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hardcore records on ebay — aggregated and examined
Let me put it to you like this: I don’t care how uncool Victory records is (extremely), I don’t care about the controversy that has always surrounded the band (plenty), or the horrible tours with horrible bands they went on (Strife I think?). I don’t care about the crappy 90’s looking cover art (eww), I don’t care about the section of their fans that are basketball jersey wearing, plugs in the earlobe douchebags… I don’t care about any of that. The bottom line is Systems Overload will crush you. Every time. This is one of the most brilliant and inspired pieces of “extreme music” ever recorded. Think what you want. I know there’s people too uptight to really sit down with Integrity and give them an honest listen. I know there’s some who don’t go past their first album because it’s not on the worst label of all time, and because of the rule in HC that “first albums always the best”. I’m confident this is the best Integrity album though. It outshines all their previous efforts by leaps and bounds, it set the bar for their next 2 almost as perfect releases, and it should make the pale imitation of the band that has been around since 1998 (’99?) in various forms, downright ashamed.
Systems Overload blends a variety of hardcore, punk and metal sounds into a seamless whole. I know when I’m slipping into the banality of hyperbole, and I know it’s happening now, but there’s no other group that can borrow from the Cro-Mags, Discharge, Metallica, and Entombed (the “classic” releases only by those bands) and make it count like this. It’s a generic list of influences, but upon hearing the album it obviously makes sense. You take that driving British tempo and muscle, temper it through the “behind-the-beat” NYHC crunch, mix in sombre melodies and solos of Burton and Hetfield, and give it the dark horror vibe and deranged delivery of Left Hand Path. It’s amazing working off influences that cast shadows so big can work this well, but the 1-2-3 punch of Incarnate365/No One/Systems Overload ought to be all the proof you need. I don’t know how to explain the kind of power riff that opens Incarnate. It’s so basic and simple… almost triumphant sounding. When the song speeds up and the main verse takes over, guitarist Aaron Melnick lays down a wild run of Kirk Hammett inspired shredding that fights for supremacy with the growling screaming vocals. Everything is emphasized by the juicy drum sound, led by a saturated and booming bass drum (with double kicks used for maximum effectiveness), and a primal echoing “roomy” sound on the kit. No drum triggering in sight. Just “THUD CRACK BOOM”.
With the bombast and in your face metal licks that dominate Incarnate, it’s a bit of a surprise that the next song, No One, is the most no frills hardcore song on the album. At only 45 seconds or so, there’s no time for finger tapping or even a proper breakdown. These 2 songs are a template for the majority of the rest of the album. A handful of the songs work to expand on the kind of meat and potatoes hardcore approach that No One takes, while the others juxtapose guitar acrobatics with slower moody sections and pseudo death metal crunch. A couple of songs, like Armanien Persectution and Salvations Malevolence also find the instrumental sections stretched out, and see diversions into ambient noise which both help to heighten the dark atmosphere as well as break for a couple minutes from the otherwise constant bludgeoning.Systems Overload can never truly get the recognition I want it to have. It’s in every way superior to the plodding, dated sound and style of Integrity’s debut lp “Those Who Fear Tomorrow”, and recorded hundreds of times better. Unfortunately by 1995 Integrity had already eclipsed their achievements with their infamous reputation as trouble makers. They had problems touring because they couldn’t keep a steady lineup and were often getting in fights, and with the rising attitude of 80’s revivalism in hardcore, they were increasingly labeled as “just a metal band”/”not hardcore”/ too thuggish. The record was well recognized at the time, make no mistake, but even if it was superior, in hindsight it wasn’t the career maker that “Those Who Fear Tomorrow” was able to be, (due as much to time and place and attitudes about the band as the songs on it). But where Those Who Fear Tomorrow sounds so stuck in its time and place now, Systems could be a contemporary album, even though its roots are firmly in 80’s hc and metal. For me I think that’s why it endures.The edition I’ve linked is on clear vinyl, it says 100 pressed, but my pressing info says 500. It’s still pretty hard to track down, so grab it if you can.
