bidhardcore.com
hardcore records on ebay — aggregated and examined
Chopping Block’s - Grizzley Fetishis one that almost slipped through the cracks. I didn’t know about it til a few years ago when a couple of superior Toronto collectors started telling me about this band that sounded just like Infest that had a self released 7″ w/ TX Chainsaw art on the cover. Sounded far too good to be true, but after some work I managed to track a copy down, and I was stunned by just how much it did sound like the classic Infest sound. The main difference was the more technical double bass drumming, and the more metallic guitar tone and rather showy solos. Still this was undeniable power core with meaty riffs and faux-Joe Denunzio vocals, overall better than Lack Of Interest attempting to do the same. I enjoyed it and even wrote about it on a former blog, in search of a copy on red vinyl.
Then things got kind of weird. I started poking around the net trying to find info on band members and somehow came upon Dave Keck, the main man behind Chopping Block. According to him, he’d grown up with the Infest guys, attending the same schools and parties and had maybe had some involvement in one of those mysterious pre-Infest bands (Death-Dose maybe?). Somewhere in the early days of Infest he was a member, but soon found himself ousted, and while he remained friends with Domino and co. he went on to form his own version of the band, Chopping Block. Now I may be misquoting the facts. Due to my poor correspondence abilities I lost touch with Mr. Keck, but it was some weird shit to hear. Not like Infest ever had a rep for being particularly trustworthy (undelivered mail-orders, sketchy ltd editions).
All I know is Grizzley Fetish is hot top to bottom and the record looks cool. My only complaint aside from the aforementioned guitar solos is the absurd amount of samples. I think there’s one before EVERY song. 90’s style.
Every time one of these gets sold it goes a little higher. I think in a few more years people will really be onto it, so even if Infest is guilty of the crimes they’re accused, eventually Chopping Block will get their due.
i talked to this dude on the phone before while squeezing a copy out of him. deepest voice ever. seriously called me up three times randomly. played me manpig over the phone. got a copy on red for free, though.
I read somewhere that “Dirty Dope Dealer” was written about that Keck guy,
Keck was never in Infest or Death Dose. Death Dose was Matt, Dave and two other guys….Mark and Matt, I think. Keck was friends of the Infest guys and was a year or two behind them in high school. Any shading dealings were done by Matt and none of the other guys. There is also no truth to ’sketchy’ limited editions….whatever was meant by that. Infest never ‘bootlegged’ their own records. If people don’t know anything about the limited pressings, that were primarily given to their friends, it’s because no one really does…given the low quantities and variations.