No Love. No Hope.

Anyone that's met me knows that Salem, Massachusetts Converge are my favorite band.  In my opinion, they are the most creative band in extreme music for the last ten years or so.  The music always changes between albums and these are "albums" everybody - listened to all the way through from start to finish is rewarding and not many bands or musical acts accomplish this feat in this electronic day and age.  Ben Koller's drumming is the sickest of any band that I've ever heard, Nate Newton's bludgeoning low end and back-up vocals invigorate the songs, Kurt Ballou's guitar arrangements are always brutal yet always completely interesting and Jacob Bannon's unique, screaming vocals and unparalleled artwork for each release make Converge THE best band, not only in extreme music, but in music in general.


The gateway album for me to this band was "Jane Doe", released on Equal Vision Records in September of 2001.  I got interested in Converge after reading an interview with one of the guitarists from the band Thursday (I don't remember which one) in a guitar magazine (again; I don't remember which one).  


On December 11th, 2003, my friend Stefan and I went to a club called Tink's in Scranton, PA and attended my first hardcore show; the lineup was Found Dead Hanging, Ringworm, The Unseen, Agnostic Front and Hatebreed.  Fucking ridiculous.  Anyways, on the way home after the show, we stopped at a gas station for sodas and junk food; while sitting in this Exxon listening to the mixed sounds of muzak and tinnitus, I grabbed a guitar magazine from the rack and proceeded to flip through it, looking for anything interesting.  Under the glow of fluorescent lights at 3 a.m. is when I first saw the words "Converge" and Jane Doe" used in conjunction with each other.


Being a huge fan of Thursday, I wanted to check Converge out, particularly the album "Jane Doe" after reading that their guitarist was a fan of this record, particularly the guitar sound.  The very next morning, I went to the local Gallery Of Sound and purchased "Jane Doe" on CD.  I left the store and walked to my car, not having the slightest clue as to what lay ahead of me.  My expectations were vague; I knew it was a "hardcore-metal-noise" amalgamation; maybe it would sound like Most Precious Blood or Premonitions Of War or something.  I was totally wrong.  I left the store, got in my Hyundai, peeled the shrink wrap off of the CD and place the disc in my CD player.  As I was admiring the cover and booklet artwork (which happens to be some of my favorite to this day), opening track 'concubine' melted my face clean off.  As 'fault and fracture' came to a close, I remember saying to myself, out loud, "What the hell did I just buy?"  Only 4 minutes and 25 seconds had passed and I still hadn't left the parking lot of Gallery Of Sound.  I was completely blown away.

(2001 Equal Vision Release - cover)

I began my way home and let the disc play, intent on finding out if this band would be something that I would be into or if I had just blown $9.99.  'distance and meaning' and 'hell to pay' slow down the pace a little after the first two.  I have always felt that 'hell to pay' is reminiscent of Fugazi's song 'returning the screw' from their "In On The Killtaker" album, at least in the guitar work.

(2001 Equal Vision Release - back cover)

'Homewrecker' is up next and kicks the program back into high gear.  "No love.  No Hope".  The crowd goes apeshit when they play this tune.  'The broken vow' follows; it comes in fast then slows down a bit before closing with their epic line "I'll take my love to the grave".

(2001 Equal Vision Release - gatefold/inside cover)

Two more barn-burners are up next; 'bitter and then some' whose main guitar riff I have practically memorized by the time I've gotten home and 'heaven in her arms' which is just relentless.

(2001 Equal Vision Release - side A)

Another detour occurs, this time in the form of 'phoenix in flight'.  This track builds slowly with kind of a "shoegaze" vibe.  All the build up in that song is destroyed in the follow up 'phoenix in flames', which is cacophonous.  Both songs back to back are jaw dropping.

(2001 Equal Vision Release - side B)

'Thaw' is another relentless track, perfect after the discordance of 'phoenix in flames' and segues excellently into the closer, title track 'jane doe'.  I continued driving despite the fact that I already passed my house.  I had already confirmed that I had found something incredible and I needed to hear it through to the end.  Eleven minutes of beautiful heartache through sound is what 'jane doe' is to me.  I have since managed to see Converge at least 15 times since 2004 and have not yet had the pleasure of seeing them play this one out.

(2001 Equal Vision Release - side C)

The pictures above are of my 1st press brown/white split color edition (numbered out of 550) released on Equal Vision in 2001.  Additional pressing information is as follows: orange/red split (out of 150), clear (out of 300) and black (out of 2000).  

(2001 Equal Vision Release - side D)

In 2010, Deathwish Inc. re-issued the album, which had been out of print since 2004, with an extended booklet, much like the CD release.  It has also been remastered and sounds awesome.  Below I have pictures of my 1st press clear red color edition (numbered out of 1,305), released on Deathwish Inc.  Additional pressing information is as follows: red/gold swirl (out of 150), clear gold (out of 440), white (out of 2000), clear gold (exclusive band color out of 550) and clear green (exclusive Equal Vision color out of 560).  I ordered mine directly from Deathwish Inc. and got the package that included a limited edition Jane Doe t-shirt.

