converge - hum of hurt

well, i was quite surprised when i learned that one of my favourite bands would release another full length in one year. 'love is not enough' is a real scorcher front to back, so i thought hell yeah, why not!? i pre-ordered via evil greed mailorder and got the exclusive 'nebula' version out of 300 copies. musically i am not 100% sold on 'hum of hurt'. i can't quite put my finger on it but it doesn't resonate with me yet. the visuals of the artwork are stunning as always. deathwish inc. 2026.

converge - love is not enough

one of my favourite bands return with a slap to the face in the best possible sense. that's what it felt like after i spun 'love is not enough' for the first time. i didn't expect them to release such a heavy, fast and gritty album again, to be honest.

reminds me a lot of 'axe to fall'. the presentation is top notch as well. 'fallen angel' vinyl comes with lp-sized booklet. deathwish inc. epitaph records. 2026.

converge with chelsea wolfe - bloodmoon: I

pretty neat project that conerge pulled off here. i had the clear blue/clear red retail version but couldn't pass up this new pressing. super lovely neon violet/light blue merge vinyl out of 1.000 copies. second press. epitaph records. deathwish inc. 2021/2023

blood from the soul - dsm-5

a side project that was quite unknown to me. had to have it because of jacob bannon being involved. the band was founded by napalm death's shane embury and their first album featured lou koller of sick of it all fame on vocal duties. after almost 30 years a new record is here. fans needed to be quite patient, right? 200 copies made. deathwish inc. 2020.

embrace today - soldiers

listened to the band's last album 'we are the enemy' from 2005 recently and as it is the only record i have from them, i searched what the others go for on discogs and the like. found this limited yellow marble version for super cheap from a german seller. score! 300 copies of this relentless piece of sxe hardcore made. deathwish inc. 2003.

converge & hellchild - deeper the wound split

the last 12" release with converge involvement i needed (would love og pressing of the first two full lengths but come on, those second hand prices are otherworldly). bought this through discogs from a german seller for a good price. pleasing business. of course the converge part wins. 1.800 copies on clear grey with red splatter. cd released on deathwish inc. and vinyl through bastardized recordings. 2001.

umbra vitae - shadow of life

a death metal project of jacob bannon of converge fame? that sounds like it was up my alley. i pre-ordered earlier this year and after listening to the single "blood blossoms" it became my most anticipated release of 2020. in the end the album couldn't live up to the expectations the single arose but it is still a damn good death metal record - or the closest to death metal bannon and his super group could get.

the red/white galaxy vinyl is an indie store exclusive and limited to 500 copies. released via deathwish inc.

converge - the dusk in us (re-press)

i actually have a first pressing on yellow vinyl but fancied a re-press on this nice merge colour pattern ever since it was released. kingsroad merch eu still had copies in stock and when i ordered another record, the time finally came to add it to the collection.

a strong converge offering like all their records. i just love the furious energy on "a single tear", "cannibals" or "thousands of miles between us". good ol' converge never grows old to me. 1.987 copies on red/silver merge vinyl. deathwish inc. 2017/2018.

converge - beautiful ruin

another converge release and so soon after last november's full length "the dusk in us". for this 7" the band and label did without a lengthy pre-process. they produced the records, put them live when they were ready and delivered right after the sale. a nice change for once. there were four store exclusive colour-ways and one retail colour up for grabs. since the deathwish eu store is loctaed in italy, i usually go for the epitaph exclusive colours because they ship from germany which means domestic shipping costs.

kingsroad merch is the exclusive retailer for epitaph, so i placed my order there. frankly, i wasn't really excited for the epitaph colour which was clear with a black blob. i think clear vinyl is pretty boring and in the mix with a black blob it didn't do anything for me. whereas the neat aesthetics of white vinyl does appeal to me, so my choice was made. the four songs appearing here were recorded during "the dusk in us" sessions. for one reason or another they were not meant to be part of the full length.

