally with a lot of the Emo bands of the mid 90's, though there was absolutely nothing Emo about Mothman.

Mothman actually played more of a dirty Lower East side of NYC style of Metal more similiar to Prong or the Unsane. The music is heavy, dark,angry and hits like a repetitive pounding to your head.

If you like what you hear....I released a Mothman 7" back aound 1995 or so that you can purchase from me right here in the distro section of this blog.

Mothman is actually still active today, however they went through a change in drummers some years back and changed their name to The Nolan Gate. You can download The Nolan Gate elsewhere on this blog or you can buy a copy of their cds from my distro as well or don't buy anything...I really don't care...Dave G.

Demo Tapes

Fresh Meat - The Stunning Self Destruction 2011

Fresh Meat have a brutal hardcore punk style that is sort of horror inducing. This is a good promising recording for a band that has been together for less than 6 months. The music reminds me of the Misfits meets Ministry or something along those lines. I think the band is onto something here as their music has a fairly original feel to it to my ears. Anyway Give them a listen and keep an eye out for future releases...Dave G.

"Fresh Meat started in May of 2011 and within three weeks started gigging. With influences spanning punk, hardcore, psychobilly and also electronic music we opted to use programmed drums instead of a live drummer. This gives the music a cardiac inducing pounding rhythm which will either make you dance or vomit down your favourite Exploited t-shirt."

Fresh Meat bandcamp
Fresh Meat facebook

Murder In The Front Row - Book - Bazillion Points Publishing

Purchase

During the early 1980s, when heavy metal was defined by MTV and mile-high hair, San Francisco’s small community of dedicated headbangers scorned image and instead

risked life and limb in search of the ultimate in musical thrills. Locals Exodus and Los Angeles transplants Metallica reigned in small clubs like the Old Waldorf, The Stone, and the infamous East Bay bastion of heaviness, Ruthie’s Inn. Thrash metal upstarts Slayer and Megadeth found a second home in the Bay Area, while a homegrown breed of tempo-crazed teenagers like Legacy, Possessed, Death Angel, Heathen, and Vio-lence brought Bay Area thrash metal to critical mass.

Photographers Harald Oimoen and Brian Lew were dodging bodies from the very start, in front of the stage, backstage, and on the stage itself. They captured the public victories and private parties of a scene where fans and musical idols were equally hellbent on faster, heavier music and endless outrageous fun. Oimoen and Lew fought on the frontline of a war for individuality, snapping frame by frame as thrash metal was born, along with stagediving, crowd-walking, and countless other magical moments filled with key local personalities.

Somewhere along the way, Oimoen and Lew’s friends in Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth became legends. Today, the Big Four thrash metal bands pictured in this book are the reigning elder statesmen of heavy metal. Their fellow ragers in Exodus, D.R.I., Testament, Death Angel, Possessed, and Forbidden remain ambassadors of a Bay Area metal scene that continues to thrive and command fascination around the world.

This stunning volume collects over 400 amazing color and black-and-white photos, plus passionate personal accounts by Bay Area veterans Harald Oimoen, Brian Lew, Ron Quintana of Metal Mania, Gary Holt of Exodus, Alex Skolnick of Testament, and Robb Flynn of Machine Head. From DIY origins to world domination, the Bay Area thrash metal scene screams to life in these fearless pages.

“This will not be a history book, but rather a time machine back to the ‘bonded by blood’ days of the original Bay Area Metal scene. Before they played the Bay Area, Slayer wore makeup onstage—after that first Bay Area show they never wore makeup again. This book will show people why.”—Brian Lew

Johnny Warman - Screaming Jets / American Machines 1981

Johnny Warman

Cool early 80's bizzaro punk / new wave single with Peter Gabriel on accompanying vocals, chants, screaming and effects. The music has a bit of a Bowie or Gabriel feel to it as well. I felt like posting something a little off the beaten path today...hope you enjoy...Dave G.

Screaming Jets

Underdogs - East of Dachau - Riot City 1983

The Underdogs

The Underdogs from Leeds In Yorkshire England released this excellent slab of Brit street punk in 1983 on Riot City Records. Overall this is excellent rough and tumble Brit punk with good memorable melodies thrown in. From what I can tell this 7" is The Underdogs only solo vinyl release, though they did appear on a few compilations and they also released a few cassette demos as well...Dave G.