(2010 Deathwish Inc. re-issue - cover)

(2010 Deathwish Inc. re-issue - back cover)

(2010 Deathwish Inc. re-issue - gatefold/inside cover)

(2010 Deathwish Inc. re-issue - booklet cover)

(2010 Deathwish Inc. re-issue - booklet pages 1-2)

(2010 Deathwish Inc. re-issue - booklet pages 3-4)

(2010 Deathwish Inc. re-issue - booklet pages 5-6)

(2010 Deathwish Inc. re-issue - booklet pages 7-8)

(2010 Deathwish Inc. re-issue - booklet pages 9-10)

(2010 Deathwish Inc. re-issue - booklet pages 11-12)

(2010 Deathwish Inc. re-issue - booklet pages 13-14)

(2010 Deathwish Inc. re-issue - booklet pages 15-16)

(2010 Deathwish Inc. re-issue - booklet pages 17-18)

(2010 Deathwish Inc. re-issue - booklet pages 19-20)

(2010 Deathwish Inc. re-issue - booklet pages 21-22)

(2010 Deathwish Inc. re-issue - booklet pages 23-24)

(2010 Deathwish Inc. re-issue - booklet back cover)

(2010 Deathwish Inc. re-issue - side J)

(2010 Deathwish Inc. re-issue - side A)

(2010 Deathwish Inc. re-issue - side N)

(2010 Deathwish Inc. re-issue - side E)

(Limited edition Jane Doe t-shirt - front image)

(Limited edition Jane Doe t-shirt - back image)

Although I hold the opinion that 2009's "Axe To Fall" is their best work and 2004's "You Fail Me" is my personal favorite, "Jane Doe" will forever be the record that changed my idea of what heavy music could be.  This is a classic record, no matter what genre you listen to.  Do yourself a favor and listen to it.

Record Store Day 2011!!!

Every year, on the third Saturday of April, music lovers all over the globe get the chance to grow their collections even larger due to an event called Record Store Day.  Recording artists make special appearances and performances, "meet and greets" with fans, etc. are all events of Record Store Day.  The most special part though is the exclusive vinyl and CD releases that are only available during this holiday for audiophiles!


This year's Record Store Day was on April 16th, and just like in previous years, I had to work so I didn't go out.  My good friend and fellow audiophile, Eric, however, was able to help me out!  I asked him to pick up 3 items for me if he happened to see them: 1) Nirvana's "Hormoaning" ep repress, 2) Sonic Youth's "Whore's Moaning" ep repress and 3) the Coliseum/Superchunk split 7" where they perform Misfit's covers.  He had a wedding to go to that day, so even his shopping time was cut short, but he still had quite a haul.  In the first store that he went to, he managed to secure a Sonic Youth ep for himself along with some other goodies.  They wouldn't let him purchase two copies though, so he ended up finding another one at the second store that he stopped at, and picked it up for me.  Also at his second stop, he located a copy of the Nirvana ep and again, was only able to purchase one copy.  I was pretty bummed, but also stoked that I would get to hear his copy at least.  Happy ending to this story is that we were able to locate a store that had leftover copies of the Nirvana ep four days later!  No Coliseum/Superchunk split though...

"Hormoaning" is a release from my absolute favorite band of the early '90's, Nirvana.  This came out during their Australian tour in February of 1992 on DGC in support of their massive album "Nevermind" and was only available in Australia and Japan.  I have always wanted this; I've only ever seen it in music magazines in the Rockabilia section, but who has $30-something dollars to send away for this import when your 14? (I know I didn't.)

Four of the six songs were eventually released on "Incesticide" later that year in December.  'Turnaround' is a cover of a Devo song.  'Son of a gun' and 'molly's lips' are both covers of Vaselines songs.  The version of 'aneurysm' on the "Hormoaning" ep is significantly slower than the version contained on "Incesticide".  The two remaining songs are were originally released as B-sides for singles from the "Nevermind" album: 'D-7' is a cover of a Wipers song and can be found on the UK version of the 'lithium' single; 'even in his youth' can be found on the 'smells like teen spirit' single (along with the aforementioned version of 'aneurysm').  Also, these versions of 'aneurysm' and 'd-7' can be found on the second disc of the "With The Lights Out" box set, released in 2004 on DGC.

The 2011 Record Store Day repress of this ep sounds fantastic and the vinyl is a cool light brown color.

