I cannot believe this. One of the recordings that spawned my lifelong obsession with European grindcore and fast music in general. A Blaze in the Northern Sky (2006), the classic Sound Pollution Records split release between the Swedish kings of speed, Massgrav and Diskonto.

            I found this at the Healer merch table at Bitchfest at the Polish Library in Buffalo on September 10th. Bitchfest is an annual underground d.i.y. concert in Buffalo featuring women in punk rock. The guitarist Eric from Healer told me that Diskonto gave him a few copies of the album when they stayed with him during their US tour in 2007.

            For fans of fast, loud music, A Blaze in the Northern Sky is a classic recording. Two of the best bands in the Swedish underground who are veterans of the scene.  European grindcore has been one my favorite kinds of music for over a decade and while not necessarily full on grind, these two bands represent that sound and originality, energy and speed.

This week’s record arrived via mail order, Extreme Noise Terror (2015) by UK grindcore veterans Extreme Noise Terror. Socio-political grindcore, the way it’s supposed to be.

Deep Six Records is an underground d.i.y. label specializing in grind, power violence, sludge, thrash, and hardcore.  Some other bands I like who have releases on this label include Lack of Interest, No Comment, and Weekend Nachos.

            I ordered this a couple months back.  There was a mix up with my order at the label but the package finally arrived.  It was definitely worth the wait.  If you’ve forgotten what punk and grindcore are all about, this album sets the record straight.  Crusty, grindcore, punk done right by UK grindcore veterans, Extreme Noise Terror is essential for every grindcore collection.

This week’s finds are filed in the timeless classics section of the collection. In the order in which I found them: Yes – Close to the Edge (1972), Pink Floyd – Animals (1977), and Donald Byrd – Stepping into Tomorrow (1974).  I came back to this vendor for the Yes album, found Pink Floyd in classic rock, and then found Donald Byrd in a dollar bin!  An amazing day for any discerning vinyl collector.   

Jeffery Allen runs the WNY Vinyl Collective group on Facebook and is very active in the local vinyl collecting community.  You can find him at The Peddler flea market in Buffalo on Elmwood and West Ferry every other Saturday in the summer. I stopped to chat with him a few weeks earlier about the broadway, showtunes, and classical records I had recently become the custodian of.  I didn’t have any pocket change the first time I met him but I’m sure glad I stopped back!

Animals and Close to the Edge were on my wish list of albums I wanted for my collection.  Finding Donald Byrd’s Blue Note Records classic Stepping into Tomorrow made my day, if not my entire week!  I still can’t believe I found that in a dollar bin.  There’s already a couple things I plan on going back to grab from Jeff if he still has them.  If you’re in the area on a Saturday afternoon be sure to stop by and say hello!

 

Monolith of Phobos (2016) is the psychedelic rock collaboration between Les Claypool and Sean Lennon, known together as, The Claypool Lennon Delirium.

I picked this up at The Claypool Lennon Delirium merchandise table at Erie Canalside in Buffalo.  They performed the last concert of the Thursdays at Canalside concert series in downtown Buffalo on August 25th.  Running into a fellow vinyl collector at the show, he told me he picked up the record at their merch table.  Already on my list of records to buy next, I had to go grab a copy for myself!

The show was rained out.  After staying reasonably dry through some intermittent light rain, the torrential downpour inevitably came.  No umbrella, completely soaked, somehow only about two drops of water got to the record through the shrink-wrap.  It completely dried by the next day with no damage to the cover.  A great find for the collection with a story to go along with it!