625#8.
Utter Bastard EP
Went into the studio and the engineer told us that he just recorded a band that sounded a lot like SPAZZ. Well, about 1 month later I get this self-released EP of some great fastcore from the Bay Area, from a band no one ever heard about. They mentioned they had no idea what they were doing, so I offered to buy there stock of vinyl, get some covers printed and put it out. Thus it happened. 1000 total, I believe there’s some red vinyl.
625#7.
El Guapo- Comp LP
A who’s-who of the early 1990s fastcore scene: EVOLVED TO OBLITERATION, APARTMENT 213, SHORT HATE TEMPER, S.B.C., PRETENTIOUS ASSHOLES, SPAZZ CHRISTMESS, REFORM CONTROL, NO LESS, DEADBODIESEVERYWHERE, MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE, STATE OF THE UNION, AGENTS OF SATAN, CHARLES BRONSON, PISSPOOR, ANSOJUAN, BENUMB, LACK OF INTEREST, POTATO JUSTICE, REMISSION, SLOBBER, NAILED DOWN and THE DREAD. First press = 1200, black and white cover. Second Press = 2200 copies, remastered with black and red cover.
625#6.
Exhumed/ Pale Existence- Split EP
EXHUMED have been around for EVER. I used to see them at old death metal shows and was surprised when I heard those guys started a band. They’ve gone through a million line up changes, but their style hasn’t changed one bit: totally aggressive CARCASS style death metal. PALE EXISTENCE started playing in the mid-90s and put out a great demo that was a mix between Swedish death metal and black metal. I was extremely stoked to get these guys to do a record. 1000 Pressed, can’t remember if there’s color vinyl or not.
625#5.
Agents of Satan – EP
One of the most brutal bands to come out of the West Bay. Rumors were bouncing around that there was this black-thrash band that was only bass/vocal/drums. I got the demo and was floored. I was so stoked to do their debut Ep, I think it was the best thing they did. They went on to do a bunch of stuff, all of its rules. 800 black vinyl, 200 red.
625#4.
Spazz/ Charles Bronson-Split EP
The main thing I like about doing records is working with people I love. Everyone in CHARLES BRONSON ruled (rules!), so this was more of a friendship project than anything else. I still think its the best CB stuff (the guitar tones rule on it), but I also think the Spazz stuff sucks so much ass that I wish we weren’t on it. I think it should have been a one sided EP personally. 450 with Yellow Cover (goat), 50 limited yellow covers with pit picture. 2nd press 1000, blue cover of Neil Blender.
625#3.
Plutocracy -“Dankstahz” LP
My first “problem” record. I guess you could say I�ve been caught up in a couple of damage-recovery projects, and this was the first. PLUTOCRACY (who I played drums for since 1989, and who just reformed in 1998) recorded this LP for Steve from ASSUCK’s label in 92, yet after two years, nothing happened. I called the pressing plant and found out that there were 500 LPs sitting in boxes down there, and that if I paid the invoice, they were mine. I cleared it with Steve, and asked Chris Slap-a-Ham to help me out. Only 500 of these exist, Dan from Spazz and I spent days handscreening the covers. Was later included on a Discography CD as well as released as a 10″ Lp in Europe.
625#2.
Morbid Life Society – Demo EP
This is an early example of a tradition I”m still trying to maintain�which is to release out of print, or over-looked hardcore. This specific case was to do a posthumous release from San Francisco’s MLS. I saw these guys open for VIO-LENCE and a ton of other thrash bands, and the funny thing was, they were too HC to fit in to the metal scene, and too metal to fit in the then-existing punk scene. This was their 2nd demo. I only did 300 of these, but I love it. Their first demo rules too, its more influenced by Bay Area thrash.
625#1.
No Less/ ETO-Split EP
The very first 625 release. Although I put out releases before this (976/Plutocracy split EP, etc), this was the first release as a label. The whole idea behind this was to document the explosion of brutal hardcore from the local West Bay scene. This split took tracks from both the ETO and NO LESS demos. I only made about 700 (because I was low on cash) but I think the original purpose worked. People heard these bands, and some people liked em enough to ask em to do future projects.