“the 1-2-3 punch of Incarnate365/No One/Systems Overload ought to be all the proof you need”
This statement just nails it as far as this record goes… After those first three songs though, I just find the rest of the record to be kind of blah… I know it’s a cliche, but this Lp would’ve made a great 7″.
Regardless of the fact that I couldn’t agree with you less about this being better than “Those Who Fear Tomorrow”, I really enjoy reading what you think about the music you cover, it definitely gets me dusting off old classics and d/l new ones to see what your on about… Thanks for that.
Keep it up,
Erik
p.s. I also can’t believe neither Slayer or G.I.S.M. came up in regards to Aarons leads in your post… Those seem to be readily understood influences of his/the bands. It was interesting to see you approach it from a different/your own angle.
I remember Victory Records put out this full color page catalog in the late 90’s. It had pressing info for all their vinyl at the time, and it listed the clear vinyl pressing of this record at 100 copies. I’ve seen a decent amount of these in collections and on Ebay, and I’m pretty sure that Victory never pressed less than 300 copies for colored vinyl, so I’m guessing there’s more than 100.
I asked Bill Korecky what recording this album was like. He responded: “It was a drunken haze. We were lost in a sea of knobs (referring to the mixing console).”
I was supposed to see Integrity at the Tune Inn right after this record came out and called the Tune In to check to see if they were playing right before I left for the show. They had cancelled their whole tour, but the Tune Inn hadn’t updated their recorded message.
i have that victory pressing info jam, or one of them… mine says 500 clear. I actually pulled it out about 2 years ago to help compile some Clevo pressing info. Also in there: interviews w/ Raybeez and In Cold Blood.
As for this making a great 7″? i just don’t see where the weak songs are. the only two i could pick out would be fading away and search for divinity, but only because i believe every other song is crafted in ingenuity beyond what anyone involved was even aware. I mean Grace Of The Unholy, Mediator, Jimson Isolation, The Screams, Salvation’s Malevolence… these are not filler tracks. I believe with all my heart this is one of the greats. I fully encourage dialog here so I respect your opinion, but it’s like someone telling me Ketchup is the best. I know, no matter what anyone says to the contrary, you cannot beat a well crafted BBQ sauce.
G.I.S.M. and Slayer are obvious refs and I left them out for different but similar reasons. As far as the leads go I actually think they have more of a Metallica vibe here. When you get to Seasons In The Size of Days, the leads are much dirtier and take a total Jeff Hanneman feel. More deconstructed. On the other hand I don’t think there’s quite enough precision to call “Randy Uchida” on these tracks although I know Aaron’s a big G.I.S.M. fan. If anything I think the G.I.S.M. influence comes through in the vocal layering and even in some of the drumming. Weird right?
btw - Koreckey got it so right on this one. I think I recall that the guitar rig used was an Ampeg V4 w/ a Rat Pedal. DEADLY COMBINATION. I can’t imagine what mixing this beast must have been like though. Shocking there’s only like 4 guitar tracks on it (again from memory here but I think I asked A2 once).
Out of all their releases, Systems Overload is their best and a near classic record…I did get to see them at Middlesex once when they released this, so i guess I was one on the lucky ones…it’s one very scary slab of wax…
I had to put some thought into this and, really, I’m not going to try to argue with you about whether “Those…” is better or if all of “Systems…” is as good as those first three songs… The main reason I enjoy reading your blog is that you focus on the music more than alot of the extra-musical B.S. that seems to inform most peoples writing about music. Also, I am not a musician, so you got me beat in that department too.
I just feel like those first three songs have a power that the remainder of the album doesn’t match. After “Systems Overload” (the song), my attention just seems to waver… I’ll have to give it another few listens.
Thanks for the informative response, like I said I really enjoy the way you write about music and your obvious enthusiasm for the material… That’s fuckin’ awesome. Keep it up.
P.S. I hope maybe in the future you’ll have an opportunity to write more about Gavin Van Vlacks playing… Cheers.
