Review: INTEGRITY – "THE BLACKEST CURSE"

June 26, 2010 Redscroll Records 1 Comment

INTEGRITY – “THE BLACKEST CURSE” CD/LP DEATHWISH INC 2010
(Reviewed by Josh)

For anyone who knows me, it’s no secret that Integrity is one of my
favorite bands. The hard mosh parts, blistering solos, and dark
imagery within the lyrics just totally nail it for me. I also enjoy
the bands more experimental side whether it be the mysticism of Holy
Terror, or singer Dwid Hellion’s various endeavors in noise & film. I
have an Integrity vinyl collection which has grown to be fairly large.

“The Blackest Curse” is the first full length by the band since 2003’s
“To Die For”. Initially announced for release in 2008, this was a long
time coming, but well worth the wait. Keeping in-line with the
secretive nature and dark aesthetic, the album artwork is sparse,
black & white, and comes with no liner note or lyric sheet.

The first song, “Process Of Illumination” starts off in typical Integ
fashion with a sample from a Manson Family member and seems to be
musically influenced by early 90’s Japanese hardcore bands.
“Simulacra” is dripping with so much Slayer-riffage that you get
soaked. “Before the VVorld VVas Young” is an epic track. Coupling
acoustic guitar with Dwid’s brooding apocalyptic whispers, eventually
building into a whirling thrash-filled nightmare while Dwid continues
to cast spells on your ears until it all comes collapsing in on top of
the sheer heaviness of itself. “Invocation Of The Eternally Coiling
Serpent” is another mosh-filled track that demands not to be ignored.
In fact, no tracks should be ignored or regarded as filler material.

I’ve very thankful that the production value is refreshingly dry yet
cohesive. Nothing turns me off faster to a hardcore record then
overproduction. KEEP IT GRIMY NOT GLOSSY. Hardcore is raw. Integrity
is raw. This recording showcases that.

I would say this album is most reminiscent of “Seasons In The Size Of
Days” both in feel and in structure. I hope to hear a few gems off of,
“The Blackest Curse” mixed into the set list of classic material at
the next east coast ritual.

Update

25th of June 2010 Update

June 25, 2010 Redscroll Records

25th of June 2010 Update of New and Key Restocked Items
at Redscroll Records

LPs & 12″s
______________________
Beck     “Sea Change (Original Master Recording)”
Caulfield    “Caulfield”
Convulse    “World Without God (180 Gram; + D/L)”
Crystal Castles    “Crystal Castles (II)”
Dear Hunter    “Act I: Lake South”
Dismember    “Dismember”
DMX Krew     “Come To Me”
Ducksauce    “Greatest Hits”
Eden Rose    “On The Way To Eden”
Hawkwind    “Hawkwind (Re-Issue; 180 Gram)”
Illum Sphere    “Titan”
JSL    “Yellow Bird”
Karate    “Pockets”
Kiuas    “Lustdriven (/500)”
Kode 9    “DJ-Kicks”
La Roux    “La Roux”
Mayfield, Curtis    “There’s No Place Like America Today”
Merzbow    “Graft”
Morricone, Ennio    “Escalation (O.S.T.)”
OneOhTrix Point Never    “Zones Without People”
Panthu Du Prince    “This Bliss”
Pelander, Magnus (Singer For Witchcraft)    “Magnus Pelander (Ltd. Ed. Yellow)”
Rapture, The    “Echoes”
Raw Power    “After Your Brain”
Rotten Sound    “Napalm (+ CD)”
Strummer, Joe & The Mescaleros    “Steetcore (+ D/L)”
Tegan & Sara    “Alligator (12″ Single)”
Thou / Salome    “Thou / Salome”
Various Artists    “Spirits Of Life: Haitian Vodou”
Various Artists    “Soviet Funk Volume 1”
Various Artists    “Soviet Funk Volume 2”
Williams, Hank    “Nashville Sessions (180 Gram)”
Wolf Parade    “Expo 86”
Wright, Bernard    “Nard (Re-Issue)”

10″s
______________________
Integrity    “To Die For (Red)”
Vega, Alan / Effi Briest / Peaches    “Jonny / Universe / No Tomorrow”
Vega, Alan / Thomas Brinkmann / Gavin Friday & Dave Ball    “Ghostrider / Diamonds, Furcoats, Champagne”

7″s
______________________
Young Mothers “Come On…”

