As sales of digital downloads and compact discs continue to fall and streaming continues to rise, there’s one big exception, and that’s vinyl. In fact, in 2015, vinyl sales increased 30 percent, to nearly 12 million. There are several reasons for this. Apparently, millennials are leading the cause, because there’s something cool and retro about vinyl, especially if you came of age in a Napster world. But Record Store Day certainly has something to do with it as well. Since 2007, independent record stores have been holding a bi-annual event (there’s also one on Black Friday) in which rare and one-off pressings of albums and singles entice consumers into record stores. This is the tenth year that it’s happening, and there’s a lot of cool releases for metal fans. While we told you yesterday what Warner would be doing, here’s a list of all the heavy stuff that’s happening on RSD, which is April 16th this year.
Anthrax, “In The End”/”Antisocial” (Megaforce/MRI)
This is one of the RSD “Disquaire Day” 7″ singles honoring the musical connection between France and the USA. It’s a live version of Anthrax’s concert staple “Antisocial,” which is a cover of the song originally performed by Trust, a French band. The b-side is a previously-unreleased live version of Worship Music‘s “In The End.” It’s limited to 1,500 copies.
Anti-Flag Live Acoustic at 11th Street Records (Spinefarm)
Do you like politically-charged punk rock? How about acoustic politically-charged punk rock? The band played an acoustic set at 11th Street Records in Las Vegas in May of 2015. The clera vinyl 12″ is limited to 2.000 copies and features the following track list: “Fabled World,” “This is the End,” “Broken Bones,” “Brandenburg Gate,” “1915,” “One Trillion Dollars,” “Witout End,” “Turncoat,” “Die For the Government”
Atreyu, The Best of Atreyu (Victory Records)
This is a limited edition colored vinyl double album, with special packaging, uncluding split album cover and etching on the fourth side. It includes a digital download card and is limited to 2,000 copies.
Bee Gees/Faith No More, “I Started A Joke” (Rhino)
Rhino Records does these cool “Side by Side” 7″ singles, where they’ll take a cover of a song and pair it with the original. Faith No More’s Bee Gees cover was originally a b-side of “Digging the Grave,” and wound up on some versions of King For A Day… Fool For A Lifetime. It got a proper release on their compilation Who Cares a Lot? in 1998. This is pressed on mint green vinyl.
Bring Me The Horizon, “Live From Maida Vale” (Columbia)
Bring me the Horizon have had a pretty good run with That’s the Spirit, and if you like that album, you’ll probably want to pick up this 7″ picture disc that captures “Drown” and “Throne” recorded live at London’s Maida Vale Studios for BBC Radio 1. Only 1,500 copies are available in the U.S.
Brujeria Viva Presidente Drumpf! (Nuclear Blast)
Donald Drumpf is really excited about keeping immigrants out of America should he become president. In fact, he wants to have a wall built to keep out Mexicans, and what’s more is that he wants Mexico to pay for it. All star Mexican-American grind collective Brujeria are reacting with a song called “Viva Presidente Drumpf!” There will be 250 singles each pressed in red, white, green and black, or the colors of the Mexican flag. The b-side is a song called “Pared Del Muerte.” Make Brujeria great again!
Candlemass Epicus Doomicus Metallicus (Peaceville)
The 30th anniversary of Candlemass’ debut album deserves a reissue. wouldn’t you say? The six epic songs that comprise the band’s first record will be put out on a 12″ picture disc that will come in a custom printed bag.
Clutch “Mad Sidewinder”/”Outland Special Clearance” (Weathermaker)
Turns out Clutch recorded more tracks for Psychic Warfare than made the album. This 12″ vinyl record contains two of them, and it’s limited to only 3,000 copies, so if you’re a Clutch completist, you’ll want to pick this one up.
Death Vivus! : Dividium Live in Eindoven (Relapse)
This is an exclusive repressing of a 1998 Eindhoven concert that’s limited to 1,00 copies. Here’s the track listing: “The Philosopher,” “Trapped In a Corner,” “Crystal Mountain,” “Suicide Machine,” “Together As One,” “Zero Tolerance,” “Lack of Comprehension,” “Flesh and the Power It Holds,” “Flattening of Emotions,” “Spirit Crusher,” “Pull The Plug.”
Deftones B-Sides & Rarities (Warner Bros.)
