Get The Most - Together

React! Records have done it again. Just another amazing release as has becoming their standard.

As far as Get the Most goes, I have been following them for a while now since their two Crucial Response 7"s and React's re-issue of their demo on vinyl.
I love their straight ahead approach to hardcore without having to resort to cookie monster, monotone growling vocals that has become far too common these days.
I guess that is what I like about them so much; they have become a standout primarily due to the unique sound of their vocals. To me that is a real throw back to the 80's in that sense. I just love it.

When it comes to the vinyl, Aram and the React! crew keep up their perfect record of quality releases.

Three colors were available at the pre-order.

Clear out of 200.


Blue out of 400.


Black out of 800.


There is also an additional color (green/133) that was available for the record release/React! Showcase. I have one coming thanks to my main man Aram and I will be posting all my Showcase loot once it arrives.

Plenty of extras once again as it the norm. Huge lyric sheet, a cool posi write up on "Hope" and also two stickers and a download code for the ipoders out there.


The package also came with yet another silk screened cardboard mailer insert. These things are becoming collectors items themselves as there has been a bit of a buzz on them on the React! Message board. The big man himself posted that there are 150 of this particular design printed in total.


Nope, nothing wrong here. Now we only have to get some of these NW/Legitimate Bros/React! bands out to western Canada for the summer. Here's hoping!

Last Rights - "Chunks/So Ends Our Night" ep

While I am in a never ending holding pattern waiting for pre-orders to show up, I pulled out this classic for a spin.
Last Rights were a very short lived Choke (Jack Kelly) band that existed between Negative FX (who were also short lived) and Slapshot. Their story is pretty well known. One show. One record.


Let's just say it's a hell of a record. The songs "Chunks" and "So Ends Our Night" are in my opinion better than anything either of Choke's other bands ever did. Slower and more controlled than Negative FX and less meathead, tough guy than Slapshot. The songs rule. Chunks especially. Amazing riff.
The band actually has 4 more songs you can find on the Negative FX cd, but the real deal 7" only has these two.

As far as the vinyl goes, the original of this was released on Taang! Records (#2) and was pressed on black vinyl. That's it. Any color vinyl out there (neon green) is a bootleg.

All originals are easy to spot with red labels and the large 45 hole.


Where things get interesting are the covers. There are a few of them. Almost all of the records came with two front covers and there are at least four different pictures as well as color paper used. The rarest and most "famous" is the Hitler cover. That thing goes for big money. Word is there were only 100 printed of that sleeve.

This is the second front cover mine came with.


Included was the Taang! want and trade list. One thing you can say about 1984, they didn't subgenre themselves to death. Punk was punk, at least to Curtis from Taang. Very cool piece of history!


Hard to believe I have owned this record three different times. Even harder that the first one I sold to my buddy Geoff for $20. The last one sold on ebay for $280, and that wasn't even the Hitler sleeve. Wow.

Black Breath - Heavy Breathing

Black Breath's "Heavy Breathing" album is my favorite record of the year so far. Of course with the weather finally turning nice here in Canada, I'm sure my mood will change to reflect the nice weather and summer time vibe. Perhaps some Lady Gaga or Justin Beiber? Probably the new Ceremony album. In the meantime, I am all about the Black Breath.

As far the vinyl, it was released on exclusive clear blue vinyl for Southern Lord mail order customers. 494 pressed. It's pretty surprising that it is sold out already. There should be black vinyl still out there I am sure. I also heard there is clear available in Europe through Southern. I'm going to have to take a pass on that one. Shipping costs from Europe are more than the record these days.


This record is so hard to categorize. If I try, someone will think I am way off base.
Well, what can I say? There is plenty of that Gothenberg/Swedish death metal sound with the straight forward intensity and speed of D beat hardcore. Works for me.
This album is also way more metal than their first release, "Razor to Oblivion", which had more of a rock and roll feel to it, kind of like Doomriders, but without sounding like Doomriders.