CDs
______________________
A Certain Ratio “Mind Made Up”
Actress “Hazyville”
Black Tusk “Taste The Sin”
Flaming Lips “Dark Side Of The Moon”
Gamma Bomb “Tales From The Grave In Space”
Haste The Day “Attack Of The Wolf King (+ DVD)”
Lorn “Nothing Else”
Madlib “Medicine Show No. 6: Brain Wreck”
Maps & Atlases “Perch Patchwork”
OneOhTrixPointNever “Returnal”
PanSonic “Gravitoni”
Paz, Vinnie “Season Of The Assassin”
Steel Train “Steel Train”
To Speak Of Wolves “Myself Letting Go”
Various Artists “Spirits Of Life: Haitian Vodou”
Various Artists “This Comp Kills Fascists Vol. 2”

DVD
______________________
Niblock, Phil “Six Films”

Black Metal, Ipsissimus, Redscroll Records

Ipsissimus "GoatCultRites" Cassette Tape (RSR-009)

June 21, 2010 Redscroll Records 1 Comment

Ipsissimus “GoatCultRites” Cassette Tape (Redscroll Records 009)

Yes, you are reading that correctly. Redscroll Records is not just a store. We also occasionally release music. If you were in attendance at Monday night’s EYEHATEGOD show, you now know that Connecticut’s own IPSISSIMUS has signed to a very important label in the metal realm. We are very proud and fortunate to be releasing a live recording of IPSISSIMUS entitled, “GOATCULTRITES” on REDSCROLL RECORDS (RSR-009). This cassette tape was recorded during a live ritual over one year ago. It is hand-numbered and strictly limited to 100 copies (authenticated with the Redscroll Seal). Hail Satan.

“GOATCULTRITES” by IPSISSIMUS is available direct from the band or in our store for $5. They are available postage paid for $6 (Domestic U.S. orders -> for International please email us at redscroll@gmail.com for shipping quotes).

Hopeless Visions, Movie Review

Hopeless Visions With Rob #1 (Movie Review)

June 19, 2010 Redscroll Records 1 Comment

Hopeless Visions with Rob (Movie Review) #1: INVINCIBLE SHAOLIN (SHAW BROTHERS) [Funimation Entertainment]

This is the first time this Shaw Brothers movie has been released uncut in the U.S. It also got a remastering treatment.

In the film it is a warlord’s plan to pit two Shaolin schools against each other and wipe them out. The warlord goes on to frame the northerners for murders he commits. A somewhat complicated story unfolds – a story of betrayal and revenge.

This was directed by one of my favorite directors of Asian Cinema, Chang Cheh. INVINCIBLE SHAOLIN features really aggressive acrobatic kung-fu skills and awesome training sequences. It’s got the best chest-rip-opening scene ever! It was one of my favorites to watch on Kung-Fu Theatre when I was about 10. It’s also one of the rare times that Lu Feng (who usually plays a bad guy/antagonist) plays a good guy/protagonist. Lu Feng also served as one of the fight choreographers. The story line with the girls is a little weak. It’s not as epically violent as Masked Avengers or Daredevils. Still great. (3/4 Throwing Stars)

If you like this, check out the Five Deadly Venoms – also directed by Chang Cheh who discovered the Five Venoms (Lu Feng, Sun Chien/Phillip Kwok, Chiang Sheng, Wei Pai, and Lo Mang). Three of them were from a famous Taiwanese opera troupe.

And, of course, this is available for purchase at Redscroll. Check out all of my (Rob’s) picks on the top shelf of the DVDs.