One of the best. Lately I’ve been seeing the regular black pressing sometimes reach upwards of $55. What the hell.
this is one of my all time favorite albums. i remember listening to this constantly in high school, and it very well could have been my very first legitimate hardcore CD.
one track definitely an Ampeg V4 with a rat pedal, that’s what was used on everything up until this point it’s possible other tracks were done with the ampeg lee jackson that a2 had around this time but was shelfed soon after he got the dual rectifier. Funny you mention the solos on seasons because when we were in the studio korecky popped in seasons and when that tap solo in rise kicks in he just says that’s my lick, he played guitar on some of the recordings too so there’s definitely some variance in the technique.
I think Systems is the best full length personally I like all of the melnick material alot though.
Those who fear sounds like bringing it down with an extra order of reverb to me. It honestly sounds like that was the example record for mixing. I don’t really think twft is as ground breaking as other people just due to the major judge influence but to their credit when you look at the split with mayday more specifically the song rebirth, that’s something that seemed to of come out of left field and be entirely original in itself.
i believe when asked it was confirmed the songs on the mayday split were just totally meant to be a nod towards Entombed - Left Hand Path.
Kingdom of Heaven’s fast parts definitely, not so sure about rebirth. Also from that recording session is 18 which was released on cassette format initially with the other two songs we’re talking about. I don’t even know where the inspiration came from to write that jam, so that to me always struck me as a different sound in general.
“Eighteen”s initial inspiration was “New Dawn Fades” by Joy Division.
Wild, that’s a direct lift of a song. I now wonder where the idea of, let’s take a joy division song, add a chorus to it and release it came from.
1 love to “Systems…,” and I’m always glad when someone doesn’t say “Humanity..”. is their favorite record (love that record, obviously, I just think it’s their most instantly accesibe and least conceptual record, not to mention it’s a fucking ep, so I always think people who say that just haven’t spent enough time thinking about the band), but I’m a “FTWFT” man myself.
Yeah, it’s metalzone’d to oblivion, and obviously the record wouldn’t exist the way it was withough “Bringin’ It Down,” but no one ever mentions the LYRICS. Like, if you do wanna say they were just a Judge clone, then you at least have to give credit for how out of step a song like Lundgren/Cruxifixion is with pretty much any Judge influenced band ever. I just think the aesthetic they crafted with that record, more so than just the riffs, was such an anachronism for the time.
Which of course isn’t to say that reppin’ Charles Manson and Armenian pride when you’re on a label sampler with Baby Gopal isn’t next level, but still, just for being a post-sxe band in 1991 and not sounding like Fugazi or whatever, you gotta give FTWFT what for.
But whatever, I dug Closure, what do I know?
AH-HA! Some M. Colin Tappe in the mix! All good points my fine feathered friend (or should I say fiend)…
Definitely good points, I was just speaking musically and from a production aspect, dwid’s lyrics then were always something unreal. I definitely like twft alot but the band as a whole differently after talking to korecky, that record seems to be more of a mistake with the way it came out then some sort of perfectly crafted release. It’s just weird to tell someone that their work is one of your favorite records and they tell you it’s one of the worst things they’ve ever recorded.
Humanity I can see it being the most accessible but I can’t agree with being the least conceptual. come on the booklet?, every song is on one topic and to the point. The band was to believed to be weird cult members, of some inane religion post this release. Ezec was told not to fight dwid because he studied dianetics and could not be hurt. this all sprouted because of the stink started over some phony lsd influenced religion used as a basis for the lyrics.
i would say twft is the least conceptual think about it, the first song has impromptu lyrics that stuck, the second is about dwids dog being put down, third about a local cult leader, and then i’m gonna beat your ass for talking shit. that’s just the first four jams, but i definitely feel that darkness or tempest are some of the most impressive lyrical representations of the band.