Everyone I know who listens to heavy music, from grind to death metal, from punk to hardcore likes this record. It is getting a lot of love from the metal community with it being released on Southern Lord too.
It is nice to see Southern Lord diversify from corpse paint black metal and SUNN O))) records. Not that there is anything wrong with that. I love me some Sunn O))).

Infest/PHC - split 8" flexi disc

This is one record that I simply had to have; and will never play.

Sounds stupid huh? Well, there are a few reasons I wanted this record.
1. It's Infest. I love Infest.
2. Pissed Happy Children were pretty cool. Connell and Wood went on to Man Is The Bastard. I went through a serious MITB phase. West Coast Power Violence!
3. It's Slap A Ham #1. This was a prolific label back in the 90's for releasing international power violence and grind bands. Founded and run by Chris Dodge, bassist for Spazz, people used to go crazy for Slap a Ham releases. What can I say? It was the 90's.

The reason I will never play it?
Well, it's a flexi. It's a blue flexi mind you, but it's a flexi. These things were popular in the 1960's and were inserted in magazines and mailers. There is a fringe collector group out there that go crazy for these things. To each his own.


I mean, they tell you right on the record to put a coin on it so it doesn't slip.
So either I destroy the record trying to play it, or I wreck my needle. Kind of a no win situation. So when I got this years ago, I just filed it away, checked it off my want list and called it a day.


The Infest songs are five live ones recorded at Gilman back in 89. PHC contribute two songs. I wish I could tell you about the live recording quality, but like I said, I've never heard it.


1000 total pressed.


About a decade later this was re-released on a 7" as Slap A Ham 1.5. Three songs were added to the Infest set, and one to the PHC. While that would probably make it better to have as you could play it risk free and with more songs, it just isn't the same.
I mean really, what's cooler than a freaking 8" blue flexi disc?

Ceremony - Ruined ep

With the pre-order of the new Ceremony lp, "Rohnert Park" going up this week at Bridge Nine, I pulled out their first for a spin; the "Ruined" ep.
It took me a while to get into Ceremony, but once I saw them live, I was hooked.
I have never seen anything like it. Pure chaos. The west coast LOVES Ceremony. Check out some YouTube videos of their live shows sometime. Awesome.

The record was released on Malfunction in 2005 back before Deathwish came along. Like all their other records, especially the "Scared People" 7", Ceremony know how to do a special show record package.

The record release show edition was out of 65 on yellow vinyl. The cover is an awesome vellum overlay of the Dead Kennedy's "Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables" lp.


The other special release for this record was a secret show that Ceremony did with AFI. They did a rip off cover of AFI's "Dork" ep. It was released on the remaining yellow vinyl, but also used the second press black as well. Limited to 37 copies.


"Ruined" also had a number of regular presses as well.

1st press on red out of 200.

1st press of yellow/orange out of 700. There were many different variations from straight yellow to orange. Check the comments from Toast, the bass player from Ceremony, for better details.


The second press was on black vinyl. 1000 total pressed. There are both red and blue lettering/flowers covers for both. Once again, check the comments for more details.



It's funny, I'm 40 years old now, but I still scream along to "I Want to Put This to and End" when I am driving alone in the family car, "I've got problems I'm a fucked up kid."
You are never too old...

Blacklisted - Heavier Than Heaven, Lonelier Than God (Burning Fight cover)

Not too much to say about this other than this is now my 8th different version of this record and I'm pretty sure the rarest.

There were a grand total of 30 of these made specifically for the 2009 Chicago Burning Fight show.

The "Fuck the Nineties...Here's Our Noize" cover is a rip off of the mid 90's German Oi band Oxymoron and their album of roughly the same name.

From all accounts of those who were at the show, the merch area was a tiny, jam packed madhouse where no one could move let alone buy anything. There were people at the show who had no idea these were available and they were gone before anyone knew. (hey Juan?)

The vinyl used for this release was the clear blue second press of 2000. No real shortage of that out there and they used the same for the 2008 Sound and Fury press.

In the end, 30 total records is a crazy small number for such a high profile show and popular band. I feel lucky to have one at all. Thank you ebay!