THIS TOPIC IS STILL SUBJECT TO RESEARCH

Of course the demo is very important and cool to hear, it shows the band in it most primitive stadium and reveals the primal influences and statements of a band. So I see the demo 7″ of NATIONS ON FIRE as a crucial release. Also because it shows how Rise Above evolved to NOF.

This record has three songs of the earliest recordings of the band. The songs were also on the demo cassette out of 200 made. The 7″ was released by the French label ‘Stand As One Records’. This is the same label that released the magical second Rise Above 7″ ‘B Is For Boston’. This label released it for Europe in 1991 and there was another label that (should have?) released it for the USA some years later. But I’m not sure it this was ever realized. It was kinda logical that it would have been two labels on each continent, because of the shitty distribution back then. The American label was 1124 Records.

Four persons participated in making these songs; Hazel from Rise Above did guitar and vocals, Edward from Rise Above did guitar and vocals also (he is ‘Judge No One’), Jaak on drums and David on vocals. As you can see, the line-up is 50% the one from Rise Above but it was a different band with other perspectives; adding the politics to the straight-edge. A new start and not a step back as Edward explained in this interview.

It has three songs:

1. The “Meat Song” was actually a rewritten version of the Rise Above song “Where The Meat Is Red”. And is of course pro-vegetarian song that is all sarcastic.
2. “Iron will” is a key-song about the will that motivates us and keeps us going. To wisely learn from the past and a denial of other convictions that aren’t right. This song is later adapted on the first full-length ‘Strike The Match’.
3. “New Hope” is about the scene of the band, mainly evolving around the Vortn’ Vis. About Brother- and Sisterhood of course. Also adapted in the first LP.

So this brings us to this first full-length of the band; STRIKE THE MATCH. Released in 1991 by Strive Records, originally comes on a black LP. It was also released in Spanish; ‘Enciende La Mecha’. Never saw that one before…

The one you see beneath was a dozen years later repress on Yellow vinyl, also by Strive Music and is hand-numbered out of 500. And has the same cover and printed dust-sleeve as the original pressing.

This was also released on cassette, check it here.

And a year later (1992) there came a CD version as a split release with The Scraps.

Crucial because this is THE classic of the band. I will give a review of it in a future post. Stay tuned.

Not mentioned in the NOF discography on Discogs is this important record. I’m talking about the live 7″ that was recorded at a show in the center-point of the scene, namely at Vortn’ Vis in Ieper. This was a 1000 pressed 7″ by PMA / Warehouse records. You can find all the info straight from the man who released this one here on H8000 Central.

Unfortunately my copy hasn’t got an insert anymore. But it is has a weird stamp on the cover. I thought it was very disrespectful to put a stamp on this sleeve, but when I look closer it is actually a stamp by Hans who released this. Very weird!

You can see how the 2nd press cover looks like on this picture.

Also note the standard or trademark cover-art for all these 3 releases. So NOF between the two bars above and the name of the release between the same two bars beneath… And this despite the fact that they are on different labels.

So this sums it up for now:

1991 Strike the match LP

• on black = original 1991
• Also in Spanish: Enciende La Mecha = Spanish release (approx same release date)
• Yellow #/500 (limited edition) = re-release (ca. 10 years later)
• Also released in Poland on Cassette

1991 the demo days

• STAND AS ONE RECORDS = French Press
• 1124 Records = US Press (does this exist?)

1992 Live @ vortn vis

• PMA Records 1^st press 1000 blue cover
• PMA Records repress 500 red cover (couple of years later)
• NO TESTPRESSES EXIST