We wrote about this yesterday, but here’s the track listing of this double-LP, available on vinyl for the first time: “Savory,” “Wax and Wane,” “Change (In The House Of Flies) (Acoustic),” “Simple Man.” “Sinatra,” “No Ordinary Love,” “Teenager (Idiot Version),” “Crenshaw Punch / I’ll Throw Rocks At You,” “Black Moon,” “If Only Tonight We Could Sleep,” “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want,” “Digital Bath (Acoustic),” “The Chauffeur,” “Be Quiet And Drive (Far Away) (Acoustic),” “7 Words,” “Bored,” “My Own Summer,” “Be Quiet And Drive (Far Away),” “Change (In The House Of Flies),” “Back To School (Mini Maggit),” “Digital Bath,” “Minerva,” “Hexagram,” “Bloody Cape,” “Engine Number 9.”
Disturbed “The Sound of Silence” (Warner Bros.)
Now that the band’s cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence” is #1 at rock radio, it’s an appropriate time for Disturbed to release a 12″ picture disc of it. Whether you want 12 inches of Draiman head staring at you is another concern altogether. This is limited to 3,000 copies and has an instrumental version of the song as the b-side.
Five Finger Death Punch Got your Six (Prospect Park)
The band’s sixth album is available for the first time as a double-vinyl picture disc. Limited to 1,000 copies, the gatefold album also comes with a digital download card and three bonus tracks.
Fort Minor The Rising Tied (Warner Bros.)
It’s hard to believe for a hip-hop project, but this side project of Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda has never been released on vinyl until now. The 2005 album, which contained the minor hit (get it?) “Where’d You Go,” is being reissued on Coke bottle green vinyl, and the double-LP and three-sided set with etching on the fourth side.
Goblin La Via Della Droga (Original Soundtrack) (BTF)
This is the first ever vinyl edition of the Italian prog band’s soundtrack. The official unedited version of their sountrack for this 1977 film didn’t officially come out until 20 years later. The white vinyl has new artwork and a poster attached with reporductions of flyers and lobby cards, and there are over 34 tracks on it.
GWAR Scumdogs of the Universe (Metal Blade)
The album that really put GWAR on the map, their 1990 masterpiece is being issued as a double-album that’s somehow a pop-up art piece of their logo. The album is limited to 3,000 copies, but who wouldn’t jump at the chance to have “Sick of You” and “Maggots” on vinyl after all these years?
Halestorm Into the Wild Live: Chicago
This is an exclusive Record Store Day release pressed onto gold and black vinyl. Limited to 3,000 copies, the 10″ vinyl features the following songs, recorded, as you might surmise, live in Chicago:
“Beautiful With You”
“Freak Like Me” (Acoustic)
“Scream”
“I am the Fire”
Ignite “Vipers and Thieves” (Century Media)
This 7″ single features an unreleased track from this year’s A War Against You sessions, and for some reason, they’ve decided to record a Hungarian version of the song “Work.” Here’s the track listing:
“Vipers and Thieves”
“Kitarok”
Iron Maiden “Empire of the Clouds” (BMG)
The centerpiece of The Book of Souls, Iron Maiden’s current album, is the “Empire of the Clouds.” The longest song they’ve ever written, it’s an epic tale of a doomed skycraft written entirely by Bruce Dickinson and is based on a true story. It’s getting a 12″ picture disc release, and while the artwork isn’t yet available, it’ll be “an exclusive Eddie image.” The b-side will be a “Maiden Voyage, – The story behind ‘Empire of the Clouds,’ a 21-minute interview with Dickinson and drummer Nicko McBrain
Killswitch Engage “Define Love” (Roadrunner)
Incarnate is a banger of an album, but once fans have gorged on what many are calling their best album in years, they’ll probably want some more. Thankfully, Roadrunner has stepped up to the plate with this exclusive release. There’s no word on what the B-side will be, but isn’t one new Killswitch song enough?
KMFDM Salvation EP (Metropolis)
If you’re a fan of the industrial metal works of KMFDM, you’ll want to pick up this EP of remixes, limited to 1,000, from their most recent album, Our Time Will Come. The title track is given the remix treatment from Dope Stars Inc and Jimmy Urine from Mindless Self Indulgence, “Blood Vs. Money” by KMFDM’s tourmate Chant and Tom Stanzel, and “Brainwashed.” remixed by The Kapt’n himself.
Linkin Park Road to Revolution: Live at Milton Keynes (Warner Bros.)
