Record Shoppers Anonymous #15

The meetings last Friday really became extended so it took a while before I could hit the road towards Höör. It was a nice drive most of the time but turning into Road 13 towards Höör the sunny weather changed and it started to snow heavily. Lucky enough it was just a little here and there and it had stopped when I reached Höör. Still I think it is way to cold and snowy for this time of the year.

My cold almost given up and I was starting to feel quite normal during the end of last week. Now it was Peter's turn instead. He was a bit low when I got home so we turned in early Friday. Saturday I woke up, feeling rested and decided to take care of the laundry. I can say like this, it won't be as nice to hang out in the basement anymore. I found Hubert lurking in the laundry room and something as big as that need a name. I think it is a normal house spider so it's not dangerous but just really creepy and scary. 
 

Hubert is about 7-8cm's from front to end including all 8 legs... I sure hope he's all grown up now! 

To something a little more fun instead, Peter's first batch of home made beer got ready just before the weekend. First edition got the name "Mourning Brew", and is a dark ale. Really easy to drink with a slight bit of a fruity taste. Really nice actually! So it will absolutely be another batch, Peter mentioned something about a Stout for the next try, all well by me. The brand name "Isle of the Black Cat" came from this summer when we visited Peter's parents in their summer cabin at Hasslö and I was picking black and red currants and the cat kept me company around the bushes.

So the brand makes red currant jelly and black currant jam apart from the beer. Perhaps production of apple pure if the tree in the backyard allows it!  We'll see what happens during the summer.

It's very nice that the Festival season (and concert season) starts now. Keep It True is just a few weeks away. But first it is Saint Vitus and Helloween, Edward from Triffid productions was nice and gave me a photopass for Helloween. According to the promoters at Loppen I don't need a pass for Saint Vitus, as long as I check with the bands it's ok. So now I need to figure out how to do that! :O)

But KIT looks nice as always! Saturday will be really tough even if I like the line-up for Friday also. But Warlord, Angel Witch, Steel Prophet, Jack Starr and Legend, that really is a killer line-up!

Then it seems like April will continue it a furious speed. Perhaps a few trips with work and at the end of the month, Overkill and perhaps also Doro. We'll see what I manage to squeeze in to the schedule. 

I was complaining about not having any incoming packages last weekend. Of course I realized I had a few records to look for and hitting Underground Powers eBay store I realized just HOW much I had on my want-list! A very fast delivery from Underground Power and I could pick up my package when I got back home. 

So the weekend was spent listening to music. I can't remember the last time I listened to music as many hours as I did this weekend. Of course, since Peter stayed in bed most weekend I amused myself with writing MK stuff so apart from the nice package (Lord, Obsession, Taunted, Overlorde SR, Midite Hellion and Axxion) it was also a lot of stuff that I need to review, like Colossus (Swe), Kingcrow, Hürlement, Omission and of course the new Vicious Rumors "Electric Punishment" plus a whole lot more. 

And from TPL, two weeks back I got the new Saxon album, really nice Picture Disc in a Gatefold sleeve, really nice. Also Witchgrave. So it was a very small package this time. Actually, the new Circle II Circle was in there also, wonder why I forgot that one... I didn't like it very much when I first started to listen to it, but it actually is getting better for each spin.

Peter got two albums as well, Alice Cooper and Black Hole. 
And last but not least, I finally got my Eleminator tape. Daniele was really nice and sent a bonus tape, Nekrofilth which was quite cool as well. Perhaps not REALLY my favorite style of music but not bad at all.

So the weekend was really nice even if I felt sorry for Peter (apparently my cold wasn't a real man-cold because Peter was much worse than I ever was). I needed a calm weekend and it was really nice to just explore a bit and dig up new nice bands.

The drive back to Borås Monday morning was rough. I didn't want to leave Peter in his misery, also it would have been very nice to have another day just like Sunday (Hubert was gone from the basement then too) and just listen to more music and perhaps play a bit of Guitar as well.

At least it was a nice, but cold day Monday morning. It's good that it is daylight out and that the roads are getting dry. Still there's so much salt our Blue car is completely grey even if I washed it about two weeks ago. 

It feels like I'm shopping a lot now... (found a cool bookshelf at Blocket as well but it might be a bit too big for the house) But I'm living my dream and I really want a BBQ Grill and they actually had 2 very cool ones at ICA... So the aim is to spend some of the bonus money that arrives in April on one of them!

So I really hope the summer will be as long as winter so I can threw a lot of candlelight BBQ suppers out on the deck, but sure, with a grill like these it just need to be above 0 (ok, a little warmer perhaps) until I can start with it all. Half the deck is under roof so that should be fine...

Cheers
E

NP: OBSESSION - Order of Chaos

 

Recordshoppers Anonymous #12

So, the new year started nice when it comes to record shopping. Actually, it ended VERY NICE too as we had a house warming party slash new years eve celebration in the Void Mansion. We were supposed to be 13 people in total but in the last minute a few fell out due to illness. The remaining 9 had a really good time though. My challenge was to prepare a candlelight supper for all of us. I skipped the starters though, we had some chips and dip instead. But one dish with meat and one vegetarian went down well, then some Mango Sorbet floaters for dessert, not in soda though, sunk it in Cava. Also popular!

Anyway, this cool one I got my hands on. Had to push the seller a bit to open the auction since the listing was only fir US. That, in combination with the size, this was an M will reduce number of bidders a lot. (got my hands on a Small Savatage original "Power of the Night" shirt a while ago as well for a really decent price), so very good for me!!! It arrived safely together with a signed copy of "Handful of Rain", only that it was a Queensryche CD in the box. Don't care though, I wanted the shirt and the price was very fair, and I don't want to buy signed stuff anyway.

Then I took the chance to complete, well almost, the collection of Digi-pack re-prints of all Savatage records. I had a few since before but the rest was purchased when I had some time off and time to roam eBay. Not all necessary of course but I like it when they print on the back as well. Still need to find the last e though, should be "Still The Orchestra Plays". Ear-Music's page has been down a while so I couldn't check it though.

  

And while I was at it, I found that TSO had released some new stuff. One EP and then a TSO "Piano Tribute". Ok, that has nothing to do with the band but it was cheap and fun to listen to. It actually is a bit crazy ow big TSO is the USA... I would really like to see them live again, so I guess I should put it in the to do list to check out the dates for the next tour ( a whole year to plan it leaves me).

Then two more purchased directly from the bands. Sledge Leather played KIT last year, of course they were good but not as impressive as I expected. However, listening to this album it was everything I expected. True American Heavy Metal. Very good. The only downside is that it only is 31 minutes long... 

The other one, Colossus "...and the Sepulcher of the Mirror Warlocks", A bit odd Heavy Metal, partly classical sounding, parts in the veins of Slough Feg. And it sure as hell sounds very different from many other bands popping up these days playing Classic Heavy Metal. That I like... So these two, among many others has been spinning during my Christmas vacation. And I can't state it enough, I needed that break. It was so nice to have several days at home with nothing planned, hang out with the cat, write a little, fix a little with the house and also get back the urge to dig up and listen to new music! I wonder how many days I can get off for easter... Hmm, probably should apply for that now already...

I got a few more coming in (need to keep the new postman busy you know) this week as well, I hope... But that's another story!

Cheers

E

 

NP: BLOODY HAMMERS - Bloody Hammers