Pentagram

I guess the reality is if I am going to keep this going, it might have turn into a metal blog. Looking back over the last few months of posts, I think it already has. Whatever. It is what it is.

I don't think there would be any debate that the awesome/scary/sad/horrifying/amazing documentary "Last Daze Here" documenting the history and comeback of Bobby Liebling and Pentagram did more to promote the band than the previous 30 plus years of music ever did. The movie opened the band to a whole new audience and moved the already massive doom metal resurgence forward in a big way.

I knew of Pentagram from the Peaceville records from the early 90's and the later compilations. My favourite was always "Relentless". Easily the best collection of songs the band ever did. While watching the doc, within the first 5 minutes they show this amazing self titled Pentagram album. Purple text on a black cover. What the hell?  For the rest of the movie I was hung up on that record and made it my mission to find out more. After 3 minutes on the internet, it turns out that Relentless is actually a reissue of this original self released album. That did it. I needed one.
Well, that is a lot easier said than done. This damn thing is so hard to find. One thing I promised myself was that if one ever showed up on Discogs, GEMM, Music Stack or eBay, I was going for it. Condition be damned.
When it finally popped up around a month ago on ebay, I entered a ridiculous max bid. I mean stupid. There was no way I was going to lose. I was a little put off by the cover's condition but fuck it, when would be the next chance to get one?

I have to say, it is in a lot better shape seeing it in person. The small creases and seam wear is there but not that bad. The worst thing on the cover is some price sticker damage in the upper right corner. It's really not too bad for a stoner rock/doom metal album from 1985.
On the other hand the vinyl is dead mint. Shockingly so. I dropped the needle and it was quieter than most of the new albums I have bought recently.

This was a big a score from my want list. I'm just thankful no one challenged me for it. That could have been bad!

Late Pass Year End Roundup

Yeah, I know. It's fucking February and I am just now getting around to a year end wrap up? Well, in my defence I was in Buenos Aires, Argentina for a month on vacation. It was awesome but jet lag, time zone adjustment and catching up at work has left very little time for posting anything. That and it took me a while to go through all the records I bought in 2013. Even though there weren't very many posts, I actually bought a ton of records last year and spent an ungodly amount of money. I think it might have to do with the fact first pressing metal albums can run on the expensive side.

Speaking of that, we might as well get into it. 2013 was for me not a very good year for punk and hardcore. Maybe I'm getting old, but a lot of shit sounded so derivative and stale. I found myself focusing on 80's hardcore or wholesale listening only to metal.

Following in the footsteps of my favorite bloggers, and dare I say friends, Mike, Marcus and Mark, here is my 2013 Top 10. But first, here are some honorable mentions.

Gorguts - Colored Sands, Enforcer - Death By Fire, Ghost - If You Have Ghost ep, Holy Grail - Ride the Void, Windhand - Soma, Magic Circle - s/t, Caught In A Crowd - The Fight and Amon Amarth - Deceiver of the Gods.

Top 10

1. Carcass - Surgical Steel
2. Black Sabbath - 13
3. Skeletonwitch - Serpents Unleashed
4. Ghost - Infestissumam
5. The Rival Mob - Mob Justice
6. Ancient VVisdom - Deathlike
7. AFI - Burials
8. Iron Reagan - Worse Than Death
9. Power Trip - Manifest Decimation
10. Orchid - The Mouth of Madness

LOTS of metal! I ended up catching half the groups on my list live, so I'm sure that has a lot to do with what made my top 10.
The one that kind of sticks out is the new AFI album Burials. I may or may not have watched the "17 Crimes" video on You Tube 500 times or so. Damn, I wish I looked like a Guess Jeans model and acted like a horny masochist when I was younger, but I guess that wasn't in the cards. I have been a sucker for Davey Havok's voice forever and Burials doesn't disappoint in that regard. I also happen to be in the minority where I think AFI have only gotten better since they decided to be vampires.

Top 10 Pickups

1. Black Sabbath original Vertigo swirl pressings.
2. Black Flag - Nervous Breakdown 7" 1st pressing with brick background
3. Unbroken - Life. Love. Regret. on blue vinyl
4. The Abused - Loud and Clear 7" original self released pressing
5. Unity - You Are One 7" on blue vinyl
6. Rev 25 Chicago clear vinyl 7" set for regular price
7. Cursed III record release lp
8. Glenn Danzig - Who Killed Marilyn? 7" original first press

Numbers 9 and 10 were just as awesome for me but I never got around to posting them.

9. Black Sabbath - Paranoid on Vertigo Records with swirl labels and laminated cover. I was disappointed with the price tag damage on my first copy, so I knew I would be upgrading at some point. It took a couple weeks.

Dead fucking mint. I couldn't be happier. The laminated cover is so amazing. Sharp corners. Perfect vinyl. It doesn't get much better.

