We’re gradually approaching the end of the year and – if all goes well – we’ll close it as one of the most prolific years in the history of F.O.A.D. Records: so far, we haven’t missed a single month, there have always been releases, and no delays!  And this November also looks set to be terrific.  This is the kind of month that really highlights the versatility on which our effort is based, a great open-mindedness in ranging across different underground genres…: you get a UK hardcore super-classic, a lost&found gem from the highly respected “furious years of Italian hardcore punk”, and two incredible milestones from the fantastic new wave/post-punk scene of the 80’s former Yugoslavia. The first is a recurring name for those who follow F.O.A.D., the undisputed heroes of British hardcore, pioneers of everything that is extreme, raging, loud and impactful… DISCHARGE, with the scorching live LP “Tomorrow belongs to us?” enriched by a stunning packaging. Still in the hardcore punk battleground, from Bologna/Italy we have STALAG 17 with their 1982-1983 discography “Distruggi la tua vecchia mente!!” (Destroy your old mind), and veering completely towards darker and more post-punk/goth/darkwave vibes, moving towards our beloved former Yugoslavia, we have LUNA / LA STRADA with the LP+7“ reissue of their legendary tape “Hokej Klub Virginitas” and the second pressing of GRČ‘s “Sloboda narodu”, an incredible classic between post-punk and deathrock from the gray city of Rijeka. 

So, to sum it all up: DISCHARGE “Tomorrow belongs to us?” gatefold LP, STALAG 17 “Distruggi la tua vecchia mente!! Discography 1982-1983” LP, LUNA / LA STRADA gatefold LP+7”, GRČ “Sloboda narodu” LP are all available for pre-order via www.scareystore.com  As always, we have prepared a limited bundle for those who want to buy all 4 diehard editions of these releases in one go. Considering that DISCHARGE is in high demand, it won’t last long, so be fast!  As always, we advise you not to wait too long if you want to get your hands on the limited editions (splatter/marble). Take last month as an example: two out of four are already sold out… And one last thing: please don’t bombard us with unnecessary requests such as substitutions in orders already placed, address changes, payment changes – all this delays our daily work, delays the shipments themselves, and causes us a lot of stress. Once an order is placed, be patient and you will receive everything as soon as possible. 

And now here are the detailed descriptions of the 4x nuclear stockpiles in this round of releases…:

DISCHARGE “Tomorrow belongs to us?” gatefold LP (F.O.A.D. 397)

FOR THE FIRST TIME ON VINYL! February 1982, just three months after the release of the seminal “Never again” EP and less than two months after their first ever gigs outside of the UK in Italy and Yugoslavia, DISCHARGE returned to play one of their legendary headline gigs at London’s infamous 100 Club on Oxford Street. The gig, captured here was recorded before the studio session for their devastating debut album, and sees them hammer through nearly twenty bone breaking assaults of maximum possible musical expression with startling ferocity; a set that was culled solely from their first five releases, “Realities of war”, “Fight back”, “Decontrol”, “Why” and “Never again”!
One of the very last times that some of these songs would be played live ever, and by the “classic” line up of Bones, Rainy, Cal and Garry to a howling mob of insane youth – “Tomorrow belongs to us?” is a perfect snapshot in time of the transitionary period between the band’s early records and their next musical step with the “Hear nothing…” LP. Issued with unique gatefold sleeve artwork based solely upon original period designs reflecting the era and the DIY merchandise aesthetic that they self-produced, and a 32 page booklet filled with early fanzine interviews, rare flyers, and photos, this once again proves why DISCHARGE are considered the most influential hardcore punk band of all time! 

Watch the trailer HERE

Available in the following versions:

Solid black vinyl limited to 200 copies

Diehard smokey red vinyl ltd. to 150 copies + embroidered backpatch with the artwork of a Discharge T-shirt from that era, faithfully reproducing an early 80’s UK backpatch using the same materials, printing methods and finishes

Diehard smokey green vinyl ltd. to 150 copies + embroidered backpatch with the artwork of a Discharge T-shirt from that era, faithfully reproducing an early 80’s UK backpatch using the same materials, printing methods and finishes

–

STALAG 17 “Distruggi la tua vecchia mente!! Discografia 1982-1983” LP (F.O.A.D. 371)

