A while back, rumors began to swirl about a split between the Infamous Gehenna and Germany's underrated juggernaut VV.egas. It was always going to be extremely limited with out of this world art. Time passed and the rumor grew stronger and stronger until it was revealed Vedavu was handling it. Even more time passed and I wondered if it was ever going to appear. A special edition, limited to a mere 13 copies appeared for the 7.17 show - it was a glimpse of hope. During September - when I was on leave from work - I remember wishing it was coming out until I had enough money. Then official word came down and it went back to a waiting game. Vedavu placed the pre-orders up at midnight (PST; 3 AM EST).
Make no mistake about it, this is a piece of art. Vedavu release records by collectors for collectors. An elaborate sleeve houses this slab of wax. As you can tell from the pictures, there was a lot of detail put into the appearance; the morbid yet vibrant cover is wrapped with a black obi-strip that has album's artwork on it (It's black on black, giving it a really cool effect). Opening the double fold sleeve reveals even more artwork in the same vein as the other pieces. Two inserts, one for each band, contain the lyrics. For grim, melancholic music, the packaging is absolutely beautiful.
Gehenna start things off with "Within The Peyote Cult", a thrashy, psychedelic number. After the first listen, I got a feeling of deja vu. The riffs were familiar and immediately I knew why: "I'll Always Say Forever". The sample-heavy piece has the same, making me believe that "Within The Peyote Cult" was recorded before 7.17. In any case, the track fits in with the more recent "Psychedelic Screwed Thrash Punk" trend. It's not as surreal as the Blind To Faith split, but it's definitely not your standard hardcore. The contribution gets me ecstatic about the new full-length.
VV.egas' "Original Sin" continues down the same path as their other material - Integrity influenced hardcore with tinges of neo-folk. This particular track features Matt Shack of the criminally over-looked Pale Creation. It's a heavy track, one that gets me hopeful for new VV.egas material in the future. I really dug "Verklingen", but in the end it was a cover. A damn good cover, but nothing beats an original, all new track.
Vedavu has a handful of new releases planned, including bands such as DEVIL, Arm And Sword Of A Bastard God, and Hot Pursuit. When I see and eventually hold records like the Gehenna/VV.egas split, it reminds me why I love collecting. Pictures don't do it justice. You have to see it to fully grasp just show crazy the whole package is. This came in a bundle that included the vinyl and an exclusive t-shirt.
This is limited to a hundred copies and is sold out (It sold out in a matter of days) but apparently there are rumors of a possible repress. Keep an eye on Vedavu - they've got some amazing stuff in the pipeline.
MMXI is just days old and I already deem this a top three pick.
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