"Whore's Moaning" was originally released in 1993 on DGC for their Australian/New Zealand tour and is an obvious parody of fellow label mates Nirvana's "Hormoaning' ep.  It is basically the UK version of the 'sugar kane' single, just slightly different; the track listing is in a different order along with the inclusion of the song 'tamra'.  The artwork on the front of the sleeve is a photocopy of one of Kurt Cobain's dolls from his collection, done by Kevin Kerslake (who directed the 'come as you are', 'in bloom', 'lithium' and 'sliver' videos for Nirvana).  I have been a fan of Sonic Youth since 1992 and I have practically all of their releases on CD, but I could not remember hearing of this release all those years ago - I'm so glad that the decision was made to repress this gem of an ep!

The first track on the ep is the radio edit of 'sugar kane'.  The first time that I saw the video for this song was on the MTV program 'Alternative Nation' after my neighbor and I had gotten back from our first NHL game (we saw the Devils and it was awesome!).  In the video, the band was portrayed playing at a fashion show; two interesting facts:  1) the clothes were from the "grunge collection" by designer Marc Jacobs and 2) this was the first film appearance of actress Chloe Sevigny, who went on to star in the films "Kids", "Gummo", "Brown Bunny" and the HBO series "Big Love".  This track is followed by a cover of a New York Dolls song called 'personality crisis' which was originally released on a flexi-disc for Sassy Magazine.  'The end of the end of the ugly' is an instrumental jam that became the song 'shoot' from their album "Dirty".  The cover version of 'is it my body' was originally recorded for the Alice Cooper tribute on Sub Pop in 1991.  The final song on the ep is an instrumental called 'tamra'.  'Personality crisis', 'the end of the end of the ugly', is it my body' and 'tamra' can also be found on disc two of "Dirty - Deluxe Edition", which was released in 2003 on DGC.  The artwork on the back of the sleeve is an illustration done by Kurt Cobain.

The 2011 repress of this ep also sounds fantastic and the vinyl is a stunning clear blue color.

Each of these two records came with a sticker mentioning the 20th anniversary of the release of Nirvana's "Nevermind"; I kept one and gave the other one to my brother Neal to put on his new bass guitar.  On the back of the stickers, there is an ad announcing the 2011 release of Dave Markey's  documentary "1991: The Year Punk Broke" on DVD.  I still have my VHS copy and I can't wait to see the DVD version with extra footage!


Next year, I am requesting the day off from work, getting up early and grabbing as much vinyl as I can for Record Store Day, my new favorite holiday!

Life Is Short.

This past week, an earthquake and tsunami both devastated the country of Japan; my thoughts go out to the millions affected in Japan during this time of disaster.  Find out how you can help here.


Death is part of the circle of life.  It is with a heavy heart that I've recently learned of the untimely passing of three musicians: Germany's Andreas Hedjran (aka Hedj), the UK's Phil Vane (lead vocalist for grindcore band Extreme Noise Terror) and USA's Mike Starr (former bassist for Alice In Chains).

Andreas Hedjran | 1984-2011 | RIP

Hedj is one of my favorite Drum & Bass producers, and had released tunes on Trust In Music and Bad Taste.  Two of my personal favorites are "disjunction (N Phect remix)" on Trust In Music and "acid fruit" on from 'The Reaction' LP on Fall Out UK Recordings.  According to kmag, he was swimming in a river near his home when the strong current pushed him under.  Paramedics failed to keep him alive; he was 27 when he passed.  Bad Taste will be releasing the final tune that Hedj had been working on, which Blokhe4d have finished up, entitling it "spirit" (backed with a collaboration that he made with fellow German producers Neonlight called "the joker") in the near future.  All proceeds from the release will be donated to his family.  RIP.

Phil Vane | 1965-2011 | RIP

Phil Vane, of highly influential grindcore band Extreme Noise Terror, passed in his sleep at the age of 46 on February 17, 2011.  ENT was formed in Ipswitch, UK in 1985 and have been a major influence in the hardcore, grindcore and crust punk scenes, with their political lyrics and short, brutal songs.  The band was a favorite of late BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel (know also for supporting Napalm Death early in their career) and recorded several Peel Sessions with him.  My favorite release has to be the split that they recorded with Trap Them for Deathwish, Inc. in 2008.  It was a 7" split single featuring ENT on side A with their tune "religion is fear", backed with Trap Them's "day eighteen: enders".  Totally brutal.  RIP.

Mike Starr | 1966-2011 | RIP

Mike Starr, founding and former member of legendary (in my opinion, anyways) rock band Alice In Chains, has passed away at the age of 44 on March 8th, 2011.  Although the cause of death was not immediately know, Starr was known to have battled substance abuse for sometime.  He appeared on the VH1 reality show "Celebrity Rehab" last year, battling an addiction to heroin.  Former vocalist Layne Staley died from an overdose of cocaine and heroin in 2002.  Alice In Chains' second LP, 1992's "Dirt", was the first CD that I ever owned; tracks such as "them bones", "damn that river", "rain when I die", "rooster", "angry chair" and of course the incredible "would?" were pretty much the soundtrack to my freshman and sophomore years in high school.  RIP.

