Records With History And Future

Sometimes wanting a certain record gives a more intense feeling than having the record. At least that’s my experience. Once you have it the record becomes more usual and less magical in my eyes. Or the hunt is more intense feeling-wise than getting the prey. Once the prey is consumed – as a matter of speaking – the feeling of urge is gone. The record just sits in the collection stored and not played or otherwise used. Not many records give the opposite feelings.

This record is one that gives the opposite feeling. I think that’s so because it’s part of a bigger collection. Namely the Good Life Recordings collection. Adding this hard to find record to whole makes it more complete and gives me the best feeling. A better feeling than the hunt for it.

It’s the clear vinyl version of the “Second Coming” LP of E-Town Concrete. They are a New Jersey band that play Hip Hop influenced Metal or vice versa. Actually I think it’s vice versa. The rhythm mostly is the main genre defining factor. And this music certainly has a more Hip Hop rhythm with metallic parts played by electrical guitars. Don’t get me wrong, it’s certainly not to be classified under pure Hip Hop and also not under metal. So what’s left to call it are in between terms or fused terms. I’ve read Ghetto-Metal to define it. Also Beatdown or Rap Metal were used as terms to describe it over the years.

Good Life definitely felt it not suitable for the Good Life roster and so released it under a sub-label called Final Beatdown Recordings. Also with other releases Good Life Recordings had to give them a place in another roster, rather than in the Good Life Recordings roster.

Personally I like this one a lot. Seven or eight years ago, the GL-Distro did a promotional action or was it a clearance action, probably both, and gave with each item ordered a free item of their choice. One of the freebies I got was a yellow version of this LP. I immediately liked and was totally stoked to have it. The yellow is still available over at Good Life.

Street-wisdom lyrically and a group with a natural talent for rhythm. DMZ did a blogspot a while ago about another vinyl-release of the band, namely a 7 inch. Which seems to date from 1998. They had an earlier release also, the split with Second To None. Never stumbled upon one in all those years of internet searching.

This LP is from 2000. Also included in the parcel was a promotional page of all labels ran by Edward. Good Life was to the point in all they did. They created these sub labels to house groups unfitting for the main (Hardcore) label. I’m mean look at that page, it summarizes everything in the genre an related to the genre. Styles like Punk Rock were released under Green Leaf, Heavy Metal  and extremer Metal styles under Soul Reaper, and the slower, heavier styles under Final Beatdown. Have a look at it…

There is also a compact disc version of this album with different artwork; another colour scheme. The compact disc version was released in the United States by Triple Crown Records.