10. Carcass - Reek of Putrefaction; Symphonies of Sickness; Necroticism - Descanting the Insalubrious

My search for original first press metal albums moved into death metal late in the year and I was fortunate to find these legit Earache first pressings from a single ebay seller. All are on black vinyl (as death metal should be) and in great shape. I had these as cds the first time around, so I was overdue for the real deal.
Next up on my hit list, I need to find an original Heartwork for under $125 and then on to Morbid Angel!

Best shows

Judge - Black and Blue Bowl in New York City. Even though they have played a dozen times since, this was the first and by all accounts the best. Mind blowingly awesome and in the best venue possible.

Ghost - The Republik, Calgary. Nothing like seeing a big league band in a small venue. Papa Emeritus was so on.

Skeletonwitch - The Den@University of Calgary

Noctis 666 Festival - MacEwan Hall Ballroom@University of Calgary. Carcass, Possessed, Sacrifice and Candlemass. One stage on one night in nowhere town Canada. My 17 year old self was stoked.

I considered doing a bottom 10 list as well as I was pretty bummed with a lot of the records I picked up this year, but that wouldn't be fair. In the end, it might have more to do with my frame of mind than the quality of the records or bands. If anyone wants to leave comments or email me, we can discuss it and maybe someone can sway me on revisiting 2013 hardcore.

The Abused - Loud and Clear 7"

The last of my record sell off money has been spent, but it was well worth it. I was able to upgrade my Vertigo swirl Black Sabbath Paranoid album and with the rest, score this little number right here.
When it comes to early NYHC, The Abused's Loud and Clear 7" is right there with Agnostic Front's United Blood ep, Bad Brains' Pay to Cum 7" (yeah - D.C. first, I know) and Antidote's Thou Shalt Not Kill for sheer history and collect-ability.

This record has been near the top of my want list for years, but was hard to commit to due to the escalating price and difficulty in finding one in top condition.
Luckily, this one popped up on ebay with the always advantageous "US Bidders Only" condition. Nothing better than sellers who eliminate half the market right off the start. Plus we all know how Euros throw the money around. This was easy pickings.
I just dropped my main man in all things metal and generic youth crew hardcore Mike an email and set up for him to be the shipping address. I have to say, things worked out great. I won the auction, had the record shipped to Maine in two days, and then had Mike mail it on to me. Three weeks later, touchdown.

This copy is super clean. I don't know if it had ever been played before. There isn't even one spindle mark on the label.

This copy comes complete with the two sided insert. Once again, this is in great shape, if not folded a bit funny.

It never fails that once I buy a super rare expensive record, a repress or reissue is released right around the same time. I see a 12" was just released on Radio Raheem Records recently that includes this 7", their demo and some live tracks. Do I regret spending a ton of dough on an original pressing when a comprehensive compilation is now available? Come on man, what do you think?

K-Tel Superstar Game

"The Original Rock and Roll Music Game"
Before my first Kiss 8-Track, before my first Black Sabbath lp, and before my first Rush cassette tape  - there was the K-Tel Superstar game.
This board game was my earliest exposure to music and as a part of it, was hands down the first record I ever owned.

Released back in 1973, this board game explored the fascinating world of rock music where you progress from buying your first instrument and forming your first band to eventually releasing gold albums and running record labels.
The spots you would land on were hilarious stereotypes of rock star behaviour including "Swindled by Phoney Guru", "Manager runs off with money. Lose $50,000" and "Collect $50,000 for Las Vegas tour...Pay $60,000 for gambling." It was 1973, I'm sure Led Zeppelin did all this and more.

Yeah, those are gold albums bitch!

The best, and I mean best, part of the game was the 45 record that was integral to the game. On certain spots on the board, you would record and release an album.  You had to fire up your record player and drop the needle anywhere on the record to see if your record was a hit, a flop or if you broke even.

The record was really awesome as it was kind of locked or parallel grooved. Where you dropped it would repeat your fate and run out to the end. It didn't repeat over and over forever like a locked groove though. I don't know how it works, but it is freaking awesome.

Check the original commercial out. Family fun!

Do yourself a favor, spend $10 less on your 15th variant of some random band you won't listen to in 5 years and check this sucker out on ebay. 40 years later and I'm still digging it.

Black Sabbath - The Original Six

To commemorate scoring Black Sabbath concert tickets for the April 20, 2014 show in Calgary, I decided to make my largest and longest post yet. Most of you wouldn't give a crap about this stuff, but please indulge an old man and his neurotic hangups.
Thanks to my ongoing sell off of duplicates and other unwanted hardcore and punk records, I was able to concentrate on acquiring something I thought completely unachievable in the past. Original, first press, UK copies of the first six Black Sabbath albums.
Getting into Sabbath, or any early hard rock collecting, is just on a different level from punk and hardcore collecting. You start venturing into the realm of the creepy, 60 year old, know-it-all types that you find at record swap meets. They operate on a completely different level when it comes to record prices, variants and most of all, condition. Since we are talking about 40+ year old records, it is a major issue.
After doing lots of online research, I was able to get a handle on what the first press/first issue records were, what the distinguishing signs or marks were, and what I should be looking for in the credits and matrices. After one furious month, I had it done.
My only condition for buying was that I needed a first press (or close) and that the vinyl had to be EX or NM. A tall order for old records with high demand. Funny thing though, apparently all you need is lots of money and you can get anything you want!
One of the first things I heard from the hard rock community online is that when it comes to Black Sabbath records, the best are the original UK pressings. They are apparently far superior in sound quality to the European or North American ones. Audiophiles are a funny breed. They can detect and hear shit the rest of us can't. With their descriptions of music as airy, warm, dry, and coarse, I'll take their word for it.

