Black Sunday: Slaves BC / Cousin Sleaze - Split 7" (2013)

Pittsburgh's Slaves BC, a favorite of this blog since I found them in August of 2012, is a band I've been longing to have on the shelf in the vinyl format (hell, they're a band I wish I had on my own label). While a full-length is still forthcoming (from Veritas Vinyl, I believe), the band have satisfied the appetite for now with a self-released split with New York hardcore act, Cousin Sleaze. With just a total of seven minutes of music across seven inches of vinyl, each band delivers a short, sharp and shocking blast of sound smartly housed in a simple package. Slaves BC give us "Place Axe to Root" and Cousin Sleaze turn in "Indecision."

i appreciate a large hole.

Chris Smith of Grey Aria Design Studio put together a stellar sleeve in shades of gray whose bones and binding recall the aesthetic of the iconic Pushead but keep things appropriately blackened for the content within (but also check out his killer poster for an upcoming Mutilation Rites show to see how this guy can fill a larger canvas). I'm not sure who actually pressed the vinyl but each variant - 100 each of black, white and clear - are clean to look at and listen to. The black and white center labels carry the same design as the jacket's reverse and the entire record exudes a no-frills, utilitarian vibe. "Would you prefer to be fucked up with sound," it asks, "or would you rather we give you colors and stickers?" Yeah, the first one.

Pick who you love more and get it from them. Better yet, grab one or more from each. It's worth noting that each purchase on Bandcamp doubles the music with an extra track available for download from each band ("To My Beloved Bride" from Slaves BC and "Begin Again" from Cousin Sleaze):

http://cousinsleaze.bandcamp.com/album/slaves-bc-cousin-sleaze-split



http://slavesbc.bandcamp.com/album/slaves-bc-cousin-sleaze-split