OK folks it's that time again: a new vinyl update from Robotic Empire! We were unfortunately the last folks to be selling the first pressing of TORCHE's gargantuan new release Meanderthal due to circumstances beyond our control, and we're towards the back of the line on the second press as well. But we're still totally amped on how this beast turned out, and are pleased to announce that the second pressing of Meanderthal is now available in the Robotic Empire Online Store.
This second pressing was made on six colors, ludicrously named the following:
* CHERRY BURST - 400 copies
* ICE STORM - 200 copies
* LIZARD SKIN - 400 copies
* MAGMA - 400 copies
* ROCKSLIDE - 200 copies
* TAPWATER - 400 copies
The reason for these names is because when backlit, the records look almost completely different... and sound exactly the same! The same great tunes are still jam-packed into this vinyl, and we're really stoked on how this pressing turned out. For anyone still unfamiliar with what we're talking about here, here's our always-hyperbolic description for this album:
Can a band be absolutely crushing yet legendarily anthemic... at the same time? Miami’s TORCHE have not only figured this out, they’ve mastered it. Their third release, Meanderthal, is simultaneously oppressive and powerfully uplifting. Like that invincible feeling you get when love is new, mixed with the heaviest soundtrack imaginable. TORCHE’s gargantuan return to their patented megaheavy pop ’n roll streamlines their form into brief and precise slabs of song-writing brilliance. Prepare to headbang while singing along at the top of your collapsed lungs, as Meanderthal surpasses all groundwork laid by TORCHE’s self-titled debut and last year’s In Return EP. Copious hooks abound, psychedelic swarms of drone weave amongst riff-wizardry... while the sheer heavyness is downright overwhelming. Robotic Empire goes huge on their most ludicrously elaborate packaging yet, while TORCHE absolutely level the earth with their finest work to date.
* Several MP3s from Meanderthal can be heard on TORCHE's Myspace page.
A few other new items and restocks have also been added to our Online Store this week, with last week's update following below...
NEW ITEMS: (for week of 09/30/08)
* Chronic Youth - First Demo Cassette (Self Released) - $4.99
* Nadja - Trembled CD (Utech) - $14.99
* Off Minor - Some Blood 12" (Paramnesia) - $12.99
* Teenage Cool Kids - Queer Salutations / Remember Me As A Silhouette Cassette (Crooked Direction) - $5.50
* Torche - Meanderthal - CHERRY BURST COLORED VINYL 12" (Robotic Empire) - $19.99
* Torche - Meanderthal - ICE STORM COLORED VINYL 12" (Robotic Empire) - $19.99
* Torche - Meanderthal - LIZARD SKIN COLORED VINYL 12" (Robotic Empire) - $19.99
* Torche - Meanderthal - MAGMA COLORED VINYL 12" (Robotic Empire) - $19.99
* Torche - Meanderthal - PURPLE COLORED VINYL 12" (Robotic Empire) - $19.99
* Torche - Meanderthal - ROCKSLIDE COLORED VINYL 12" (Robotic Empire) - $19.99
* Torche - Meanderthal - TAPWATER COLORED VINYL 12" (Robotic Empire) - $19.99
* Valkyrie - Man Of Two Visions CD (Noble Origin) - $10.99
RESTOCKS: (for week of 09/30/08)
* A Fine Boat That Coffin / Am I Dead Yet / Mock Heroic / Utarid - Split 12" (React With Protest) - $11.99
* Alcest - Souvenirs D'Un Autre Monde - BROWN COLORED VINYL 12" (Hyperrealist) - $14.99
* Black Tusk - Passage Through Purgatory CD+DVD (Hyperrealist) - $9.99
* Brainstorm / Dead Friends - Split Cassette (Vinyl Rites) - $4.99
* Cream Abdul Babar / Teen Cthulhu - Split CD (Hyperrealist) - $7.99
* Dead Hate The Living, The - Shock and Awe CD (Hyperrealist) - $8.99
* Get Rad - Say Fuck No To Rules, Man CD (Hyperrealist) - $8.99
* In First Person - Self-Titled CD (Paramnesia) - $7.99
* La Quiete - La Fine Non E La Fine 10" (React With Protest) - $11.99
* Memento Mori - Discography CD (Hyperrealist) - $8.99
* Various Artists - Emo Apocalypse 12" (React With Protest) - $13.99
We also just recently dropped the new HELMS ALEE full-length debut, Night Terror, which we are mildly afraid of being criminally overlooked. This band is definitely on the next-level as far as merging heavyness and melody... almost akin to TORCHE but with a very distinct, different spin for sure. The CD version of this album was also released by our big bro's at Hydra Head, and we're pumped to get to release the vinyl for such a crucial band. This is available now in our Online Store, and here's our description of this bad mofo...:
Seattle has been no stranger to dirty, heavy bands... but newcomers HELMS ALEE propel the city’s longrunning music reputation to the next level of awesomeness. Marrying the best parts of grunge and the rock trinity of punk, indie and stoner varieties, this powerful trio lay waste with their debut album Night Terror. Ten tracks that run the gamut of psychedelic grit, western-ish drugged out drone jams, delicate melodic passages and most of all, ferociously crushing heavy rock. These truly hypnotic songs also benefit from a healthy balance of soaring vocals into the triumphant chorus of male and female yells. The sheer magnitude of said awesomeness is pretty incredible for a relatively new band, but years in the trial-by-fire underground and a band member building their own amps only ups the ante. Add in percussion unafraid of crashing and clanging like a tornado and you’ve got a thunderous debut of shoegazer bliss mixed perfectly with hessian heaven. HELMS ALEE are poised to level with their debut longplayer, and Robotic Empire is proud to present it to you.
