An order from Bridge 9

The records in this post are probably the same as what every other hardcore kid/record collector received in the post over the past week. There nothing special in the sense of being super rare.

One of the packages I picked up from home was my Bridge 9 order, which cost me $37 in postage! It wasn't so bad as I had split the order with my brother. But now Bridge 9 are doing free postage on all orders over $75 for Europeans, I wish this offer was on their site when the Crime in Stereo, Ruiner, Energy and Cruel Hand pre-orders went up.

They never seem to package the records well, apart from the actual mailer there is no other protection. I've always worried about ordering from them after seeing pictures of warped records people in England have received from them. Whether this is due to the climate change or packaging I'm not too sure.

But so far I haven't received a warped or damaged record from them, touch wood.



Anyway the first record I pulled out was the new Energy lp named 'Invasions Of The Mind'. I ordered two colourways, Teal /200 and Orange /500. I had previously ordered the single, Race the Sun, for this record too which came a few weeks ago. I'm not really sure why they put out the single. If you wait a week you can just buy the full length, and not have to pay for shipping twice in one month. But me being the record nerd I am I had to order the single to have a complete collection and as the law goes 'buy it now for $4 or buy it for 6 times as much on ebay in a month'.

The artwork on this record is awesome, when I get a better camera I will take some decent photos that do it some justice. It's a gatefold which really do make you feel like you have bought a quality record as it shows effort has gone into the production of it.



Also all Bridge 9 releases now come with a CD version of the record in a white paper sleeve, plus the digital download from their website. I'm not really sure what the point of the CD is, as I'm sure most people use the digital download and put it straight onto their Ipods. But Bridge 9 aren't charging more for the CD so you can't really complain about getting a free CD.

The actual record is alot different from their first full length 'Punch the Clock'. Mainly due to the use of various production efforts, for example the use of an electric drum machine and the vocals seem to have an effect added to them in parts. The overall feel of the record is alot darker and not as upbeat compared to the previous full length. Also it doesn't have as much as a pop punk sound to it.



Next up is Crime in Stereo - Selective Wreckage LP. I haven't got round to listening to this record as of yet. I've been a big fan of everything else Crime in Stereo have put out so far and for what I understand this is a collection of unreleased material from 2005-2007 and the split ep with Capital. So it should be pretty awesome. I picked up a copy on clear green and is a pressing of 200. I didn't see the point in getting the other two colours as they were out of /500 and /2300, so not super rare and I was worrying about the cost of shipping. But when I've got some spare cash I will probably get the other two colours to complete the collection, as there both still available from the Bridge 9 store.



Finally the last record in the Bridge 9 package, the new Cruel Hand ep 'Life In Shambles'. I ordered the brown colourway out of 300. I haven't listened to much Cruel Hand before I had ordered this, but I thought I would order it anyway as it was only $4. This is another one of those samplers Bridge 9 put out a week or two before the full length, 'Prying Eyes'. I didn't bother ordering the full length when they went up, I wish I had of done now. Bridge 9 still have the black pressing out of 200, which comes with gatefold artwork, in their webstore but it to your cart you get an error, which usually means its sold out.