This Is Hardcore, Part 1

So I was able to go to This Is Hardcore this year. It was great to get to go back this year after missing out last year. The line up was pretty solid. I do have to say that I can no longer do a three or four day fest. It's just too much. I could do two days but anymore just seems like overkill. So I went to Thursday, Friday and Saturday this year. I skipped out on Sunday and missed Down to Nothing, which was the only band on that day that I wanted to see. I was just too out of it to go.

So I missed most of Face Reality's set on Thursday night. They had a pre-cover version of their new s/t 7" from Youngblood. These sold out pretty fast, by Friday I think. This version is out of 75, numbered and stamped on the back.

Sean Youngblood also had a tape with songs from the new releases coming out soon on the label. It has No Tolerance, Face Reality, Give, Police & Thieves, Sacred Love and Mob Mentality. It's limited to 100 copies. I think there were some of these left over, maybe it will be put up on the webstore soon.

This is a special version of Strife's My Fire Burns On. It was made for the fest and is numbered out of 50. New Age did a great job on this thing. The silk screened cover, artwork, layout and details are superb. The record labels are numbered too. Great touch. Strife set was also awesome.

So Stick Together was one of those bands this year that you could consider was a hype band. The local kids like them, no surprise and their merch goes for a lot on eBay. All the things you need for hype. To be honest this band is good, defiantly worth listening too. I hope if the hype dies down these guys still keep going. I know it features members of Bad Seed and War Hungry. They had the new second press of the 7" on clear. The first press sold out pretty quick, especially for 1,000 copies and the bands first 7". They sold a lot of demoes too I think. I'm not sure the pressing of the clear copy. They also had a discography up til now tape. It has the song from the Six Feet Under compilation, the 7", the demo, the live in Toronto tape and I think a cover of a band called Magnus maybe? Cool thing to have either way. Not sure how many of these their are either.

So Robby Redcheeks had a table with some of his stuff in the warehouse across the street from the venue. He had some Dead by 23 releases he was selling for cheap. I picked up this copy of Frostbite's 7". This is the version I believe from the Floorpunch "last show". I'm not sure how many of them there are. I think it's the fourth or fifth press.

So Strength for a Reason played the fest, which they normally do. I decided to pick up the other version of the split they did with Cold World. I got it for Cold World, not for Strength for a Reason. This is on white and I'm not sure the pressing. Cold World killed it at the fest. So good. They get better and better each time I see them. One of the best reactions as usual.

So Pulling Teeth had a copy of their Demo pressed as a flexi disc. These seem to be the new thing to do. I don't really get it. It's just like a flimsy record. It's different, which is cool, but I'd prefer an actual vinyl. This copy is clear and out of only 50. So this was a great pick up. I'm not sure if this was made for the fest or not. Pulling Teeth were great as usual. I was not sure about the latest LP but after their performance I can say it's great. There are so many guest vocals on the thing. Some great tracks on it, and they played them live.

So I think this was a limited copy of Praise's new 7". I'm not sure, but I bought it either way. The pre order was on Black White and Grey, so that was my reasoning to get it. I was happy React was there, but I wish they had made some limited versions of the records for the fest, like limited merch or covers or something. With the showcase, Aram has plenty else to worry about with the limited stuff he has for that in the works.

So I picked up a couple of things from the Six Feet Under table. Up top is the limited fest version of the recent reissue of the Cold World and War Hungry split. I think this is limited to 75, but I'm not sure. I also picked up a copy of the reissue without realizing I made the pre order for it. So I probably already have the one on white coming to me. Below that in the distro I picked up a copy of Not Afraid's 7" put out by Control Records. I've been wanting to get a copy of this and I slept on the pre order for this hard. The copy on black is out of 400. This 7" rules, picks right back up where True Colors left off, with a little bit of a change. I need to find one on green. I wish I picked up the Alert 7" they had, I think it was a special press for Sound and Fury and This Is Hardcore, but it looked just like the record release version, just different colors on the font. Oh well.