Trial "Are These Our Lives?" 12" - Pre-Order

After years of being out of press, Trials "Are These Our Lives?" LP is available again on vinyl and mp3 download. Unlike the CD version, the 12" includes full artwork and LYRICS.
This 12" will be a limited press of 500.
250 on Brown Vinyl
250 on Maroon Vinyl

I highly suggest that everyone goes to pick up their copy of this re-press. When Trial reunited for 3 shows in 2005, EVR had the gall to do another press of this on CD, but without lyrics and full artwork. Can you imagine that? A Trial record without lyrics?!? Unless you can find a used copy with the full layout, skip buying the cd that EVR tried to capitalize on, and buy this 12" or digital download from Timm over at Panic Records.

Downcast

So much can be said of Downcast. They played a major role in the San Diego area scene along with bands like Amenity and Struggle. A lot has been made of them being the "P.C. police", and that they became anti-moshing at shows, but one thing can't be denied, and it's that Downcast wrote some great metallic hardcore songs. I tend to have a great love for bands that are heavily political, and Downcast fit into that quite nicely. They did a US tour with Born Against and Rorschach, and from what I've read, they played Portland, but that was a year or two before I really started going to shows.

The self titled 7" from Downcast was also the first release from Ebullition Records, and accompanied issues of the No Answers fanzine that was put out by Kent McClard, who later went onto do the HeartattaCk fanzine as well. After the first 3,000 issues, the 7" and zine were separated into their own autonomous products. In an interesting not about Ebullition #1, I pulled this from Wikipedia:
"Los Angeles hardcore band Inside Out was meant to record an LP as the first Ebullition release. However, Revelation Records asked them to release a 7" instead, and the band chose the more established label."

Downcast
self titled 7" [Ebullition Records 1990]
http://www.mediafire.com/?1wtotzyztmh

Downcast then released a full length on Ebullition as well, followed by a tour of Europe. This is the first version of the LP (Ebullition #3). After the first pressing (3,000 copies) the LP was re-mixed and re-mastered. The re-mixed and re-mastered version was released as Ebullition #6. If I come across a copy of the re-mixed version someday, I'll rip that and upload it as well.

Downcast
self titled LP [Ebullition Records 1991]
http://www.mediafire.com/?kkrdynwdgmi

After Downcast broke up, the various members went on to form Not For The Lack of Trying, Jara, and Born & Raised. Ebullition was touting the release of a Downcast discography around 2004/2005, but nothing has materialized as of yet.

Life's Blood

Life's Blood started circa 1987, and weren't really around for very long, but they had a great sound going with their mix of NYHC and some elements of Oi/street punk (not to mention their politics). Most notable is probably their song "Never Make a Change", which was supposedly a major calling out of Youth of Today. Adam Nathanson, and Neil Burke also went on to form the legendary (and in my top 10 bands of all time) Born Against.
Even though there were 2,144 of them pressed in 1996, I rarely see Life's Blood's discography cd for sale, but a few years ago, I happened across a copy in a used dollar bin. The only catch was that it didn't have the original case, or the layout. Since I never see these up for sale, and I always loved my copy of the 7", I snatched it up. This discography cd contains the demo, the Defiance 7", numerous comp tracks and some live stuff. Life's Blood were a true classic of NYHC, so download this and enjoy!

Life's Blood - Discography
Vermiform Records [1996]
http://www.mediafire.com/?tizfou4nmmw

Fault

I don't have much information about Fault at all, except that they were from New Hampshire, and that this 7" is really good. This record came out in 1997 on Words of War Records (who have been back up and running for a couple of years now), and has 4 tracks of heavy hardcore that could musically be compared to the likes of Unconquered. If anyone has more info about this band, or knows of any other releases they put out, please get in touch, because I would love to get educated.

Fault - self titled
Words of War Records [1997]
http://www.mediafire.com/?czwvwtw1whz

Unbroken - 1998 Reunion, A Tribute To Eric Allen

This is the entire live set from the Unbroken reunion show in 1998 which was a tribute to Eric Allen, the guitarist who had committed suicide. I ripped this directly from a master copy of the video that was released by New Age or 31G, I can't remember. The other bands on the show were Outspoken (who also did a reunion), The Crimson Curse, Palpatine, and one other which is escaping me now. Unfortunately, I have no means to transfer the video to Youtube but Ill see what I can do in the future. I can't wait for April to see the reunion in Chicago. One of my all time favorite bands. Enjoy

Unbroken - Live at the 1998 Reunion, A Tribute To Eric Allen

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=G7E9HZBL

A change of plans..

Ive recently uploaded all of the pictures of my shirts onto the Collection Space. I wont be updating this blog anymore with tshirt pictures but I will upload rare records instead. Head over to the Collection Space to see more of my tshirts

http://www.thecollectionspace.com/Collections/xchipxsem/xCHIPxSEM+Shirts

Trial

It has now been confirmed that Trial will be playing a show in Chicago in April of '09, and that is news that makes me very happy. There's going to be a book coming out called Burning Fight, that is all about 90s hardcore, and a show is being organized to coincide with its release. Disembodied, and Unbroken had already confirmed, with Undertow apparently being close to confirming as well, and then the news of Trial confirming came along to knock me on my ass. Suffice to say, these knees that have been disagreeing with me for years will be dragged out onto the floor one more time, and will see some epic stage diving time as well. I don't want to sit here for an hour, and expound upon what Trial has meant to my life as a band, so if you'd like, you can go read this blog that I wrote on myspace shortly after the reunion shows of 2005.

Now onto some of the more rare Trial recordings. First up is the Trial demo tape from early 1995. They recorded this in January of '95, and then broke up for a brief period of time, got back together a couple of months later, and realized that kids were into the demo. The recording isn't as tight as Trial came to be known for, but the raw emotion in the songs is still very present.
I'm not sure how many were made, but here's the cover of the demo tape version:

The demo was also released later as a one sided 12" in Europe by Hipster Records, and was limited to 300 copies.

Trial - Demo [1995]
http://www.mediafire.com/?0q6lwqo8vluq27q


And now onto the "I'm Still Screaming" live 7" that was put out by Division Recordings out of Tacoma, WA. Division Recordings was one of the labels done by Ross from Last Man Standing and Stay Gold. He was always a rad dude, and he put out some great records for some NWHC bands that otherwise might not have been heard outside our little corner of the nation. It's not listed in the liner notes, but this 7" was recorded at the RCKCNDY in Seattle if I remember correctly. It features the OG Trial lineup, which leads me to believe that it must have been recorded in 1998, although the record itself didn't come out until 1999. Technically, this 7" is Division Recordings #4, but since this is Trial we're talking about here, it's really Division #4.3

The record itself came out on 3 colors:
black (?), blue (243), clear (300)

There was also a "Martin Audio Can Suck It" press that came out due to a problem at the cover printing plant (Ross also had an issue with the printing shop for the covers of the Left With Nothing 7"), and was limited to 75 copies.


Trial - I'm Still Screaming [live]
http://www.mediafire.com/?rnarb0mokb458f3

Timm re-released Through The Darkest Days and Foundation onto one cd a couple years ago, and is now repressing Are These Our Lives? on vinyl, so head over to Panic Records, and order them!

Definitely Not The Majors

Definitely Not The Majors was one more in the long line of incredible compilation cds that came out in the 90s. This comp showcases some of the best heavy bands that hardcore had to offer in that era. At the time that this came out, all of the songs were reputed to be unreleased.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/vvy1tv

Bane - Fuck Yeah I Am Still Holding On

Spawn - Written In Stone