Another hidden gem of raging Italian punk straight from the legendary “furious years of Italian hardcore”! Hailing from Bologna, formed in 1981 in the same scene that also gave rise to Nabat and Raf Punk – STALAG 17, in their short existence were delivering no frills hardcore with the unmatchable formula of that era that consists of short, fast, angry songs and a highly politicized attitude…  This complete discography, fully supervised by the band, compiles the following works:
– 2 songs from “Schiavi nella città più libera del mondo” (Attack Punk, 1982)
– songs from “Né buoni né cattivi… soltanto incazzati” Split 7″ with IRAH (Attack Punk, 1983)
– songs from 4 Way tape with ANTI, SOTTOCULTURA and IMPACT
Includes a 16-page Attack Punk-style booklet with rare photos, flyers, lyrics, and liner notes in both Italian and English. 
Recommended if you also like: IMPACT, WRETCHED, EU’S ARSE, UNDERAGE, RAF PUNK.

Watch the trailer HERE

Available in the following versions:

Solid black vinyl limited to 200 copies

Diehard splatter vinyl (milky white with green splattering) limited to 100 copies

–

LUNA / LA STRADA “Hokej Klub Virginitas” gatefold LP+7″ (F.O.A.D. 394)

Official reissue of this iconic Yugoslavian tape, appearing for the first time on vinyl! There are cult Balkan bands and there is LUNA. Emerged from the arty punk and post punk scene in Novi Sad in the late 70s, with some of the most prominent musicians from other big bands of the time (such as the young guitarist from Pekinška Patka, Bale, or the drummer from the mega-influential new wave YU rock band Ekatarina Velika and drum innovator Firchie) and with Jasmina on synth and Slobodan Tišma, one of the most influential poets/writers in the Balkans. They were active for a very short period and played probably less than 30 gigs, but they did in Yugoslavia what JOY DIVISION did globally. Their only album, “Nestvarne stvari”, was released posthumously in 1984 in a limited edition, and the cassette compilation “Hokej Klub Virginitas” was released in 1988 in only 100 copies, collecting their early tracks from 1982/1983. Here it is available again as a deluxe gatefold LP adding a bonus 7″ with two songs from the early days of LA STRADA (LUNA side project) with liner notes by Belgrade underground post punk wizard Nikola Vitković. Incredibly influential darkwave/proto-goth that ranks among the best and most original ones of the golden era of post/punk in Yugoslavia. As a bonus, you’ll also find a download card with the entire album + a rare LUNA track not included on the vinyl release! Made in cooperation with Guranje S Litice, a unique museum of Balkan underground music…

Watch the trailer HERE

Available in the following versions:

Solid black vinyl limited to 200 copies

Diehard ash gray marble vinyl limited to 100 copies

–

GRČ “Sloboda narodu” LP (F.O.A.D. 088)

By popular demand, we’re glad to announce a new pressing of this highly acclaimed gem from the 80’s Yugoslavian underground!! GRČ formed in 1982 in the prolific punk/dark/new wave scene of Rijeka, Croatia. Their album “Sloboda narodu”, originally released in 1987 on cassette only, represents one of the most gloomy and hopeless expressions of negativity that any genre labeled as dark, death-rock, or post-punk has ever conceived. It exudes blood, secular darkness, and anguish in its purest form. Their musical approach is a solid blend of doom tinged post-industrial rock and uncompromising dark punk atmospheres. The incredible downtuned voice of their ominous frontman Zoff consolidates a feeling of solemn black decadence that goes hand in hand with wonderful lyrics, a desperate cry for freedom in a landscape of war, urban decay, and social oppression. Remastered from the original 1/4″ reels, packaged in a reverse board avana jacket with an 8-page booklet featuring rare photos, flyers and lyrics (also translated in English).

Watch the trailer HERE

Available in the following versions: 

