Thursday, October 13, 2011

0 CRATEDIGGERS ANONYMOUS: Strong Killings, Lord Dying, and more

Here’s something that should have been done a long time ago. Even with being the vinyl fiend that I am I don’t think I’ve ever actually blogged about my cratedigging conquests on SRG. That changes now. Here are 4 killer recent additions to the ever expanding SRG vinyl library and of course I recommend you add these to your collection as well. Note: This column will concentrate on vinyl packages not necessarily the music itself.


Strong Killings – S/T LP (Don’t Stop Believin’)

Local label Don’t Stop Believin’ Records spared no expense on Seattle garage punkers Strong Killings’ long awaited debut LP. Even with the simple black and white motif, I am amazed by the packaging of this release that includes black and white haze vinyl that alternates the transparent and opaque colors on each side. Also included is high gloss packaging, a booklet of art and lyrics, poster and last but not least digital download code. This record stands tall on its own musical merits but is made even better with very cool artwork and sweet packaging. Well done.

Purchase here: http://dontstopbelievin.bigcartel.com


Lord Dying 7” (Power Blaster Records)

I’ve been smitten with Portland, Oregon’s Lord Dying since I first heard the gargantuan chugging riffs of their demo earlier this year. There is no denying that these dudes are metal as fuck and luckily for fans a Portland start-up label called Powerblaster decided to release their first official release – a self-titled 7” on classic black vinyl. The excellent zombie artwork also sweetens the deal. Keep an eye on Powerblaster, the label is also releasing 7” from Portland favorites (and SRG favorites) Rabbits and Danava.

Purchase here: http://www.powerblasterrecords.com


Harkonen – Shake Harder Boy LP (Brutal Panda)

Kudos to specialty vinyl label Brutal Panda for finagling the rights to an amazing record by arguably one of Seattle’s greatest heavy bands EVER. Harkonen’s masterpiece “Shake Harder Boy” was originally released on Hydrahead Records, but has finally been given the vinyl treatment it deserves and is available now as a limited release of only 300 LPs. Wonder why Hydrahead never released it on wax? The clear version sold out immediately but there is an ocean blue version still in stock. I myself chose the Ocean Blue version. The packaging is simple enough, a single jacket with original artwork on both sides, and full color insert. The important thing here though is ‘Shake Harder Boy’ is now on vinyl and sounds badass. Don’t sleep on this one!

Purchase here: http://brutalpandarecords.com



Mongoloid Village – Folly LP (Made in China)

This record by Portland noise rock outfit has been on heavy rotation since arriving in my mail box a few weeks ago. I’ve been fixated on early 90’s noise rock and bands that made up the rosters of both Amp Rep and Touch and Go for the better part of this year, and then along comes Mongoloid Village, and their unique blend of noise, math, and prog rock. While they get lumped in with the heavy scene in Portland, they certainly stand out as doing something completely different than their metal contemporaries. They also do a killer live cover of Thin Lizzy’s “Emerald” but that’s neither here nor there. Their 12” vinyl debut, manufactured and distributed by Portland’s Made in China Records, comes as a gatefold with rustic artwork and layout that looks like an antique sewn together leather manuscript or something. While brown is not exactly eye-catching, it’s still a nice package. Most importantly Mongoloid Village’s “Folly” sounds killer on 180gm classic black vinyl.

Purchase here: http://mongoloidvillage.bandcamp.com

Posted by Nik Christofferson

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

 

SRG | NW Rock and Metal Blog Copyright © 2011 - |- Template created by O Pregador - |- Powered by Blogger Templates