thankfully converge thought these songs to be too good to be forgotten in the vault and pressed them to this nice 7". four times fast and heavy converge venom right where it hurts. i saw the guys live this year's april in my old hometown leipzig. they played at conne island, to which i have been numerous times in the past. a great night with heaps of energy from the band. i am about to see them again at wacken festival and hopefully they play one or two songs from "beautiful ruin". white vinyl out of 2000 copies comes with a lovely mirror board gatefold sleeve. deathwish inc. 2018.

converge - the dusk in us

finally the new converge record is upon us. it took the band five years to come up with new material but if it is with this high level of creativity and artistic brilliancy, i have no problems with waiting another five years for the next record. a good friend, who shares the fascination for this boston based band, and me were eagerly awaiting the pre-orders going live for this full length. we already bought the teaser 7" at the same time and when he messaged me that pre-orders were up, we checked the possibilities. we wanted to keep shipping costs as low as possible, so an order from the states wasn't acceptable. the deathwish e.u. store had an opaque orange version but shipping was still pretty high due to the store being located in italy.

then it dawned on me that kingsroad merch europe would probably sell the epitaph exclusive version because they host the epitaph e-store. they did and as the store has its home here in germany shipping costs were reasonable. after almost two months of waiting, the record finally arrived. what can i say? it is a masterpiece through and through. maybe the scale turned a tiny bit in favour of the more melodic side of their work but the heavy and fast hardcore punk is still plenty. "the dusk in us" is so well balanced. i especially love the straight metal riffs at the end of the album in songs like "reptilian"or "cannibals".

new to this album is that jacob bannon does the complete clean singing. on previous albums a handful of guest singers did the job but bannon, probably trained by his side project wear your wounds, pulls it off flawlessly. the lyrical side of the album is amazing. so sophisticated, check "under duress" for example. the presentation is top notch like the rest. it comes with a fantastic holographic mirror board sleeve which represents all the rainbow vinyl colours of the first press. next thing is the outstanding thick booklet with wonderful artwork. beautiful! next to mastodon's "emperor of sand" converge's ninth full length is definitely the release of the year. period. 500 copies on yellow vinyl. deathwish inc. epitaph records. 2017.

converge - i can tell you about pain

at some point at the beginning of the year i read about converge working on new material to be released this year. as time went by without any informations of a recording process or similar, i began to doubt the actual release of a new album for this year. then, a few weeks ago, i got a message from a good friend with a screen shot from the converge facebook page, which showed a date in july.

when the day finally came, i was a little disappointed to see that all the buzz was about only a two song 7". i really hoped for a new full length but that wish should be fulfilled a bit later. nevertheless i ordered the 7" right away because it was a new converge piece of vinyl and this is reason enough for me. i ordered at kingsroad merch europe and they had an opaque blue version out of 1000 copies.

the first and name giving song "i can tell you about pain" is a typical fast and feedback induced outburst of converge venom the band is known for. whereas "eve" on the b-side is one of those fragile and desperate balladesque songs that show the other side of converge's sound cosmos. to me "eve" definitely lifts the silverware here. the sleeve has a metallic foil print all over it which made it difficult to photograph. nice teaser for the lp which i already pre-ordered. can't wait! deathwish inc. 2017.

converge - jane doe (white marble re-press)

oops, i did it again. usually i am not collecting multiple copies of one and the same release. especially when i already upgraded my clear blue copy out of the third deathwish inc. pressing and fourth altogether, counting in the initial first equal vision pressing. i bought the clear gold with black smoke pressing which served as a deathwish u.s. exclusive version last year and thought to be done with this re-press.

a few months further i stumbled upon some pictures of the actual look of the clear with white smoke variant on the internet. man, they looked good. this colour-way tends to look almost like an opaque marble colour configuration. very nice as i have a soft spot for opaque marble colours in my heart. but what's the use? i already had a copy and assumed that copies would be sold out everywhere. i definitely didn't want to pay any second hand market prices and so wrote it off.

two weeks ago i checked the per koro newsletter for april. among two other records there was one record catching my attention in particular - the equal vision records exclusive "jane doe" on clear with white smoke vinyl. it took me a day of thinking to and fro before i could not resist anymore. my self-restraint went right out of the window and i clicked "place order".