Solid black vinyl limited to 200 copies

Diehard marble silver vinyl limited to 100 copies

Here we are, finally at the last post of 2022! This has undoubtedly been the most tiring and complicated year for us, with a lot of unexpected changes and perspectives opening up towards the future. And yet we came away with a fantastic result, 41 releases in 12 months (!!), breaking last year’s record! Quoting a friend from another label that recently visited us at the MegaRecord Fair in Den Bosch: “you guys are insane, you basically release one record a week”. In fact that’s right, almost every month of this year we’ve had at least 4-5 releases (mostly on vinyl), so it’s correct to say one x week.. And believe us, the balance of our modus operandi made up of announcement trailers, opening pre-orders and out now is very delicate because a small delay in a delivery from the pressing plant, a missing booklet or some unexpected event is enough to trigger us a nervous breakdown. However beyond this, we want to thank from the bottom of our hearts all those who believe and support our small independent label and have allowed us to get this far… we are about to reach F.O.A.D. 300!! It’s above all thanks to the help and passion of those who follow us that this gear keeps turning in an ever stronger and motivated way, and the enthusiasm of all of you that gives us the lifeblood to continue working tirelessly as hard as possible, hunting in the most remote corners of the world for the most hidden and rare recordings, and always having a schedule full of surprises and variety of genres. And it goes without saying that for 2023 we have a series of incredible smashers in the pipeline that we can’t wait to announce!

This said, back to now:  5 x December releases – ACUTE “Who wants war – Discography 1986-1989” 2xLP+CD, EYESCREAM “The end – Complete discography” LP, ASBESTOS “Loud Noise Infection” LP, MRTVI KANAL / GRČ Split LP and AUTARKIA “Gobiernate a ti mismo” LP are all out now. We have already shipped most of the pre-orders, the last batch will leave immediately after Christmas, please be patient – given the very busy period. The diehard editions of ACUTE, ASBESTOS, EYESCREAM, MRTVI KANAL / GRČ split LP are all sold out on preorder, there are quite a few black ones left too, so don’t sleep on them!

More in detail:

ACUTE “Who wants war – Discography 1986-1989” 2xLP+CD (F.O.A.D. 277)

Another obscure Japanese Hardcore gem from the past, rescued and brought back to life in a top quality edition.. It’s no secret that the FOAD team are totally crazy for Hokkaido area punk, you saw it with previous works such as Human Gas, Stali nism, Napalm, Chinpira, Shot Gun…  Hailing from Sapporo, Hokkaido, ACUTE are only known to diehard HC maniacs for their killer tracks on the hard to find “Nothing action nothing have” v.a. tape (1989). This anthology compiles their complete recordings 1986-1989 adding as bonus a CD with never-heard-before recordings from the “Nothing action, nothing have” release show at Bessie Hall, Sapporo where they shared the stage with legends such as Slang, F.U.P. and Satanic Hell Slaughter.  44 TRACKS showing the band’s evolution from their early distorted punk approach influenced by UK82 classics (Chaos UK, Disorder) to the shredding fast Japancore thrash assault of their latter phase. Freshly ripped from the band’s tapes and mastered for vinyl at Toxic Basement Studio. Gatefold jacket + two booklets (total 24 pages) including flyers, photos, lyrics as well as all the original artworks and leaflets showing their strong anti-war stance and socially engaged hardcore attitude.  Watch the trailer HERE

Solid black vinyl limited to 250 copies

–

EYESCREAM “The end – Complete discography” LP (F.O.A.D. 278)

Raging female fronted Japanese Hardcore at its finest! This short-lived revelation from Sendai has quickly gained attention with two incendiary demotapes and a 3-way LP with No No No and Keiketsu.. Here’s their complete discography for the first time on vinyl including all their studio recordings + a full live set recorded at El Puente in Yokohama..  29 TRACKS! Rapid, no frills ’80s obsessed Hardcore delivered with unmatched intensity and riffing mastery, that will totally please fans of The COMES, GAS, The EXECUTE, DISARRAY and other classics from the early days of Japanese HC.  LP with OBI strip and foldout 12″x12″ four page insert including lyrics, photos and scans of the original releases. Watch the trailer HERE

Solid black vinyl limited to 250 copies

–

ASBESTOS “Loud noise infection” LP (F.O.A.D. 285)

The return of this veteran metallic hardcore unit, detonatic ears with their thrash-fueled aggression since 1988! 10 songs, brand new studio recordings from 2022. One of the earliest Japanese HC bands to introduce crust elements in their sound combining them with a solid metal/punk edge… this new album, following their classic debut “The final solution…” (1989) recently reissued by FOAD Records and mid 90’s opus “Agonized cry” (more leaning towards Amebix/Antisect influences), keeps their banner high with viciously addictive riffs and vitriolic vocals that bring memories back to their early days. The band features Noboru “Jero” Sakuma of Abigail/Gorgon on 4-string artillery.  LP with OBI strip and insert. Watch the trailer HERE

Solid black vinyl limited to 250 copies

–

MRTVI KANAL / GRČ Split LP (F.O.A.D. 279)