As far as whose idea it was to lift “New Dawn Fades” for “Eighteen”? It’s hard to say. As I’ve said before I’m not a musician and despite having probably heard both songs more than I’ve brushed my teeth in the last 18 years, I don’t know if I ever would’ve made the connection myself… Dwid told me about it one time when we were watching “Heat” (Moby covers NDF in the film) and said it was his idea (he was trying to play the bassline on a guitar or vice versa) but then on other occasions he attributed it to Chris Smith aka Scum and a bunch of hallucinogens or some such shit… I dunno, he rarely told a story the same way twice and this was many years ago and we were usually fucked up one way or another so… who knows?… One thing he mentioned repeatedly tho’ was how no one else in the band knew, they just assumed it was something he/they came up with. He sure could tell some stories…
i have one of these. Aaron gave it to me when it came out. probably my favorite Integrity record, and thats saying something. i wasnt ever a fan of Integrity as a band. too metal for my tastes. ive been friends with almost all members who have gone thru the revolving door that is the reality of Integrity; i just never really dug on the music that much. they were DEVISTATING live, though; especially at the time this LP was put together. i still remember doing bong hits at my moms house with A2 when he came by to give me this LP…just sitting there as it played & laughing as i recognized direct rips from Lip Cream & Warhead in A2’s solos & occasional chord progressions from The Wretched. Aaron even told me that the band used the “Cry Of Truth” ep by Warhead as a sound reference during the initial mixing session. Mr Korecky even backed this claim up a few years later, but told me that mix was rejected by Victory with specific instructions to make it “sound like a real hardcore record”. supposedly, the mix on the actual LP is just a rough that was sent out for reference a few weeks later that was deemed OK by Victory. i wasnt there, so i dont really know on that one, so who knows.
also, there was a previous comment by someone talking about an Integrity show at the Tune Inn; supposedly cancelled. April 7-9 of 1995 saw Integrity & h100s do a long weekend together(New Haven CT, Albany NY ,Lockport NY), and the first show was a friday night at the Tune Inn. bill was Integrity/h100s/25 ta life/Stigmata/some otrher band i forget. i have video of it somewhere in a long lost forgotten box in the attic…yeah, this show DID happen cos i played it & drove the van & all that…couldnt get a drink at the Tune Inn, so i wandered off with the Melnicks to some sports bar down the street & got ripped after the h100s set while the other bands were playing…twas an insane weekend…a week later there was a Clevo show of Integrity/Apartment 213/h100s/One Life Crew{2nd ever gig…sucked then & still suck now!!} wher Integrity tried to play this whole LP with Mr FAT-ASS himself Chubby Fresh on drums & they pretty much walked off after 7 or 8 songs cos he just sucked so bad. at one point, Lenny stopped playing & was about to take a run at Chubbs cos he was fucking up some older songs while dropping sticks in pathetic attempts to twirl them behind his head all rock-star style…ahhh, memories…
oh yeah om the limited Clear vinyl thing…Aaron told me back then that the color vinyl was supposed to be for band members copies & very early mailorders. 100 copies is kinda rough when youre paying to press like 1000 total, but if you have the budget of a label like Victory, you can absorb the set-up costs in the next 7~8000 youre gonna sell. who knows…i would figure its more like 300 or something like that… yet again, who knows…
also, this LP was voted “This Years Worst LP” in the 1995 year-end issue of HeartattaCk zine…
victory website around 2003 or so had some master vinyl pressing list said 380 copies of this record on clear, that’s what i’ve always gone by.
Wow this is a crazy amount of responses! Thanks for the recollections Wedge — Priceless! Of course we all know that the Melnicks classed up Integrity, and everything without them has been pathetic. I guess I like this album more than yourself, but my number one Cleveland HC lp will always be The Inmates 12″. Was an honor to do the repress on Painkiller. I remember when 9 Shocks was supposed to play the Tune Inn, I assumed the promised H-100s revenge would finally be carried out.
systems is a personal favorite. incarnate365 is the perfect lead in to this LP. yeah, that victory “megazine” clearly states 500 on clear.
integ ‘97 set list
&
warhead stuff
here:
http://condensedfresh.blogspot.com/