holding the record now in hands i can only say that the double discs look gorgeous. something like a light grey marble colour becoming the clear with white smoke held against the light. i gave my clear blue copy to a good friend and have now, next to the gold with black smoke copy, two versions of this classic. nothing too outrageous, this justifies the purchase and silences my conscience, haha. 1000 copies made. deathwish inc. 2016.

converge - jane doe (gold w/ black smoke re-press)

back from the christmas dead finally covering my latest "jane doe" re-press. since i jumped on the converge band wagon something like three years ago, this boston based outfit quickly became one of my top five favourite bands, probably even the favourite band. i religiously bought their new stuff, doesn't matter if live 7", split 7", redux versions, new pressings of shit i already have or live albums. if the converge label is on it, count me in.

so when deathwish announced a new "jane doe" pressing i was interested, to say the least. i was never really satisfied with my clear blue copy i bought almost three years ago. i mean, it looks nice in combination with the artwork but isn't really in keeping with its colours plus i am not a big clear colours fan. ok, the re-press colours all come on clear vinyl variants but the deathwish exclusive looked really tempting in the mock-ups.

a gold with black smoke colour configuration seemed like the perfect match for the iconic artwork. i wasn't convinced right from the start because ordering from deathwish meant ordering from the states and that meant exorbitant shipping rates. but when i saw all the other variants - clear red and clear blue both with black smoke and clear with white smoke - i knew that if i was going for a new copy there was just one possible option.

i bit the bullet and ordered from deathwish. the package came in two weeks after release date, which is a good time frame for oversea shipments. the records arrived in great condition as well, although not packed as requested. man, what is the problem of packing the vinyl outside of the sleeves? i expierenced that a lot of labels and mailorders refuse to do so. probably some warranty issue? i don't know.

the actual outcome of this colour variant is slightly darker than in the mock-ups. at least my copy is. i have seen another one on the net which is as dark as mine but probably there are some lighter shades in the pressing. anyway, hold up to the light it looks really nice. we'll see, maybe deathwish comes up with an opaque colour variant at some point which i'll probably pick up. 500 copies pressed as deathwish mailorder exclusive. 2016.

converge - axe to fall (electric blue baby blue merge re-press)

when i saw deathwish repressing the seventh converge studio album, especially on this very nice colour-way, i thought it was time to add it to the collection. i was a little hesitant because i already have a copy of "axe to fall" on white vinyl but when i saw "jane doe" going up for pre-orders at deathwish store, i had the excuse i needed. i mean, we all know how senseless it is only ordering one record, especially from overseas. so there was actually no other way but making shipping costs worthwhile by throwing a second record into my cart.

"axe to fall" was always the weakest post-"jane doe" era album to me, which doesn't mean that this album is weak by any means. it just pales a bit in comparison to the other records, until now that is. sometimes all it takes is to focus. i think with this new re-press it was the first time i really sat down and just listened to the music. nothing else. no writing for this blog, no comic book reading along, no internet surfing, no nothing. just me, "axe to fall" and its lyric-sheet.

it really opened new perspectives and i can appreciate this bad boy of an album in a way i did not do before. what really struck me was how lovely balanced this record is. the short venomous shots like the opener "dark horse" and "cutter", the frantic, doomier pieces like "worms will feed / rats will feast" and "damages" or the ambient stuff like "cruel bloom" or the outstanding "wretched world" - this album delivers the whole spectrum of what this band is able to. "axe to fall" will definitely get more regular spins on my turntable in the future.

the presentation is the same as on all previous pressings. a lovely gatefold cover and insert graced with another typical piece of artwork from jacob bannon's mind and hands. but the real star of the package is the absolutely cracking electric blue and baby blue merge vinyl. great match with the cover colours. 1.000 copies pressed. i actually wanted to start with the gold with black smoke "jane doe" re-press but it's a pain in the ass to get good pictures these days. bad light is the problem. when i get home from work it's already dark so i have to wait for the weekend. will fix that soon. so long. deathwish inc. 2009/2016.