“1983…: as Yugoslavia was slowly losing vital functions, its underground youth was never more creative and angry.”
Official reissue of this mythological split release originally published as a ltd. edition tape in 1983 on the cult label Galerija ŠKUC Izdaja (Laibach, Borghesia, Otroci Socializma etc.).. now for the first time on vinyl!! Two bands from the incredibly vital post-punk scene of Rijeka, one of the most intense and vital spots in the ‘80s ex-Yugoslavian underground. This release shows the slow and gloomy embryonic phase of Grč, currently celebrating their 40th year anniversary, paired with Mrtvi Kanal’s sensibilities on writing great melancholic, pop-infused post punk excellence. In the years to follow Grč consolidated their sinister fame with the incredible masterpiece “Sloboda narodu” (1987) – also reissued by FOAD years ago, one of the blackest and most hopeless expressions of negativity that whatever you may label as Dark, Death Rock or Post Punk has ever conceived… while Mrtvi Kanal recorded only a dozen of songs (the most included on this split) before they vanished in the mid 80ies. With a bitter approach towards themselves and the outside world, both bands captured the very essence of their contemporary times through the epic 12 songs included on this record, talking about freedom, desperation, hope and disappointment.  Taken from the original reels and mastered for vinyl at Toxic Basement Studio.  Includes a 12 page booklet with rare photos, flyers and scans of the 1983 tape. Made thanks to the friendly assistance of Dallas Records (Slovenia) and archival/editorial supervision from Guranje s litice (Croatia). Watch the trailer HERE

Solid black vinyl limited to 350 copies

–

AUTARKIA “Gobiernate a ti mismo” LP (F.O.A.D. 276)

Rough, ultra-crude Mexican fuzzcore punks! Formed in the late ’80s in Mexico State, AUTARKIA were mostly active from 1990 to 1994 releasing 3 tapes, one of which would become their cult full length “Punk’s al slam”, later published on CD and LP. Here’s the official reissue of their debut demo 1993 originally entitled “Sociedad autosuficiente”, recorded prior to “Punk’s al slam”. For the first time on vinyl, mastered from the band’s tapes. Absurdly raw 2-chords tupa tupa hardcore in pure latino-american tradition, recommended if you also like M.E.L.I., MASACRE 68, KAGADA DE PERRO and similar. 16 TRACKS!  Includes full colored booklet with lyrics, rare photos and flyers. Made in collaboration with Mierdas Production from Mexico. Watch the trailer HERE

Available in the following versions:

Solid black vinyl limited to 200 copies

Diehard aquamarine blue vinyl limited to 100 copies

..and also for this year we’re at the final round with the last 5 releases… we haven’t yet counted how many FOAD titles saw the light in 2022, we’ll talk about it in the next post, but one thing is sure: it’s certainly much more than than we expected – an unbelievable achievement for us, also considering the immense problems we’ve been dealing with for months, such as a change of warehouses, a major split & renewal of our team and a lot more. To conclude such a crazy period in style we have chosen a very special year-end selection.. for the umpteenth time we explore Japan and by now you should all know that FOAD Records + Japanese Hardcore is a guarantee, this time we’ll reaffirm it with the tryptich ACUTE, EYESCREAM and ASBESTOS , then we move on to another country very dear to us.. Mexico with an ultra-rough band that will delight aficionados of the most filthy and disastrous fuzz-punk, we are talking about AUTARKIA.. and last but not least, we set up the time machine to our beloved former Yugoslavia, with the reissue of a legendary cassette that dates back to 1983 and covers a rather unusual territory for those familiar with our label’s sounds: we’re entering a post punk area with dark/industrial rock hues, with the fantastic split between MRTVI KANAL and GRČ. Different and distant countries, genres and eras quite far from each other, but basically an important point in common: they’re all bands that we really love, they are part of our daily playlists, and therefore we are pleased to have them in our roster.

So to sum it all up, this month’s 5 vinyl outrages are:  ACUTE “Who wants war – Discography 1986-1989” 2xLP+CD, EYESCREAM “The end – Complete discography” LP,  ASBESTOS “Loud Noise Infection” LP, MRTVI KANAL / GRČ Split LP and AUTARKIA “Gobiernate a ti mismo” LP.  Please note: the scheduled release date is December 20th and as always we’ll try to be as quick as possible to ship everything before Xmas chaos breaks in, however, due to year-end postal slowdowns and congestion and the fact that we’re still missing a few inserts and booklets (that should be ready soon anyway), delivery times are unpredictable, so please be patient – don’t flood us with messages and everything will be set right. As usual we strongly recommend you to act fast if you want to catch the ltd. colored vinyl versions, they won’t last for long!