* Several MP3s from Night Terror can be heard on HELMS ALEE's Myspace page.
It's also worth noting that members of HELMS ALEE have previously done time in HARKONEN & THESE ARMS ARE SNAKES and currently LOZEN! Night Terror was printed on very heavy reverse-board cardstock, and pressed in the following quantities:
* 203 on ALGAE BLOOM
* 203 on PEACH
* 620 on BLACK
Along with these kickass LPs, we also stocked a whole mess of other killer music for the Robotic Empire Online Store, including the following:
NEW ITEMS: (for week of 09/23/08)
* Across Tundras - Dark Songs of the Prairie - CLEAR SPLATTER COLORED VINYL 12" (Kreation) - $14.99
* Across Tundras - Dark Songs of the Prairie - SILVER SPLATTER COLORED VINYL 12" (Kreation) - $14.99
* Anduin - Forever Waiting - GREY COLORED VINYL 12"+CD (SMTG) - $11.99
* Anduin - Forever Waiting CD (SMTG) - $7.99
* Audible Delusions Ensemble - Winters Weapon CD (Heathen Skulls) - $9.99
* Black Widow - Night Of The Raven CD (Heathen Skulls) - $9.99
* Blarke Bayer / Black Widow - Arctic Blast CD (Heathen Skulls) - $9.99
* Blarke Bayer / Black Widow - Presents I.B CD (Heathen Skulls) - $9.99
* Coffins - Mortuary of Darkness - CLEAR GREEN COLORED VINYL 2x12" (Kreation) - $18.99
* Coffins - Mortuary of Darkness - GRREN BLACK COLORED VINYL 2x12" (Kreation) - $19.99
* Coffins - Mortuary of Darkness - SPLATTER COLORED VINYL 2x12" (Kreation) - $19.99
* Fear Power God - Spoken Word CD (Blackhouse) - $10.99
* Foot Village - Self-Titled - WHITE COLORED VINYL 7" (Rock is Hell) - $8.99
* Grey Daturas - Blood Trail CD-R (Heathen Skulls) - $7.99
* Grey Daturas - Return To Disruption CD (Heathen Skulls) - $9.99
* Helms Alee - Night Terror - ALGAE BLOOM COLORED VINYL 12" (Robotic Empire) - $14.99
* Helms Alee - Night Terror - BLACK VINYL 12" (Robotic Empire) - $14.99
* Helms Alee - Night Terror - PEACH COLORED VINYL 12" (Robotic Empire) - $14.99
* Indian - Slights and Abuse - CLEAR COLORED VINYL 12" (Seventh Rule) - $11.99
* Indian - The Sycophant - BLOOD ORANGE COLORED VINYL 12" (Seventh Rule) - $11.99
* Light Yourself On Fire - Intimacy - CMYK SPLATTER 12" (Seventh Rule) - $12.99
* Nachtmystium - Eulogy IV - BLACK WHITE COLORED VINYL 12" (Kreation) - $14.99
* Nachtmystium - Eulogy IV - CLEAR WHITE BLACK SPLATTER COLORED VINYL 12" (Kreation) - $16.99
* Sasqrotch - Self-Titled - WHITE COLORED VINYL 7" (Rock is Hell) - $8.99
* Supermachiner - Rise - BLACK VINYL 2x12" (E-Vinyl) - $17.99
* Wetnurse - Invisible City - GREEN BLACK SPLATTER COLORED VINYL 2x12" (Seventh Rule) - $19.99
* Who Calls So Loud - Self-Titled - GREEN BLACK COLORED VINYL 7" (Protagonist) - $10.99
* Who Calls So Loud - Self-Titled - MINT GREEN COLORED VINYL 12" (Protagonist) - $10.99
* Yob - Catharsis - WHITE BLACK COLORED VINYL 12" (Kreation) - $15.99
* Zann / Burial Year - Split - BLACK VINYL 12" (Adagio830) - $20.99
* Zs - Self-Titled - WHITE COLORED VINYL 7" (Rock is Hell) - $8.99
RESTOCKS: (for week of 09/23/08)
* Antlers - Self-Titled Cassette (The Perpetual Motion Machine) - $4.99
* Indian - The Unquiet Sky 2x12" (Seventh Rule) - $17.99
* New Electric - Self-Titled Cdep (The Perpetual Motion Machine) - $5.99
* Plague Bringer - As The Ghosts Collect CD (Seventh Rule) - $10.99
* Snack Truck - Harpoon CD (The Perpetual Motion Machine) - $7.99
* Sweet Cobra - Praise CD (Seventh Rule) - $10.99
* Tigershark - Limited Tour Cassette (The Perpetual Motion Machine) - $5.99
* Total Shutdown / XBXRX - Split 2x5" (Rock is Hell) - $13.99
* Wow, Owls! - Pick Your Patterns CD (The Perpetual Motion Machine) - $8.99
* Zach Hill & Mick Barr - Vol. 2 12" (Rock is Hell) - $20.99
That pretty much wraps things up for this update... some major stuff here folks, and we thank you in advance for checking it all out! Peace!
Robotic Empire - Online Store
p.s. although we're not selling it yet, everyone needs to check out the new YOUNG WIDOWS album Old Wounds on Temporary Residence... if you haven't already. Hands down one of the best albums of the year from some solid dudes down in Louisville, and their best work to date!