If you’re a Linkin Park completist, you’ll want to pick up this double-album of the band’s 2008 show in Buckinghamshire, England. It also marks one of the few times that Jay-Z came out with the band to perform with them, soing “Numb/Encore” and “Jigga What/Faint” from their EP Collision Course with them. The double album is pressed on translucent red with black splatter and limited to 3,000 copies.
Metallica Liberte, Egalite, Fraternet, Metallica! – Live at Le Bataclan Paris, France, June 11th, 2003
Well that’s a mouthful. Metallica are the official ambassador of Record Store Day 2016, and given the mission of tying together France’s and America’s RSD’s, this 2003 performance from Le Bataclan, the same theater besieged by terrorists in November, makes perfect sense.
Muse “Reapers” (Warner Bros.)
If you liked the last Muse album (we know there are some of you out there), you’ll probably want to pick up this import that will be limited to 5,000 copies. It comes with a studio and live version of “Reapers,” and comes with it’s own foldable paper drone that probably won’t fly that well.
Nevermore The Politics of Ecstacy (Century Media)
With the now-defunct band’s sophomore album stating it’s 20th anniversary this year, Century Media are reissuing Nevermore’s classic as a double LP. Limited to 2,000 copies, the package will also feature the In Memory EP and demo versions of some of the songs on the album. Here’s the track listing: The Seven Tongues Of God/This Sacrament/Next In Line/Passenger/The Politics of Ecstasy/Lost/The Tiananmen Man, Precognition, 42147, The Learning, Love Bites/Optimist Of Pessimist, Matricide, In Memory, Silent Hedges – Double Dare, The Sorrowed Man/The Tinanmen (demo), The Seven Tongues of God (demo), Passenger (Demo), This Sacrement (demo), 42147 (instrumental, demo).
Otep Generation Doom (Napalm)
The seventh Otep album will be released on April 15th, so it would stand to reason that the label have a vinyl version of the album out. This will be the first Otep album available on vinyl since 2007’s The Acension. The limited edition picture disc will come with a download card as well.
Puscifer V is For Viagra (Puscifer Entertainment)
If you’re a fan of Maynard James Keenan’s project Puscifer, then perhaps you’ll want a vinyl version of the V is For Vagina‘s remix album. This is the first time the 2008 album has been issued on vinyl, and the double vinyl clear plastic gatefold picture disc contains images taken from the original artwork.
Rob Zombie “Well Everybody’s Fucking In a U.F.O.
Well this sounds interesting. Zombie’s current single is being pressed on 10” vinyl, and features another song from The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser, “Super-Doom-Hex-Gloom Part One.” The first side features both songs on 45, but is a reverse-groove playback, meaning you drop the needle in the center and it plays out instead of in. Side B is an etched image of the explicit artwork. It’s limited to 5,500 copies.
The Rockin’ Vickers “Dandy”/”I Don’t Need Your Kind” (Munster Records)
If you’re a Lemmy fan, then you’ll know that one of his earliest bands was The Rockin’ Vickers. He played guitar in the band from 1965 – 1967 and moved with the band from Stockport to Manchester. This is a must-own for Motorhead completists or fans of ’60s British pop. This first reissue of the single is limited to 1,300 copies.
Saxon Lionheart (Demon Records)
For the first time ever, the legendary New Wave of British Heavy Metal band’s 2004 album will be released on a picture disc. Put on some denim and leather and grab one. It’s limited to 1,500 copies, so act quick, even if this isn’t the most essential of the band’s releases.
Various Artists Judgment Night soundtrack (Asbestos Records)
Released for the first time ever on colored vinyl, the mostly-forgettable film has an amazing soundtrack. Pairing rappers with rock/metal bands, the soundtrack that gave us Helmet and House of Pain’s “Just Another Victim,” and Faith No More and Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E.’s “Another Body Murdered,” is worth it for that alone, let alone other awesome pairings like Ice-T and Slayer and Cypress Hill and Pearl Jam.
Wendy O. Williams Fuck n’ Roll (Live) (MVD Audio)
Brooklyn’s L’Amour was to metal in the ’80s what CBGB was to rock in the ’70s. Metal/Punk crossover artist Wendy O. Williams’ live three-song EP, recorded at the long-defunct Bay Ridge venue, was previously only available on cassette and out of print for years. It will be released on 7″ vinyl, with only 1,500 copies available.