More in detail:

ACUTE “Who wants war – Discography 1986-1989” 2xLP+CD (F.O.A.D. 277)

Another obscure Japanese Hardcore gem from the past, rescued and brought back to life in a top quality edition.. It’s no secret that the FOAD team are totally crazy for Hokkaido area punk, you saw it with previous works such as Human Gas, Stali nism, Napalm, Chinpira, Shot Gun…  Hailing from Sapporo, Hokkaido, ACUTE are only known to diehard HC maniacs for their killer tracks on the hard to find “Nothing action nothing have” v.a. tape (1989). This anthology compiles their complete recordings 1986-1989 adding as bonus a CD with never-heard-before recordings from the “Nothing action, nothing have” release show at Bessie Hall, Sapporo where they shared the stage with legends such as Slang, F.U.P. and Satanic Hell Slaughter.  44 TRACKS showing the band’s evolution from their early distorted punk approach influenced by UK82 classics (Chaos UK, Disorder) to the shredding fast Japancore thrash assault of their latter phase. Freshly ripped from the band’s tapes and mastered for vinyl at Toxic Basement Studio. Gatefold jacket + two booklets (total 24 pages) including flyers, photos, lyrics as well as all the original artworks and leaflets showing their strong anti-war stance and socially engaged hardcore attitude.  Watch the trailer HERE

Available in the following versions:

Solid black vinyl limited to 250 copies

Diehard splatter vinyl (black and red on white) limited to 150 copies

–

EYESCREAM “The end – Complete discography” LP (F.O.A.D. 278)

Raging female fronted Japanese Hardcore at its finest! This short-lived revelation from Sendai has quickly gained attention with two incendiary demotapes and a 3-way LP with No No No and Keiketsu.. Here’s their complete discography for the first time on vinyl including all their studio recordings + a full live set recorded at El Puente in Yokohama..  29 TRACKS! Rapid, no frills ’80s obsessed Hardcore delivered with unmatched intensity and riffing mastery, that will totally please fans of The COMES, GAS, The EXECUTE, DISARRAY and other classics from the early days of Japanese HC.  LP with OBI strip and foldout 12″x12″ four page insert including lyrics, photos and scans of the original releases. Watch the trailer HERE

Available in the following versions:

Solid black vinyl limited to 250 copies

Diehard smokey vinyl (clear green mixed with black) limited to 150 copies

–

ASBESTOS “Loud noise infection” LP (F.O.A.D. 285)

The return of this veteran metallic hardcore unit, detonatic ears with their thrash-fueled aggression since 1988! 10 songs, brand new studio recordings from 2022. One of the earliest Japanese HC bands to introduce crust elements in their sound combining them with a solid metal/punk edge… this new album, following their classic debut “The final solution…” (1989) recently reissued by FOAD Records and mid 90’s opus “Agonized cry” (more leaning towards Amebix/Antisect influences), keeps their banner high with viciously addictive riffs and vitriolic vocals that bring memories back to their early days. The band features Noboru “Jero” Sakuma of Abigail/Gorgon on 4-string artillery.  LP with OBI strip and insert. Watch the trailer HERE

Available in the following versions:

Solid black vinyl limited to 250 copies

Diehard marble vinyl (dark red) limited to 150 copies

–

MRTVI KANAL / GRČ Split LP (F.O.A.D. 279)

“1983…: as Yugoslavia was slowly losing vital functions, its underground youth was never more creative and angry.”
Official reissue of this mythological split release originally published as a ltd. edition tape in 1983 on the cult label Galerija ŠKUC Izdaja (Laibach, Borghesia, Otroci Socializma etc.).. now for the first time on vinyl!! Two bands from the incredibly vital post-punk scene of Rijeka, one of the most intense and vital spots in the ‘80s ex-Yugoslavian underground. This release shows the slow and gloomy embryonic phase of Grč, currently celebrating their 40th year anniversary, paired with Mrtvi Kanal’s sensibilities on writing great melancholic, pop-infused post punk excellence. In the years to follow Grč consolidated their sinister fame with the incredible masterpiece “Sloboda narodu” (1987) – also reissued by FOAD years ago, one of the blackest and most hopeless expressions of negativity that whatever you may label as Dark, Death Rock or Post Punk has ever conceived… while Mrtvi Kanal recorded only a dozen of songs (the most included on this split) before they vanished in the mid 80ies. With a bitter approach towards themselves and the outside world, both bands captured the very essence of their contemporary times through the epic 12 songs included on this record, talking about freedom, desperation, hope and disappointment.  Taken from the original reels and mastered for vinyl at Toxic Basement Studio.  Includes a 12 page booklet with rare photos, flyers and scans of the 1983 tape. Made thanks to the friendly assistance of Dallas Records (Slovenia) and archival/editorial supervision from Guranje s litice (Croatia). Watch the trailer HERE