We might as well get started with the self titled first album. This was pressed in 1970 on Vertigo Records. The Vertigo swirl found on the cover, labels and inner sleeve are considered classics in collecting. The inner sleeve alone can sell for $50.

This copy I have is a second version of the first press as the B side label is missing the "A Phillips Record Product". The matrix, catalog number and sleeve are all unchanged.

The original Vertigo album comes as a gatefold which is way cooler that the simple standard sleeve we got here in North America on Warner Brothers. The layout starts the band down that slippery Satanic slope they tried in vain to dig themselves out of. An inverted cross will tend to do that.

I dig the inside of the gatefold big time.

Second we have Paranoid. This one is also on Vertigo with the swirl labels, inner sleeve and cover.

The layout is close to the same as the WB one we got here with the exception of the color and some of the written text. I don't know what it is in the design of these gatefolds, but they are so much much better than the ones we have now. They don't crack or fold any of the cardboard if that makes sense.

Unfortunately, there is some sticker removal damage on the front. Not the worst thing ever, but compared to the rest, I may have to upgrade some day.

Next up is the collector's wet dream. First press Master of Reality on Vertigo Records. This was unique as the first press came in a laminated and embossed box style cover. The album opened from the top with a flap which contained the record and a six panel poster of the band.
Due to the age of this record, finding a copy with no box damage, the laminate still intact, and complete with an original poster is rare. Rare means expensive. Really, really expensive. I'm glad someone bought all my Poison The Well and Thursday records! Later European Vertigo issues had a standard sleeve and smaller poster. Fuck that though. Go big or go home. Accept no substitutes!

This one was unique for Vertigo as the labels and inner sleeve were inversed with white on black as opposed to the standard black on white. The inner sleeve with this one is in near mint condition as well.

This was also the first time the band went with lyrics and credits on the back cover as there was nowhere else to go with the box style.

This one is easily my crown jewel of the collection. The laminate is 95% intact and that is way better shape than most. This is becoming super hard to find in top condition. So happy to have this.

Next up is Volume 4. This one is also on Vertigo Records and comes complete with the swirl on the gatefold sleeve, labels and inner sleeve.

Another big feature is the gatefold comes with a booklet insert attached at the fold. I was so happy to score one that was not only attached, but in such great condition.

This is a legit first press with "Porky" and "Pecko" etched matrices, "VO Price Code" on the back cover and no song lengths on the inner cover. I bought this online through a private deal outside Discogs or ebay. I was kind of scared to say the least. When this arrived as described and in perfect shape, it was one of my happiest days of the year.

Things take a turn with the next album Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. The band was fully coked out of their heads at this point and getting robbed blind by their label and management. As a measure to remedy the situation, and give the band more creative and financial freedom, they moved to the short lived WWA label.

WWA would end up repressing their entire back catalog, but Sabbath Bloody Sabbath was the only first press release the label would have. This version is so awesome just for the fact it came in a gatefold sleeve with this awesome trippy picture of the band. The Warner Brothers version here had none of this.

It also comes with this awesome double sided inner sleeve with lyrics and credits. Mine has some creasing on it but you can't have everything.

I might have to try and run down some more WWA presses. Word is they are pretty rare and just as collectible as the Vertigo stuff. I might need a second job though.

Finally, we have the Sabotage album. The UK first press was released on NEMS Records. I only knew NEMS as the label that released Live At Last. Back in 1980 we all thought it was a bootleg as it wasn't on Warner Brothers and it came out after Dio was already around for Heaven and Hell. Oh, the days before the internet!
Sabotage was pretty light on bells and whistles. Standard sleeve but with a weird paper texture that is different than the normal glossy one usually used. Other than that, it isn't too different from the Warner Brothers version.

That's it. I still own all my Canadian pressings of these albums as well as everything from Technical Ecstasy all the way up to Headless Cross. Oh and 13. Can't forget the album of the year - 13. I'm not sure how much love they will get now that I have these around though.
This manic exercise put a lot of things in perspective for me. For one thing, you don't even bat an eye when someone tells you postage will be 25 pounds. In fact you ask if you can pay more as long as it is tracked, insured, triple boxed, use alternate inner sleeves for shipping, etc. Risking corner damage or split seams to save on postage seems insane. I guess that comes from spending two mortgage payments on six records. In our normal collecting world, punks freak if postage is higher than $8. It will be interesting adjusting again.

Black Sabbath are the greatest band of all time. That is all. I sold my soul for rock and roll!