Bane - 'Don't Wait Up': 10th Anniversary Edition

Considering I named this blog as a homage to Bane, I wondered what one of their records would be the first one I post on here. I didn’t expect it to be this superb 10^th anniversary edition of their final album to date, ‘Don’t Wait Up’. Perhaps I had been living under a rock the last couple of months, but it took me completely by surprise and was not expecting this to be released last week. Despite having an original End Hits pressing on Orange from 2014, this was a no brainer to purchase.

 

Written by the band to intentionally be their final album, this is as emotional as you expect it to be from start to finish. It’s has unforgettable anthems such as the guest-filled ‘Calling Hours’, the most personal song of their career in ‘Wrong Planet’, and a tear-jerking sign off with ‘Final Backward Glance’. I honestly thought that would be the last time we heard from Bane, and their music would just be there when I needed it in the form of their back catalogue. Now they are back and playing shows again, they remain as vital as ever.

 

End Hits went all out for this reissue. The die-cut, UV gloss spot/embossed sleeve has unique artwork, almost a zoomed in section of the original version, with glow in the dark windows. Was that necessary, not at all, but it is a really nice touch. It’s a much heavier card stock for the gatefold this time around, and arguable better printing quality that the original. It essentially is like for like in terms of layout, only this new pressing has a touching tribute to their beloved former bass player, Stu Maguire.

 

This one also has a nice, double sided inner, which although slightly too small to put the record in while in a Mo-Fi anti-static sleeve, it has lines from ‘Post-Hoc’ printed on it. Again, a subtle upgrade to the original, and just makes their poignant lyrics stand out even more. Just in case you needed a reminder.

 

The vinyl itself is pressed on a Midnight Blue and Canary Yellow galaxy variant, which looks really smart. This was the easiest one for me to get as it was an exclusive to the always excellent Devil Dog Distro and limited to 100 copies. It plays nicely as well, with a full and clear sound and little to no surface noise. The original pressing I have does have the odd pop and click on it, so this was a worthy upgrade. Not that I would get rid of my original pressing, though.

 

Sometimes these kind of reissues are just for the completists, but I would argue it’s worth any Bane fan picking this up. Given it’s been out of print for many years in Europe, it’s more affordable than some of the earlier pressings now, and with the renewed interest Bane, I love the idea that some kids will be hearing this for the very first time.

Four Year Strong – ‘analysis paralysis’

 

I have to give credit to Pure Noise UK for always getting their pre-orders out on time, and more often than not arriving before the release date. It’s a nice feeling when you get to hear a record a little bit early, even if it is only a few hours before it drops at midnight.

I’ve been a day one Four Year Strong fan, and their blend of pop punk and hardcore never felt corny and lyrically they always seemed a bit more grown up. When they released ‘Daddy of Mine’ a few months ago I thought it was a great first single, but honestly, the few singles after didn’t hit the same for me. I went into ‘analysis paralysis’ with a bit of trepidation, but on first listen I really like it.

 

The singles made more sense, and the album tracks link them together perfectly. It’s probably going to take a few spins to really take it in, but it’s a nice change of pace for the band. I’m sure they could have phoned in another 'Enemy Of The World' or 'Brain Pain', but they have tried to expand their sound on ‘analysis paralysis’, and it’s worked.

The artwork is, quite frankly, bizarre. I don’t know what the meaning of it is in relation to the album, but it’s like some Muppet-based fever dream and I’m pretty sure my sleep paralysis demon will have new face now. That said, I don’t hate it, and I’m sure that Four Year Strong had a reason for picking this artwork.

 

Another thing I’ll always appreciate about Pure Noise releases is there’s usually a lot going on, and given they price their new releases reasonably, you get plenty of bang for your buck. A heavy card gatefold sleeve and a separate lyric/credits sheet, rather than printing them across the inner spread is a nice touch.

 

There were plenty of colourways to choose from for this release, but this one is the Pure Noise exclusive Purple In Beer and Clear Split with Black and Blue Splatter out of 750. I can’t say this looked quite as nice as the mock up portrayed it, but as any collector will attest, the expectation vs reality these days are two wildly different things.

 

After more than 20 years as a band and with 'analysis paralysis' being their eighth studio album, it seems there’s plenty of life in Four Year Strong yet. If, like me, you were a bit on the fence about some of the singles, this record is definitely going to be worth spending more time with.

Circle Takes The Square – ‘As The Roots Undo’

 

As any record collector will agree, there’s nothing more satisfying than opening up a package to find a record that’s been pressed and put together with love. That’s how I felt when I received my copy of the 20^th anniversary reissue of Circle Takes The Square’s classic debut album, ‘As The Roots Undo’.

Originally released in 2004 through Robotic Empire/HyperRealist, ‘As The Roots Undo’ is, without any hyperbole, a masterpiece of the screamo genre. Really, calling it a screamo record is doing it a disservice, as it’s so much more than that. I’d argue it’s more a progressive punk record, but I could spend hours breaking down the different elements of what makes up this ground-breaking album and that’s not what this is about.

 

This reissue has been handled by the band themselves through their own label, Gatepost Recordings. This has allowed them release the album the way they want, and every detail has been given the care and attention it deserves. This did mean it had a $39 price point, and with shipping to the UK this was not a cheap purchase, but knowing it was the band overseeing it, and how lavish this package is makes it worth every penny.