Available in the following versions:

Solid black vinyl limited to 350 copies

Diehard clear yellow vinyl limited to 150 copies

–

AUTARKIA “Gobiernate a ti mismo” LP (F.O.A.D. 276)

Rough, ultra-crude Mexican fuzzcore punks! Formed in the late ’80s in Mexico State, AUTARKIA were mostly active from 1990 to 1994 releasing 3 tapes, one of which would become their cult full length “Punk’s al slam”, later published on CD and LP. Here’s the official reissue of their debut demo 1993 originally entitled “Sociedad autosuficiente”, recorded prior to “Punk’s al slam”. For the first time on vinyl, mastered from the band’s tapes. Absurdly raw 2-chords tupa tupa hardcore in pure latino-american tradition, recommended if you also like M.E.L.I., MASACRE 68, KAGADA DE PERRO and similar. 16 TRACKS!  Includes full colored booklet with lyrics, rare photos and flyers. Made in collaboration with Mierdas Production from Mexico. Watch the trailer HERE

Available in the following versions:

Solid black vinyl limited to 200 copies

Diehard aquamarine blue vinyl limited to 100 copies

After being almost one week away with FOAD‘s stand at the ultra-sick Netherlands Death Fest we’re finally back and ready to announce that the 3 releases that we had announced a while back are finally here and ready to ship! So, GRČ “Sloboda Narodu” LP, PAUL CHAIN VIOLET THEATRE “Opera 4th” gatefold LP and PAUL CHAIN “Live a Cattolica 5.08.1988” LP are out now!  Most pre-orders have been sent already, please be patient if you have ordered in the last week as we’re still catching up those that arrived since we left for NDF, and there are many. We still have a few copies on limited splatter vinyl for both GRČ and “Opera 4th“, so be fast if you want to get them!

More details about each release:

GRČ “Sloboda Narodu” LP  (F.O.A.D. 088)

Unsung heroes outside their country for us one of the greatest treasures that the Yugoslavian Rock scene spawned in the 80s, GRČ were formed back in 1982 in the early Punk/Dark/New Wave scene of Rijeka, Croatia. Their album “Sloboda Narodu” originally released in 1987 only on tape represents one of the most gloomy and hopeless expressions of negativity that whatever you may label as Dark, Death Rock or Post Punk has ever conceived. It transpires blood, secular blackness and distress at its purest form.  Their musical approach is a solid amalgamation of Doom tinged post-industrial Rock (think of early Swans and Young Gods) with uncompromised Dark Punk atmospheres. The incredible downtuned vocals of their ominous frontman Zoff consolidate a feeling of solemn black decadence that go hand in hand with wonderful lyrics, a desperate cry for freedom in a landscape of war, urban decay, social oppression.

With the opening track “Noćas se Beograd pali” (“Belgrade’s burning tonight”) they somehow predicted the bloody conflict that dismembered Yugoslavia few years later, and the mood is equally hopeless on the following “Blood is still running” or “Black gloves“.  The album also includes a musical trasposition of the 2WW poem “Jama” (“The pit”) by Ivan Goran Kovačić, one of the strongest and harshest examples of anti-war poetry ever written. By releasing this masterpiece for the first time on vinyl (as back then there were no funds to go beyond a limited run on cassette) we are proud of making justice to what we consider a completely undiscovered classic representing an area that has always been vital in terms of musical creativity. Today’s newcomers of Dark and DeathRock should take their hats off to a band like GRČ.

Remastered from the original 1/4″ reels, housed in a special rough reverse board jacket including a 8 page booklet with lyrics (also translated in English), rare photos and flyers.