East of Dachau
Johnny Go Home
Dead Soldier

Gay Cowboys In Bondage - Owen Marshmallow Strikes Again

Fort Lauderdale Florida' Gay Cowboy's In Bondage released this filthy little ditty in 1984 on Sublapse records out of Miami Fl. What you get is fairly simple straight up punk/hardcore done with enough snotty humor to make this record an enjoyable listen.

I see that there is a discography out there on Burrito Records so if you like this 7" you should try to track down the discography as well...Dave G.

Here

Negative Degree - 2011 Demo Tape

Negative Degree - Denver Colorado - contact: handoflaw@gmail.com

Excellent Straight forward angry punk / hardcore with a bit of a Germs feel in the stripped down guitar sound. Also, brings more current bands like the Formaldehyde Junkies to mind.

Honestly, not much more to be said about this demo, it's just a solid all around demo that should definitely lead to a 7" release in the near future.

Looks like distro's are selling out of this tape pretty quickly so I would get one fast if you like what you hear...Dave G.

Here's a couple songs for you to check out.

Service Industry
Punch Out

Purchase demo tape.

Night Birds - The Other Side of Darkness - review - cd and Lp release date 09/13/2011

Night Birds - Facebook

To my ears the Night Birds have always sounded like a modern day hybrid of Agent Orange and the Adolescents, and on their first full length album "The Other Side of Darkness" they have done nothing to change my opinion. In fact, they have maintained the surf punk twang of Agent Orange and upped the speed, catchiness and snottiness that always brought the Adolescents to mind, however they have modernized everything and thrown in so many hooks that it will make your head spin...in a good way.

I must say that we have another candidate for the top 10 list of 2011 right here, and maybe even the top spot at that. I'm finding that I can't get enough of this record, and that it just keeps getting better and better with every listen...Highly Recommended...Dave G.

Night Birds - The Other Side of Darkness - release date 09/13/2011 on compact disc and vinyl, to be followed by a European Tour September/October 2011. Tour dates can be found HERE.

Night Birds to perform live on the "Crust Never Sleeps" Radio Show September 13, 2011 @10pm. You can tune in to www.newtownradio.com for an online broadcast of the show.

Grave Mistake Records - Purchase cd, vinyl, T-shirts and special preorder packages.

Punk Rock Record Party ( Podcast)

Bob Suren (founder of Burrito Records ) has decided to start a podcast with his first broadcast going out on September 1st 2011. Bob is a long time record collector with a broad knowledge of all things punk rock, especially those strange and obscure records from the past that many of us have been searching for for years.

Here's the details you will need to tune in to the show:

Download the PUNK ROCK RECORD PARTY podcast #01: It is 60 min (55.04 MB).

Subscribe to weekly episodes.

Download a short promo video or watch it below..

Like the PUNK ROCK RECORD PARTY on FACEBOOK.

Bob can use some NEW releases to play on the show, so send vinyl and CDs to
Bob Suren
PO Box 3204
Brandon, FL 33509-3204

Social Circkle - Expiration Date 7" - Side Two Records 2011 (review)

Social Circkle Facebook

One of my favorite current punk/hardcore bands returns with what is unfortunately their final recording. What you get is more of what they do best...no frills, uptempo and catchy punk rock.

Anyway, add these 5 songs to your Social Circkle folder on your hard drive or rip them to a cd for the car and enjoy!

Thanks Social Circkle...I will be enjoying your music for years to come!

Side Two Records - Purchase - Act quick as they made 50 red vinyl copies for mailorder only and as of today they still have some available.

What the label says:

"SOCIAL CIRCKLE - Expiration Date 7"
5 tracks of intense early 80's hardcore mixed with late 70's punk from all around the globe. More anger and speed than previous releases, SOCIAL CIRCKLE manages to exit on their most manic note while still maintaining the melody and catchy hooks of their 'Static Eyes' 7". Think ripping hardcore with songs you can actually remember. The follow up to 2009's 'City Shock' LP (No Way Records) this ep is the band's final offering. (Side Two 002)"