hatebreed - perseverance

My favourite Hatebreed album is one that I always wanted on vinyl badly. That being said I am still puzzled as to how I managed to let it pass me by completely. Released in may 2025 I first got to know about it in august 2026. By the time there was no european option to get a copy, so I had to go for the Martyr online shop (which is run by Jasta, as I believe). Shipping costs from the States were a pain, so were the custom fees I had to pay on top of that - BUT listening to this magnificent piece of Hardcore history on vinyl was worth it in the end. 1.250 copies pressed on 'sun flare' vinyl. Originally released in 2002. Perseverance Media Group. 2025.

blink 182 - take off your pants and jacket

my favourite instrument of the classic metal associated instruments - guitar, bass, drums - is definitely the drum set. maybe it is because for me, as a non-musician, the drums were always easier comprehensible than the string instruments. anyhow i don't play air-guitar, i always play air-drums. so when i asked myself who might be the coolest drummer around, i eventually came up with the only possible result - travis barker from blink-182.

in my mind it was a hard fight of barker with georges kollias from nile. almost completely different styles of music, i know, but both of them have the ability to make a song better just because of their drumming. not just simple background rhythm but perfect musicianship. considering i love travis barker's style so much, there was an embarrasing lack of blink vinyl in my collection.

shop radio cast (srcvinyl) released the band's back catalogue on colour vinyl over the years but they don't have distribution over here and so the shit gets expensive. therefore i was delighted to find a colour copy of "take off your pants and jacket" in the racks of my local media markt. it is a 2018 pressing on solid red vinyl by universal music. hopefully they will do more re-pressings for the european market. the album was originally released in 2001.

ghost - meliora

i am working on my ghost collection and i am not far from a complete full length catalogue as of now. after snagging "prequelle" and then "opvs eponymovs" shortly afterwards, i was out for the second and third albums, namely "infestissumam"from 2013 and "meliora" from 2015. if i had earnestly pursued these goals, i already would have found solutions. the records are out there in multiple pressings and second hand marketplaces offer reasonable options.

other stuff held me back. i usually blow my monthly budget on new re-issues and new releases, so ebay and discogs finds became rare in the past. no difference this time and right so, because otherwise i still wouldn't know the greatness that is "meliora". i ordered this new pressing at nuclear blast. in preperation for the wacken show last year i listened to the hit singles of the two ghost albums i didn't have, sure that they would play those songs.

when i listened to "from the pinnacle to the pit", "he is" and "mummy dust" only the latter one could really grab me. so i was sceptical if that record was really for me. now with the experience of a few spins i can safely say that there was no need for such feelings. all the songs did click with me and i almost think it is my favourite of the three records i know by now.

the presentation is outstanding to say the least. the record is housed in a super glossy gatefold sleeve that has the accompanying booklet attached to the inside right panel. every single song has its own page and piece of art, which is just breathtaking. the dust sleeve is printed on the outside and black on the inside which is always a nice touch. on top this stunning white and red merge vinyl. yummy. 2.000 copies pressed. universal music. 2018.