AVAILABLE IN TWO DIFFERENT VERSIONS:

Die-hard edition on smokey grey vinyl (limited to 100 copies)

Black vinyl (limited to 200 copies)

==================

PAUL CHAIN VIOLET THEATRE  “Opera 4th”  gatefold LP + poster  (F.O.A.D. 090)

Official re-issue of this Psychedelic Doom Metal masterpiece originally released in 1987 and sold out (on vinyl) for almost 3 decades. This high quality edition has been entirely remastered and comes in a full glossy gatefold cover also including a two-sided A3 poster with the creepy “Death devours men and beasts” art + two poems written by Giancarlo Bolther. Paul Chain started out in the horror-shock band Death SS in 1977, a band that combined evil occult Metal and theatrics. In 1979 he formed Paul Chain Violet Theatre while he was still in Death SS. He later (1984 to be precise) left Death SS to concentrate on Paul Chain Violet Theatre, shortening the name to Paul Chain in 1987.  The various Paul Chain incarnations released a large number of albums ranging from Traditional Doom (often coming close to very early Black Sabbath) to more experimental music, and gained massive underground fame in doing so. Amongst others, he has worked with Lee Dorrian (Cathedral) and Wino (St Vitus).  “Opera 4th” is an apocalyptic journey into the most deviated realms of this genius’ creativity.

It starts with the 30 minute long experimental madness of “Our Solitude (Birth, Life, Death)” a space-doom nightmare dragging the soul into a cryptic universe of psychedelic synths and vocal echoes. The 3 songs on Side B bring us back to a solid, Sabbath-tinged (doomish) Metal approach that at times recalls Paul’s early steps with Death SS and at times develop into ’70s rock strangeness, like the closing “Resurrection In Christ“. All in all, Paul Chain is a musical genius and anybody into Traditional Doom and Metal in all its forms should check out his work.

AVAILABLE IN TWO DIFFERENT VERSIONS:

Die-hard edition on color-in-color electric blue vs aqua blue vinyl (limited to 100 copies)

Black vinyl (limited to 400 copies)

==================

PAUL CHAIN “Live a Cattolica 5.08.1988” LP

Limited edition of 300 copies on purple funeral vinyl. Ultra rare and never-heard-to-date live recording resurrected from the archives of Marco/EVERSOR that booked the show (known as “Metal Devastation: Live!“) at the time. This incredible performance offers us P.C. at one of the peaks of his unmatched talent, backed by a legendary line-up with even Sanctis Ghoram of DEATH SS singing on 3 songs.

After a sinister intro, this incredible set bursts through songs taken from “Ash“, “In the darkness” to the classic “Inquisitor” from DEATH SS‘ “Evil Metal” EP and as icing on the cake delivers 2 completely unreleased ones that never made it on any studio album.  Hands down one of the most enjoyable live recordings in the entire PAUL CHAIN discography, the sound has that typical raw and intense feel of many 80s Metal recordings, and it has been specially mastered for vinyl at Toxic Basement Studio, for the best possible sonic impact. Includes rare photos, the original flyer of the show and a detailed liner note written by the Italian fan club of this genius!

February here is usually one the most gray and depressing times of the year and for this reason we have decided to concentrate on this month not 2 but 3 of our darkest, doom-soaked releases to date. Those who have been keeping an eye on our previous works know that we’re not new to digging from the archives old and rare PAUL CHAIN recordings (remember the “Mirror” double LP collection), so now we’re ready to deliver 2 more gloomy classics of this Italian sonic wizard. And in addition we are stoked to introduce you to GRČ and their legendary “Sloboda narodu” (1987), by many considered as one of the best Dark/Rock/Punk albums from what was then Yugoslavia… So, to cut it short: pre-orders for GRČ “Sloboda Narodu” LP, PAUL CHAIN VIOLET THEATRE “Opera 4th” gatefold LP and PAUL CHAIN “Live a Cattolica 5.08.1988” LP are up now! More in detail about each vinyl offering..:

GRČ “Sloboda Narodu” LP  (F.O.A.D. 088)

Unsung heroes outside their country for us one of the greatest treasures that the Yugoslavian Rock scene spawned in the 80s, GRČ were formed back in 1982 in the early Punk/Dark/New Wave scene of Rijeka, Croatia. Their album “Sloboda Narodu” originally released in 1987 only on tape represents one of the most gloomy and hopeless expressions of negativity that whatever you may label as Dark, Death Rock or Post Punk has ever conceived. It transpires blood, secular blackness and distress at its purest form.  Their musical approach is a solid amalgamation of Doom tinged post-industrial Rock (think of early Swans and Young Gods) with uncompromised Dark Punk atmospheres. The incredible downtuned vocals of their ominous frontman Zoff consolidate a feeling of solemn black decadence that go hand in hand with wonderful lyrics, a desperate cry for freedom in a landscape of war, urban decay, social oppression.