The recycled card tri-fold sleeve is reminiscent of the original 8-panel digipak that came with the 2004 CD issue. I never had an original pressing of the LP, and I couldn’t find my CD for a comparison so I’m going off memory here. The artwork, done by vocalist/guitarist Andrew Speziale, was always one of the most striking things about this album, and seeing it in this form is wonderful.

 

It has a UV gloss and metallic ink with a superb matte finish. This pressing does come with an all-new fold out lyric sheet, and on the other side has the album art with a slightly different colour tone. Nothing about this was rushed or by accident, and was clearly a labour of love.

 

Four colourways were released for this anniversary pressing of ‘As The Roots Undo’, with this one being the Evergreen with Black and White Splatter out of 275 copies. I don’t know if this pressing has been remastered, and I can’t find any clear information as to whether or not the album has ever been remastered. It always sounded great to me regardless, but this vinyl pressing sounds even better. It’s bright and clear in all the right places, with every nuance cutting through the mix.

 

A nice little touch was getting a personal thanks on a postcard from bass player/vocalist, Katheen Stubelek.

When so many reissues today get thrown together, and some new releases in general pumped out with little to no quality control, to see something put together like this in 2024 makes me very happy. The band and everyone involved should be so proud of this project.

Divine Right - 'Salvation Ends'

There has been a host of exciting new hardcore bands emerging with superb EP’s in 2024. At the time of writing, ‘Salvation Ends’ by Divine Right is at the top of the pile for me.

Hailing from North Carolina, home of many iconic metalcore bands, Divine Right wear that influence proudly on their sleeve. These kids know their history, and the spirit of Prayer For Cleansing, Undying, From Here On, and Azazel runs through the five hard-hitting tracks on ‘Salvation Ends’. Throw in some Arkangel, Kickback and nods towards All Out War for good measure, it’s the perfect recipe for a modern classic. Oh, as if they couldn’t get any better, they are unapologetically straightedge, too.

 

This was released on streaming early in 2024, and they were picked up by long-running Southern Californian label, New Age Records. Having released fantastic records from Outspoken, Mean Season, Strife, Lifetime and more, Divine Right are in great company here.

The printing of the sleeve is high-quality, and makes the artwork really stand out.  The design layout was done by frontman Josh Allen, and has the look and feel of the something you would find in a distro circa 2001 that makes you want to buy it based on the artwork alone. Even the insert is well thought out, with lyrics on one side and a HARD black and white band shot complete with straightedge varsity jackets and cool shirts.

Being a fairly short EP, clocking in at the 16 minute mark, it’s pressed on a single-sided 12” with the artwork screen printed on to the B-side. This one is the Cheerwine variant, or red with black smoke, which is limited to 165 copies. There were also 77 copies of the Cheerwine variant pressed with classic green New Age Records labels on the A-side. Sadly this isn’t one of them, but was a nice touch for them to do that.

With a sound and visual aesthetic well beyond their years, the fact that this is just the start for Divine Right is an exciting prospect. I’m already looking forward to their next move.

Harvest - 'Transitions'

Trustkill Records, arguably the label of the late ‘90s and early ‘00s, have finally been reissuing some of their catalogue on vinyl recently. Classic records from Bleeding Through and It Dies Today have seen long-overdue pressings, but this essential compilation from Harvest, ‘Transitions’, finally comes to vinyl for the very first time.

For those unaware, Harvest hail from Minneapolis, MN, and were part of the burgeoning metallic hardcore scene of the mid to late '90s. Bands like Poison The Well and Eighteen Visions took Trustkill, and metalcore as a whole, to the next level, but what Harvest were doing was unique at the time. Granted, I heard them in reverse order after finding metalcore and hardcore around 2000/2001, but when you listen back to to 'Transitions' or their 1997 debut album, 'Living With A God Complex', you can hear how it paved the way for the next wave of bands.

Originally released in on CD in 1998, it features 14-tracks that appeared on various releases up until that point. It has the four songs from the ‘One Step Closer Than The Last’ 7”, tracks that were on compilations from labels Goodfellow, Apathy Press and Second Nature Recordings, and along with the early ‘Incision’ and ‘Worn Through The Layer of Separation’ 7’s on Trustkill and Ferret Records, respectfully.

The production of the tracks on the original CD left a little to be desired, but some of these tracks date back to 1995 and Harvest were an undergound hardcore band. This vinyl pressing has been given a fresh remaster from Scott Crouse (Earth Crisis, Sect) and sounds bigger and better than ever. It was almost like listening to a new Harvest record in 2024. 

It comes in a gatefold sleeve, and it looks as though the artwork has been restored for clarity’s sake, with a great live shot spread across the inside. It also comes with a double-sided photo and lyric insert. The vinyl itself is pressed on gorgeous orange and red splatter, which goes well with the artwork. The care and attention to detail that's gone into this release really shows.

There were three colours pressed for this reissue, and this one is out of 300 and was exclusive to RevHQ. It might not be the most limited colour of the run, but it was the only one I could find in the UK. For me, though, it’s more about just owning a record like this than having the most limited one, and even if I needed to have ordered it from overseas, I still would have picked this variant as I think it looks the nicest.

Seeing photos of new Harvest records across social media, and their name on bills with Sepultura on their farewell tour were not something I expected in 2024, but it certainly is a welcome sight. I'd like to think the Trustkill name still carries some weight with a newer generation of hardcore kids, too, and hopefully anyone who hadn't heard Harvest are checking them out.