09 June 2013

BATTALION OF SAINTS

I think these four tracks are culled from their impossible to find 1981 demo, but they could just as easily be from a later session (though I can't find "Witch World" from any session other than that one). Whatever. This band is essential listening even if you think you already know everything you need to know. First wave, second tier Southern California hardcore. Maybe if they had been from LA....?

2 comments:

yellow.eyes said...

Listening to this now: I'm pretty sure these were recorded between Fighting Boys and the Second Coming LP. All of these songs are on the LP but are just a step slower than the LP...which makes me think they were still getting acclimated to playing faster (than they did on the Fighting Boys 12") but are not quite there yet. Also, between Right or Wrong and Solitary is Fun is Intercourse. But hearing these songs in this order, and these versions, is ruling it right now. Thanks.

Billy Druid said...

I don't think I've ever heard this version of Holy Vision. I like it better than the Second Coming version. George will probably want to kill me (again) for sharing this info but the reason the songs on Second Coming are so fast is because, well, there are two specific reasons, and crystal meth is NOT one of the. When they mixed the record they sped the reel up slightly. This is a common "cheat" than a lot of bands do. But, more significantly, dissatisfied with Ted Olsen's original drum tracks, George and Chris virtually mixed Ted's tracks out of the mix, and manually dubbed the beats for the entire record using a drum pad/machine. 80 percent of the beats you'll hear on that lp are artificial. How do I know this? I was in Battalion Of Saints.