With the opening track “Noćas se Beograd pali” (“Belgrade’s burning tonight”) they somehow predicted the bloody conflict that dismembered Yugoslavia few years later, and the mood is equally hopeless on the following “Blood is still running” or “Black gloves“.  The album also includes a musical trasposition of the 2WW poem “Jama” (“The pit”) by Ivan Goran Kovačić, one of the strongest and harshest examples of anti-war poetry ever written. By releasing this masterpiece for the first time on vinyl (as back then there were no funds to go beyond a limited run on cassette) we are proud of making justice to what we consider a completely undiscovered classic representing an area that has always been vital in terms of musical creativity. Today’s newcomers of Dark and DeathRock should take their hats off to a band like GRČ.

Remastered from the original 1/4″ reels, housed in a special rough reverse board jacket including a 8 page booklet with lyrics (also translated in English), rare photos and flyers.

AVAILABLE IN TWO DIFFERENT VERSIONS:

Die-hard edition on smokey grey vinyl (limited to 100 copies)

Black vinyl (limited to 200 copies)

==================

PAUL CHAIN VIOLET THEATRE  “Opera 4th”  gatefold LP + poster  (F.O.A.D. 090)

Official re-issue of this Psychedelic Doom Metal masterpiece originally released in 1987 and sold out (on vinyl) for almost 3 decades. This high quality edition has been entirely remastered and comes in a full glossy gatefold cover also including a two-sided A3 poster with the creepy “Death devours men and beasts” art + two poems written by Giancarlo Bolther. Paul Chain started out in the horror-shock band Death SS in 1977, a band that combined evil occult Metal and theatrics. In 1979 he formed Paul Chain Violet Theatre while he was still in Death SS. He later (1984 to be precise) left Death SS to concentrate on Paul Chain Violet Theatre, shortening the name to Paul Chain in 1987.  The various Paul Chain incarnations released a large number of albums ranging from Traditional Doom (often coming close to very early Black Sabbath) to more experimental music, and gained massive underground fame in doing so. Amongst others, he has worked with Lee Dorrian (Cathedral) and Wino (St Vitus).  “Opera 4th” is an apocalyptic journey into the most deviated realms of this genius’ creativity.

It starts with the 30 minute long experimental madness of “Our Solitude (Birth, Life, Death)” a space-doom nightmare dragging the soul into a cryptic universe of psychedelic synths and vocal echoes. The 3 songs on Side B bring us back to a solid, Sabbath-tinged (doomish) Metal approach that at times recalls Paul’s early steps with Death SS and at times develop into ’70s rock strangeness, like the closing “Resurrection In Christ“. All in all, Paul Chain is a musical genius and anybody into Traditional Doom and Metal in all its forms should check out his work.

AVAILABLE IN TWO DIFFERENT VERSIONS:

Die-hard edition on color-in-color electric blue vs aqua blue vinyl (limited to 100 copies)

Black vinyl (limited to 400 copies)

==================

PAUL CHAIN “Live a Cattolica 5.08.1988” LP

Limited edition of 300 copies on purple funeral vinyl. Ultra rare and never-heard-to-date live recording resurrected from the archives of Marco/EVERSOR that booked the show (known as “Metal Devastation: Live!“) at the time. This incredible performance offers us P.C. at one of the peaks of his unmatched talent, backed by a legendary line-up with even Sanctis Ghoram of DEATH SS singing on 3 songs.

After a sinister intro, this incredible set bursts through songs taken from “Ash“, “In the darkness” to the classic “Inquisitor” from DEATH SS‘ “Evil Metal” EP and as icing on the cake delivers 2 completely unreleased ones that never made it on any studio album.  Hands down one of the most enjoyable live recordings in the entire PAUL CHAIN discography, the sound has that typical raw and intense feel of many 80s Metal recordings, and it has been specially mastered for vinyl at Toxic Basement Studio, for the best possible sonic impact. Includes rare photos, the original flyer of the show and a detailed liner note written by the Italian fan club of this genius!