Well, I’m sorry, but I’m just far too cool for you! I have the stupidly limited version (numbered out of 105) of this record that comes on 2 vinyl records, AND has your very own name etched on the back. No wonder the dude went ahead and etched “FUCK YEAH!” on the back of the other one. That’s exactly what I said when I opened this package. Fuck Yeah! It even has the band name printed on the back of each record too in some crazy old writing. Love it. So what if they got the spelling of my surname wrong? Every damn fool does that, I’m just in awe at the idea of this record.
Enough of my collector-geekisms, on with the ‘analysis’. Two punishing Orchid tracks here and a rather neat finale, which I’ll come to in a moment. The first two songs are violent and brutal as ever, aggressively screamed vocals spit emotional lyrics over the swift guitar assault, shredding traces of melody. No sooner is the first over and they are piling into the second song which is one of my favourite Orchid songs yet. And everything winds up on a very mournful piano piece behind which a rumble builds up and right at the end of it you fear that giant rocks are going to fall out of your speakers and bury you in some kind of sonic avalanche.
The Red Scare are back with another track of their harsh Heroin / Angel Hair influenced screamo that grooves. They are one of the better bands around at the minute, and although this track doesn’t quite reach the heights of some of the album stuff, it’s something you should be hearing. Adept at slowing things down to get the groove on, and always able to bring the speed back up again to rock you to death.
Two of the most amazing bands in hardcore. In one place at the same time. Too good to be true. But it is.