Update

18th of June 2010 Update

June 18, 2010 Redscroll Records

18th of June 2010 Update of New and Key Restocked Items
at Redscroll Records

LPs & 12″s
______________________
Abandon    “Death Of Urgency”
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti    “Before Today (+ D/L)”
Bastard Noise    “A Culture Of Monsters”
Bear In Heaven    “Wholehearted Mess (+ D/L)”
Black Moth Super Rainbow    “Eating Us (180 Gram 1LP Version – Not The RSD 2xLP)”
Cardboard Village    “Sea Change”
Ceremony    “Rohnert Park “
Cold Cave    “Life Magazine Remixes EP (+ D/L)”
Coliseum    “House With A Curse (Deluxe Limited Vinyl Edition /2000)”
Cure, The    “Disintegration (2LP Gatefold)”
Cyrus    “Beatwise / Scanner”
Dangers    “Anger”
Distance    “No Warning”
Dntel    “Early Works, Later Versions”
Foals    “Total Life Forever (+ D/L)”
Gaslight Anthem, The    “American Slang (+ D/L)”
Gayngs    “Relayted (+ D/L)”
Goatsnake    “1 + Dog Days (180 Gram; + 2 Unreleased Songs)”
Gun Outfit    “Possession Sound “
Harmer, Sarah    “Oh Little Fire (+ D/L)”
Health    “Disco2 (Get Color::Remixed; + D/L Including 12 Additional Remixes)”
Here We Go Magic    “Pigeons (+ D/L)”
Integrity    “Blackest Curse”
Ital Tek    “Spectrum Falls”
Jurado, Damien    “Saint Bartlett (+ D/L)”
Krallice    “Dimensional Bleedthrough”
Magic Bullets    “Magic Bullets”
Mangum, Jeff    “Live At Jittery Joe’s”
Maniac    “Thug / Wreckage”
Martyn / Roman Lindau    “Berghain 04 / Part 1”
Masakari    “The Profit Feeds”
Master Musicians Of Bukkake    “Totem Two”
Minus 5, The    “Sad Hasselhoff (180 Gram)”
Mount Kimbie    “Remixes Part 2”
Nation Of Ulysses    “13-Point Program To Destroy America (+ D/L)”
North Sea, The    “Bloodlines”
Pollard, Robert    “Moses On A Snail”
Psychic Ills    “Catoptric”
Ratatat    “LP4 (+ D/L)”
Rayon Beach    “Memory Teeth EP”
Segall, Ty    “Melted (+ D/L)”
Sigha    “Shake”
Soundtrack    “180 Degrees South: Conquerors Of The Useless (Ugly Casanova And James Mercer, Mason Jennings, Jack Johnson, And Love As Laughter)”
Starkweather    “This Shelter”
Titles    “Dirt Bell (Limited Edition /100; + CD)”
Tobacco    “Maniac Meat (+ D/L)”
Tokyo Police Club    “Champ “
Various Artists    “The Secret Museum Of Mankind Vol. II: Ethnic Music Classics 1925-48”
Various Artists    “Palenque Palenque: Champeta, Criolla & Afro Roots In Colombia 1975-91”
Various Artists    “Thai Beat A Go-Go Volume 3: Groovy Sounds From The Land Of Smile!”
Various Artists    “Blow Up Presents: Exclusive Blend Volume 1”
Wax Fang    “La La Land (+ D/L)”
Woven Bones    “In And Out And Back Again”
Yo La Tengo    “Here To Fall Remixes (RJD2, De La Soul, Pete Rock; + D/L)”
Zs    “New Slaves (140 Gram; + D/L)”

7″s
______________________
Best Coast “She Was High (So Was I)”
Chain & The Gang “(I’ve Got) Privilege”
Gigi “The Hundredth Time”
King Lee & Quintron “Tire Shop”
LeBlanc, Dylan “If Time Was For Wasting”
Lower Dens “I Get Nervous”
Off With Their Heads “Trying…”
Oh Sees / Paul Cary
Reignition “Epitome Of…”
Sloppy Seconds “You Can’t…”
Tender Trap “Do You Want A Boyfriend”
Trees “Freed Of This Flesh”
Various Artists “Let’s A Go-Go! Singapore”

CDs
______________________
BLK JKS “ZOL! (EP)”
Brooks, Roy “Ethnic Expressions”
Castevet “Mounds Of Ash”
Coliseum    “House With A Curse”
Danzig “Deth Red Sabaoth”
Devo “Something For Everybody”
Dir En Grey “Uroboros: With The Proof (+DVD)”
Enemy Of The Sun “Caedium”
Fistula “Goat”
Foals “Total Life Forever”
Frog Eyes “Paul’s Tomb: A Triumph”
Front Line Assembly “Improvised. Electronic. Device”
Gaslight Anthem “American Slang”
Hate Your Guts “Bastard’s Disease”
Health    “Disco2 (Get Color::Remixed)”
Here We Go Magic    “Pigeons”
Indian Jewlery “Totaled”
Jonsi “Go”
Koes Plus “Dheg Dheg V.2”
Maclise, Angus “Cloud”
Mad EP “Basshed”
Masakari “Prophet Feeds”
Master Musicians Of Bukkake “Totem Two”
News “Hot Off The Press”
Nightbringer “Apocalypse Sun”
Nina Nastasia “Outlaster”
Oneohtrix Point Never “Returnal”
People Like Us & Wobbly “Music For The Fire”
Procedure Club “Doomed Forever”
Ratatat “LP4”
Reactionaries “1979”
Robyn “Body Talk Pt. 1”
Roots “How I Got Over”
Rosetta “A Determinism Of Morality”
Sabbath Assembly “Restored To One”
Scorn “Refuse: Start Fires”
Slowdive “Shining Breeze – The Slowdive Anthology”
Stars “Five Ghosts”
Tallest Man On Earth, The “Wild Hunt, The”
Various Artists “Horse Meet Disco II”
Wilhelm Scream “A Wilhelm Sccream”
Wovenhand “The Threshingfloor”
Yakuza “Of Seismic Consequence”
Yo La Tengo “Here To Fall Remixes”
Zs    “New Slaves”