Life is too short.  Do all that you can in the time that you have.  No regrets.

It's a personal choice.

On Facebook recently, my friend Mike asked me what my thoughts were regarding an NPR interview at gizmodo.com with A-Trak (turntablist extraordinaire and DJ for Kanye West) about the DJ software Serato.  For those who don't know, Serato (technically Serato Scratch Live) is software that allows DJ's to manipulate digital audio files, such as mp3 and .wav, using turntables with special "timecoded" 12" vinyl records.  Using this software means that a DJ can retain the feel of spinning vinyl while only bringing a very limited amount of gear: the Serato control box, 2 - 12" timecoded records and a laptop with as many tunes as the hard drive can handle.  Here was my response:


"I think that Serato and other products like it, such as Traktor, are excellent tools in a DJ's arsenal. The option to not carry 100 lbs. of vinyl records to every gig is unparalleled. Also, as the article mentioned, you can trade music with other DJ's instantly with hard drives. The vinyl controllers still allow DJ's to manipulate the mix "old-school", as if they were using the actual records. All you have to do is bring your laptop and your set.

I personally like CDJ's (CD player turntables) myself. I have gotten used to them and like the feel of them. True, I have to carry a load of CD's with me, but it's just a personal choice.

That's what it really comes down to. There have been many discussions about how CDJ's and/or Serato are not the same and that those DJ's don't "keep it real". Well, everyone's entitled to their opinion and some just like to talk so they keep the impression of "keeping it real". All that matters in the end is that the music is delivered to the audience. That's the bottom line; that's what everyone showed up for in the first place, right? It doesn't matter what devices/tools that the DJ uses, it's all about the music."


I'd like to think that many DJ's feel the same way that I do, but just like I have a passion for collecting vinyl, many DJ's have a passion about only using turntables and records.


Just thought I'd share.

Trap Them - "Darker Handcraft" - Prosthetic Records, 2011

This came in the mail yesterday and it's a perfect example of how to package a vinyl release.  This is the newest release by one of my favorite bands, Trap Them.  It's called "Darker Handcraft" and the vinyl edition was released on Prosthetic Records yesterday, March 1st, 2011 (the CD/digital formats will be released on March 15th).  This is the 1st pressing in gray, limited to 100 copies.  

 Amazing artwork by Justin Bartlett.  Produced by Kurt Ballou.

Sturdy cardboard, gatefold cover.

This album is a total rager and I think that it's their best work.  They finally sound like a cohesive unit; this lp has a groove hinted at on their last release, the "Filth Rations" ep on Southern Lord.  Much of this has to do with the addition of Chris Maggio (ex-Coliseum) as their permanent drummer.  Bang your head!

This Is My Blog.

I have always enjoyed creative writing and have had interest in starting a blog since I purchased my first MacBook Pro.  For the longest time, I've always felt that I had nothing to say.  One of the many charms of the internet is that it doesn't matter; either some will read this or no one will and it will get lost among the countless blogs already in existence.

Now is as good a time as any, so here it is.  This is my blog.

Music is the foremost art form in my life.  I work a full time job, have a fiance and a mortgage.  Music is my chosen route of escapism; has been for as long as I can remember.  My parents were enthusiastic and supportive of my love of music, providing me with the first record I ever owned, which was "Thriller" by Michael Jackson in 1982 when I was four years old.  My father enjoyed the vocal stylings of the Beach Boys and Elvis; my mother preferred the sounds of 1960's rock - the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and Big Brother & The Holding Company.  The following year, in 1983, I was given my first Walkman and my first cassette tape - Huey Lewis & The News' "Sports".  The first CD that I owned was "Dirt" from Alice In Chains, given to me as a Christmas gift in 1992 along with my first CD player.  My fiance Stacey supplied me with my first iPod in 2004, also a Christmas gift, and the first MP3 that I uploaded and listened to was 'concubine' by my favorite band, Converge.  Any activity, from coloring-books to homework to driving my first car, music has been playing.

This blog will feature mostly music-related material.  The next-best thing to listening to music is sharing it with others.  Sharing music with others and turning people on to bands that they wouldn't have heard otherwise is as satisfying as giving gifts on Christmas but done all year long.  I will write about albums that I have recently purchased, bands that I think readers should know about, shows that are happening and dates my colleagues and I are booked to DJ.  It'll be fun, I promise!

I will also write about other things in my life - getting married, being a homeowner, literature, television and cinema that I like, etc.  With all this being said, I invite anyone who reads this blog to provide constructive criticism, suggestions and stories and opinions of their own in the comments section; an open dialogue is always healthy and interesting.

Enjoy!