rise & fall - clawing

the same seller who had the debut lp of seven sisters of sleep on offer, also had a bunch of other records for the taking. among them was this rise and fall 7" from 2007. this came in between "into oblivion" (2005) and "our circle is vicious" (2009) and marks their first release on deathwish records. this one came for a good starting bid of six bucks and since nobody else wanted to take it, i embraced it with open arms. it was something like just a bonus to the seven sisters of sleep record, but i love to add a cool seven inch here and there.

musically this is more of the great stuff this belgium band is able to produce. to me, they play this dark, sometimes bulky, sometimes beautifully melancholic and a little chaotic kind of hardcore best. right behind converge indeed. just listen to the title song and know the score. the second song "bottom feeder" isa re-recorded version from their debut "hellmouth" and "them bones" is a good alice in chains cover. so, all in all not essential but cool to have.

as i already said this was their first deathwish records release. all together there were 2.000 copies pressed of "clawing". quite a lot and therefore not really difficult to get a grip on via several second hand markets. the presentation is very basic. a fold out piece serving as sleeve and plain white dust sleeve. my pink copy is next to a blue vinyl version out of the most common press. 850 copies made. jake and willem have, aside from a special gig version, a copy of the most limited press. check them. deathwish inc. 2007.

converge - you fail me redux

ahhh, the sound of a new converge release. whenever a somewhat new output is announced it is like the the telepathic call of an unseen master. i must stop what i am doing in an instant, run through dark alleys with my hood up, avoid eye contact with others until i find the source eventually. when i reach my destination, i stand almost hypnotised by the dazzling whirlwinds of sound. ok, ok, the metaphorical device i used here might be a bit too dramatic but you'll get the idea.

when i heard news of this re-pressing through the deathwish inc. newsletter, i was already late to the pre-order. the time difference between the states and europe cost me a few hours but i didn't expect pre-orders to sell out in that little time. i mean, i know it's conerge we are speaking about but it wasn't for a new release but a re-vised work from the past. furthermore i always thought 'you fail me' wasn't even a fan favourite.

five colour-ways had been pressed for the first pressing. white vinyl for the larger press, a white and red split for deathwish us store - sold out, a clear red with black splatter for newbury comics - sold out and a black inside clear red for kingsroad us - sold out as well. then there was a red and black split for the deatwish eu store. at first i thought of the kingsroad eu store but they had no vinyl. more precise it had already sold out.

so i clicked the link in my deathwish e-mail and got redirected to throatruiner records from italy. these guys are now distributing the deathwish stuff for europe. i found the shop that carried the european vinyl version and happily checked out my personal copy. obviously people are still not really aware of the existence of this deathwish eu store because there are still copies left. good for you, of course.

now that i finally have my copy, i can only say it was worth every penny spent. the cover slip sleeve, which got the colours of the original artwork changed vice versa, looks very nice in white. it holds a four-panel gatefold sleeve with re-worked and added artwork. the vinyl colour is also made to match the whole concept. and the re-mastered sound production is a pleasure for the ears. a very well-concieved work all around. 500 copies made of all the aforementioned colour-ways, except white. deathwish inc. 2016.

harms way - blinded white vinyl

the last record i bought on record store day 2016 and will write about (the other two were the last police record i needed to complete my full length collection of them and the ghostbusters soundtrack - as they don't fit the metal hardcore theme, i'll leave them out) is this lovely copy of harms way 'blinded' mini-lp. it's such a strong record that i always felt uncomfortable with my clear copy. i am not the biggest clear vinyl fan and therefore said to myself to get an upgrade for a reasonable price when the chance is there.

i actually thought this would be the ultra ace looking green and blue merge vinyl, which represents the rarest colour-way of the first press. unfortunately i never came across such a copy but when i was at burnout record store, hamburg sometime last year i saw a white copy sitting on the shelf. lately i really began to evolve a soft spot in my heart for white vinyl and when i saw it still being available after already having the rsd parkway drive in my hands, i couldn't say no anymore.

when i played it the other day after a year or so i suddenly remembered why this record is so devastatingly good. perfect five songs, nothing more nothing less. simply perfect. their latest full length 'rust' didn't really grab me. it is good but not as outstanding as 'blinded'. still the title song is my absolute favourite. so heartbreaking bittersweet and yet so ugly crushing. a masterpiece. go listen to it. 700 copies on this lovely white vinyl. cut at 45rpm. fantastic artwork. deathwish inc. 2013.

