React! Showcase Box Set (Color)

This is something that Aram and React! have put together for both of their showcases. At the 2010 showcase, they had put a few 7" records in the box set, but for the 2011 box set they went all out with 5 LP's. I didn't previously own any of these records, but I have heard each one. The thing here and why I paid Aram $90 bucks for this set is the presentation and what went into putting this together.

The front and back of the box set are both screen printed with the normal React! logo on the front and React! Showcase 2011 on the back with the dates.

My copy was hand numbered 12/15. I think they printed up 100 of these box sets and 85 were on black vinyl that they sold at the show. The other 15 were on color vinyl and were given out to friends that helped with the showcase. So...this is a pretty awesomely rare vinyl find.

Once you open the box, the 5 LP's are all in white sleeves with a hand stamped band logo on each sleeve. They even went to the trouble to tie a bow around the 5 records.

Here are the 5 LP's that came with the box set.
ON - Double Vision on clear
Skin Like Iron - Arrival on yellow
Get The Most - Collection on maroon
Common Cause - Statement of Purpose on blue
Get The Most - Together on clear blue

Also inside is a copy of the special edition of Effort Fanzine that was put together for the showcase and this box set. This is a really thick issue and has interviews with every band on the label and the other bands that were playing the showcase. They even interview all of the folks that run React! Great fanzine!

The box set also came with all of the writings that are typical of a React! release.

...and a whole bunch of stickers and download codes for each album that we will be giving away on the show very soon.

The first record in the set is ON - Double vision on clear vinyl. This is the second pressing of this record that was co-released by React! and Reaper Records. The clear is out of 400. This is such a solid record. ON is comprised of members of Champion, Go It Alone, Blue Monday and Lights Out. How could this band not be good. Double Vision collects the bands two out of print 7" records Control and Vital Times. I had previously got a copy of Control but have never been able to find a decently priced copy of Vital Times, so it's nice to have them collected here. And man, do I love clear vinyl.

Next up is Skin Like Iron's React! debut, Arrival on yellow vinyl. There were 200 pressed of this color. I've had the MP3's that were sent to me to play on the show from React! for awhile and have never been able to get into it. I guess I didn't give it much of a chance, because I cannot stop spinning this record. It's kind of a strange band to be on React! This is more of a metal album than a hardcore record and mostly sounds like a crust record. Very very good though.

Common Cause Statement of Purpose on blue out of 300. This is such an awesome record. Not much else to say about it. Great from start to finish. We play this on the show all time time, so if you're into it, listen to the show for your chance to win a downloadable copy of this album.

Get The Most were the first band on React! Records and this showcase was their last show. Very sad that I never got to see them live, because this is one killer band. Both of these records are just incredible. Together on blue out of 400 is such an insane record and Collection on maroon out of 300 is even better than the first. Every song on this album is straight forward, in your face, fast hardcore.

This is definitely the best piece of my ever growing record collection. So glad to have this and be able to listen to these 5 records.

Coming up later, we're talking about a couple of Archaia comic book releases and a new game shop that we discovered here in Stephenville.