Antidote - Thou Shalt Not Kill 7"

Well, I guess I get to cross another record off my bucket list. I have been wanting this record for years, if not decades. I just never thought it would ever happen. It wasn't about the cost or the rarity that made me feel like I would never own it; It was always about condition.

The original, self released Antidote Records pressing is near impossible to find in good condition, let alone great. Punks back in 1983 were a little rough on their shit.

In general with this record, the cover does not age well. Most copies available over the last five to ten years look a little beat. The cover is prone to yellowing, the paper stock is pretty thin and tends to curl, crease or tear very easily. Also the dimension of the cover is a lot taller than wider, and that can lead to damage just in regular storage!

I was really happy to find a near perfect copy of the record up on ebay with a decent "Buy It Now" price. There are a couple shallow creases on the cover, but really that is about it.
I have been offered this record many times in the past where the condition was way worse for roughly the same amount I got this one for.

I get a kick out of the $1.99 price tag. I guess I could try to remove it as the paper is glossy and it should come off easy enough, but I am just not willing to damage the cover. It took me long enough to find one in this shape, I'm not going to screw it up.

Another huge bonus of this record is the original, unmarked insert.

Most of the copies out there have three red X's at the bottom right that cross out the t-shirt offer. That point alone makes this an earlier, rarer copy.

Musically, this may be one of the top 10, if not top 5, hardcore records ever recorded. It transcends New York hardcore, even though it is one of the earliest examples of the sound. If you can't get your hands on an original (and really, not many would even want to) you can still do yourself a favor and get the Bridge Nine repress.