Stalemate Joins The Head2wall Records Family

Photo: Shelby Fickel

For the uninitiated, Cleveland, Ohio's Stalemate have been a band for almost two decades beginning as Tooth Fuzz in 2001 and adopting their current moniker back in 2010. To say these guys have been putting in work is an understatement, they have taken great time in refining their sound with each album coming out three to four years after the last. In 2015 they self released Permanent Things that to me harks back just as much to a band like The Get Up Kids as it would to Weezer, alternative rock but still with a punk edge. I love this band because I feel like even on a recording you can hear the energy in both their vocals and their music and even on slower songs you can hear them drawing things out in just the right way (I think this is harder to pull off and it sound earnest). Grab a copy of their last LP/CD in the Head2wall Webstore now, to get caught up, and stay tuned for more details on the new record in the coming weeks!

Justice Replaced By Revenge

Last night I went to see Ruiner, Ringworm and Agnostic Front. It was the best time I have seen Ruiner play so far (This was my fifth time seeing them). Ringworm fucking killed it and the only shirt I got at the show was for them (See below). And Agnostic Front played a great set, even though security was being very lame. They opened up with The Eliminator and and I felt like I was at Posi Numbers 2004 again... Its shows like last night that remind me how much I love hardcore.

A Burning Living Driving Will

I have been working on this post for a few days now (aka slacking and working). So this post now is coming on the one year anniversary of this blog. Thanks to my friends and a few random people for reading this and commenting (rarely). I hope the next year brings great mail days and even better shows. Now to the original post...


So sorta early last Saturday (01/03/09) my friend Mike and I took a trip to Cleveland, America. The goals; Clothes, Records, Show and of corse Brotherhood/Camaraderie. All goals were of coarse achieved. First stop on the way up (after Wendy's) was Medina, this was to pick up Nick and Pat and then we were off to the Strongsville mall. Where both Nick and I found some cool swishy jackets and I grabbed up some sweaters. After that was Crocker Park where a lot time was wasted but not a lot of clothes were copped. Then after Pat giving awful directions we found our way to Clif from My Luck's record shop, Phonographic Arts. This place is a gold mine, if you are Cleveland this is a 100% stop you have to make if you even sorta buy records. I spent a bit of change, but not too much because everything I got was golden (or at least stuff I have been looking for). Then with Clif in tow we headed to Taco Bell to meet up with some Red Bull girls Pat and Nick know. I partook in some Grande Soft Tacos and a Red Bull and then we were finally on our way to The Tower (2012) for the show. Of course by this time we had missed Force Fed and Poison Planet. Both bands I wanted to see. As Good As Dead, Face Reality and Mindset were all really great. Kinda wish I would have grabbed up a copy of the Mindset 7" so I don't have to wait on the one I Pre-Ordered (but I was trying to hold a bit strong after buying all those records earlier). And lastly Right Idea played, the set was mind blowing. Covers perfect... included in these was a Committed song, with the singer of Committed. I swear Right Idea gets better every time I see them. After the show we all went to a place called My Friends that might also become a Cleveland stop for most trips from now on.


Turning Point - It's Always Darkest... (Second Press) (New Age Records)
Pist-N-Broke - American Drinking Songs (Out Of 1000) (Vulture Rock Records)
Stars And Stripes - Shaved For Battle (Taang Records) *
Mouthpiece - What Was Said (New Age Records)
Mental - Planet Mental (Blue) (Lockin Out Records)



Top-
No Warning - S/T (Seconds Press) (Out Of 800) (Martyr Records) *
Tears Of Frustration - Last Of The Few (State Of Mind Records)
Tears Of Frustration/Step 2 Far (Guillotine Records)
Middle-
I Hate You - Seven Inches Of Hate (Tied Down Records)
First Strike - S/T (Sta Press Records)
Ringworm/Cold As Life (Blue) (Out Of 500) (Stillborn Records)
Bottom-
Horror Show - The Holiday EP (Red) (Out Of 1000) (Deathwish Inc Records) *
Step Forward - S/T (Out Of 418) (Painkiller Records) *
Rancor - Never Hold Back (Clear) (Out Of 220) (Youngblood Records)


Our War - If You're Not Now (Red) (Blank Labels) (Deranged Records) *
Quicksand - S/T (Revelation Records) *
Face Reality - Demo (Out Of 75)
Force Fed - Demo CDR
Region Of Ice - Issue 2
Region Of Ice - Issue 3
Region Of Ice - Issue 4
New Nothing - January 2009
Disconnected - Isolated (Out Of 100) (Sonic Seppuku Projects)


Top-
Agnostic Front - Livery And Justice For... (Combat Core)
Chain Of Strength - The One Thing That Still Holds True (Revelation Records)
Better Than A Thousand - Just One (Revelation Records)
Ignite - Past Our Means (Revelation Records)
Dirty Rotten Imbeciles - Def-I-Ni-Tion (Rotten Records)
Middle-
Agnostic Front - Cause For Alarm (Combat Core)
Inside Out - S/T (Revelation Records)
Judge - Bringin' It Down (Revelation Records)
Fugazi - Repeater (Dischord Records)
Ten Yard Fight - Back On Track (Equal Vision Records)
Bottom-
Bold - Speak Out (Revelation Records)
Weezer - S/T (Blue Album) (Geffen Records)


*Means they were on my Howsyouredge want list.

Watch Me Sink Like A Stone

For the second time this week I went out of town and saw Have Heart, Ceremony, Blacklisted, Let Down And Convicted. This Show was in Cleveland, Ohio. The local opener for this show was Mad Minds. Oh and two posts in one day, weird.


Now the write up for this show is going to be shorter than the one for Monday's. Convicted opened and this time I didn't miss any of it. Band only gets better every time I see them. Mad Minds played next and even though they're are dudes I never really got into them when I saw them. This time though they were awesome. This was to be their "Record Release Show." Sadly due to something or other they didn't have the records to be released. You can pre-order it HERE (along with the Triceratops LP). Let Down played next, they once again we're really good Kids were moshing hard having lots of fun myself included (durring them and Convicted I really bruised up my forearm). Blacklisted played next and as usual killed it. And now I take back what I said about Ceremony, at this show they were pretty tight and played an amazing set. At some point I allegedly elbowed some girl's face in. Have Heart closed out the Night again. They once again did a great job and played some decent tunes I wanted to hear. All and all the show was great.


This is the first Blacklisted shirt I have ever purchased (for myself). And it has a kitty on it, so I love it.