indie merch store: xforce of changex, whitechapel, hsb

xforce of changex - the bond we share 7"

this is the 7" that preceded their debut album on indecision records called "the fire still burns". the music on this could also be featured on the full length when it comes to quality (actually two of them are). i was out for this quite some time but my first attempt to buy it failed due to a last damaged copy in store :( 

i found it at indie merch by chance and was relieved :)

clear green vinyl. 200 made. 6131 records.

whitechapel - a new era of corruption
after the "somatic defilement" record from 2007 my favourite release of them. insane drum play! i love listening to it and guessing how the hell the drummer just made this combination happen without knotting his limbs. for an amateur like me always stunning! with this record they put a lot more atmosphere in their song structures. great modern death metal with guest appearances by vincent bennett of the acacia strain and deftones' chino moreno (how come?). i've just got their latest self titled effort at home but more of this in the near future.

didn't find any pressing numbers. but it comes in a nice gatefold sleeve. black vinyl. metal blade records.

heaven shall burn - whatever it may take
at the moment it's pretty hard to get even a glimpse of this record's original colour pressing. i check the bay regularly, searched the web extensively for some forgotten shop still having it in stock, looked out for it on discogs (it's there, oh yes but for 50 bucks plus shipping) and on some trade boards like dead format... nothing. at least not for a price i'm willed to pay (as yet). so as i took a look around at indie you may understand my excitement spotting it among their offerings. i clicked it for detailed information and it wasn't sold out yet (i fear hsb isn't such a big thing in the states :). i began to get sweaty hands as i recognized the price. lousy ten dollars. but then a little disappointment crept in. it was the black vinyl version.
but i took it anyway because it's the damn original pressing from 2002, hell yeah!

as the records finally arrived the shape of the sleeve was rather used. storage wear because it wasn't kept in a plastic sleeve which is quite stupid because to be avoided easily. but anyway the original sound is like an ode to my ears. much better than the polished sound on the re-press.
but i still want the coloured edition so i just wait until it shows up on ebay or i reconsider the discogs price. we'll see...

black vinyl + printed dust sleeve. 700 made. lifeforce records.

per koro: emmure, xforce of changex, death before dishonor

emmure - slave to the game
i'm deeply impressed with emmure's constant flow of releases. no year passes by without a new album of new york's finest. this is number five. their style is very unique. i don't know any band sounding like them. the problem with emmure's sound is that their breakdown influenced style is always hard on the edge of monotony. their fourth effort "speaker of the dead" was one foot beyond that edge and so i wasn't really pleased with it (plus it wasn't released on vinyl which was somewhat strange).
"slave to the game" is similar hard digestible to me, just like "speaker of the dead" with the difference that the more spins i give it, the more i like it. they reduced the quantity of the songs and increased the quality. maybe i'll like it even more than my to date favourite album "felony" in short time :)
i ordered this copy through my internet shop of trust per koro. problem here is that i cannot choose colour variations, so i mostly get the more common ones. in that case no problem, because i like the less limited colour better :)
marbled opaque orange vinyl (400 made) + download coupon. victory records.

xforce of changex - the fire still burns
i came across this band checking the indecision records roster looking for older throwdown releases. i read the explanatory notes to their stuff and thought i could really enjoy this. spotting it on clearance at per koro, i took it as a sign and ordered it. listening to it i came to the conclusion that sometimes one has to believe his gut feelings! pretty rough hardcore in the vein of hatebreed's perseverance era. it's the same thing here with the colour - i have the more common one. but still looks awesome!
clear yellow splatter vinyl (707 made) + gatefold sleeve. indecision records.

death before dishonor - count me in
liking their latest release "better ways to die" surprisingly very much i was determined to check the rest of their discography. finding this one on clearance, too i didn't hestitate and added it to my cart. lovely stuff! i think it's even better than "better ways...". i can't help it but it all sounds very fresh and i just have to move when i hear it. even if it's just single body parts like my feet trying to imitate the double bass drum (badly) and driving my girlfriend insane :)
opaque white multi-colour splatter vinyl (1000 made). bridge9 records.