converge - all we love we leave behind mint green

i am breaking my rules quite regularly in the recent past. it started with nile re-presses of 'annihilation of the wicked' and 'in their darkened shrines', went on with my second copy of high on fire's 'luminiferous' record and now i find myself sitting here with a second copy of one of my favourite converge albums, their killer output from 2012 'all we love we leave behind'.

as i was fairly late to the party 'all we love we leave behind' was my door opener to the converge universe. thus it holds a special spot in my heart and just when i saw the deathwish newsletter with another pressing of this record on absolutely marvelous looking mint green marble vinyl, i knew this would be hard to resist. there was this annoying itch that could only be scratched by buying a copy.

so after a few weeks of thinking, i gave in. i know that i usually find it useless to own several copies of one and the same record and hopefully this is just the exception that proves th rule. holding this lovely green vinyl in hands now, i certainly don't regret this purchase. it sounds great and looks ace next to the pink copy i already own.

i think all that is neccessary has been said to the music itself. listen to 'trespasses', 'sadness comes home' or the frantic title song and witness artistic fury in its purest form. actually there is nothing too special about this copy of mine. it's part of the third pressing out of a whopping 1052 copies. it just looks so nice next to the colourful artwork from the inner gatefold and insert. i go and spin it again. deathwish inc. 2012/2016.

converge - thousands of miles between us boxset

when a new converge release is announced, my interest is awaken to say the least. this happened when i heard news of a new release called 'thousands of miles between us'. at first glance i thought it was a new record but with more information i could see that it was a new live dvd. i mean blu-ray, sorry for i am old. that alone didn't convince me but when i saw a pre-order going up on kingsroad merch europe concerning a boxset with the whole live set on vinyl, i started to think.

i mean, i don't like live albums. recorded material is for my turntable at home and live music is for the clubs or festival stages. i don't listen to digital music when i am at a show and the other way around i don't listen to live stuff at home. well, usually. but with converge it felt different. the urge to buy it was definitely there but the hefty price tag of round about one hundred euros put me off a little. i explained the dilemma to my girl telling her of all the things on the negative side and she replied that thus the only reasonable decision was not to buy it.

i could only answer that somehow i still wanted it and she said annoyed: 'so why you're asking me anyway?' and i said: 'yeah, you're right, i should definitely go for it. thanks for the help, babe!' so, she turned shaking her head and i ran to the comp to put my pre-order in. just in time as it seemed because after three days all the copies were gone. despite the fucking 100€ bill. in the over three months long meantime, i ordered myself a used copy of 'the long road home' dvd. it sweetened the wait a bit.

when the package arrived i was blown away by the amount of care, thought and craftsmanship that went into the result of the 'thousands of miles between us' boxset. the box comes with a gold foil print and houses the triple blu-ray digipak - two blu-rays full of collected live and rare behind-the-scenes footage, the double vinyl lp containing the whole philadelphia live set, a special lp-sized live photo book, a cover art patch and a lovely slipmat. i didn't watch all three blu-rays as yet but i did watch the live set standing in the living room and moving to the music hectically. 500 copies on orange and white merge vinyl for kingsroad europe. deathwish inc. 2016.

the carrier - no love can save me

i really like the carrier. that being said i snagged copies of their two full lenghts pretty early when i got into record collecting. i love those two albums and therefore i made a mental note to get their two 7"es when given the chance to. well, i wasn't that straightforward when it came to set that plan into action.

if i really wanted it and pursued the purchase consistently, i could have hold a copy in hands way earlier. anyway, i recently got one of those discogs messages where they told me that a copy was available for a decent price and i finally pulled the trigger on it. the seller came from europe and so shipping was reasonable too.

the three songs on this plastic platter are just what i love about the carrier. melancholic intensity with the raw energy that is hardcore. simply a great band. a shame that they called it a day in 2012. now i need to chase that first self-titled 7" from 2007. this one here is limited to 1000 copies on grey vinyl. deathwish inc. 2008.