Monday 30 June 2008

The results of this weeks poll (favourite Integrity record)...

Here are the results for this weeks poll, for favourite INTEGRITY record. It didn't get too many votes, perhaps due to the fact that half of the people who read this blog probably either dislike or just plain hate the band. That's fine, I'm not expecting all polls to be of interest to everyone. For example, the one I'm about to start is for 'favourite classic Slap A Ham Records release', which will probably alienate a fair few who voted on the INTEGRITY poll...And so it goes.

I am surprised that 'Systems Overload' won, even though it would have been my firt choice. Melnick worship. 'Those Who Fear Tomorrow' didn't even get any votes for the first couple of days the poll was up, which was another surprise, as is the fact that someone voted for the INTEGRITY/MAYDAY split 7" as their favourite... Although a good record, that's crazy; maybe they just prefer Mayday to Integrity overall.

Also, even though I don't agree, I respect the fact that some people prefer RINGWORM's 'The Promise' to any INTEGRITY record. It IS a total classic.

And if you're wondering why I didn't include your favourite album 'Closure', '2000' or 'To Die For' on the list, this probably isn't the right blog for you...

Those Who Fear Tomorrow: 5 (12%)
Integrity/Mayday split 7": 1 (2%)
Systems Overload: 15 (38%)
Seasons In The Size Of Days: 2 (5%)
Humanity Is The Devil: 9 (23%)
In Contrast Of Sin: 1 (2%)
I prefer Ringworm - The Promise: 6 (15%)

7 comments:

Papst Benedikt XVI said...

to be honest I didn´t vote cause I wasn´t able to decide if I´d prefer System´s Overloaded to For Those Who Fear Tomorrow or if it´s the other way round! I think System´s Overloaded has the better music but the (given) lyrics of For Those Who Fear Tomorrow are way better than any of the lyrics on System´s Overloaded!

if For Those Who Fear Tomorrow wouldn´t have been re-issued just a short time ago it would have been among my next postings!

RobT said...

Have you listened to the new songs on their myspace? Not terrible, but I can't take anything under the monicker Integrity seriously anymore without Aaron Melnick's guitar work. They were always more than just Dwid...Ho hum.

Listen to the new Inmates EP.

Papst Benedikt XVI said...

And if you're wondering why I didn't include your favourite album 'Closure', '2000' or 'To Die For' on the list, this probably isn't the right blog for you... hehehe

Closure was the last album I bought everything after that doesn´t really interest me! sure there was a nice song here and there but somehow...

Anonymous said...

Don't forget the Integrity / Hatebreed split!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Anyone who prefers Ringworm to Integrity is fucking insane. Shouldn't even have been an option. I like Ringwrom and all, but come on...!

I think "To Die For" was very solid, and the new tracks are fucking great. They recapture the old school Integrity lead style without trying to copy the old songwriting style, I think it's a cool balance. They'll never be as amazing as they were in the old days, but I think their material's been back on track since "To Die For", totally.

Awesome blog. I'm adding your link now!

POI Nx16 said...

I voted for the Mayday split, don't call me crazy, you wear dunlop trainers. I maintain it was their best release. Let me tell you why; circa the In Contrast of Sin 7" Integ were the most perfect band to me- SXE, animal rights and fighting themed lyrics, air jordans and a totally original sound. Then came the Only The Strong comp; Darkness is utterly perfect. Then came Those Who Fear Tomorrow; incredible music and lyrics but, oh no, cigarettes, booze and chicken wings on the thanks list. It took me a good while to get over the dissappointment that the reality of integ was not as perfect as the superhuman one I had created in my mind. When Les 120 Journees De Sodome (the mayday split)dropped I had come to terms with their edgebreaks etc (i know this sounds daft, but it's how it was for me). The sleeve of the split was a kind of shitty black and white effort with an abstract detail of a Francis Bacon piece but it was a real dirty contrast (ahem)to the colourful Bacon and subsequent Bosch art for Those Who Fear Tomorrow. The lyric sheet was fantastic with the Francis Bacon quote about like being a piece of shit, that resonated for me at the time, and still does. This was the first time that (as far as I knew) a hardcore band was using references using art and literature. It opened a whole new world. On 'Among The Living' Scott Ian recommended everyone read Stephen King, so I did. Here Integ were referencing the Marquis DeSade. I read that shit and it blew my head off, completely insane. The Black Sabbath label on the integ side was also just perfect, don't know why but it made sense. So, the music, much more lo-fi and dirty and evil than TWFT, that discordant picking start for example is genius. The heavy bits are so heavy the fast bits so ripping and the lyrics are evil as fuck, even when I don't understand them. The whole aesthic of this record is unique and unsurpassed. A perfect moment in time. Rot in Hell recorded Kingdom of Heaven for our split 7" with Hordes, Dwid said it sounded "very sinister". I can die a happy man. Well not happy, but you know what I mean.

Oh yeah, Andrew's right, Ringworm fucking rule, but they are not in the same universe as Integ.

RobT said...

That's fair reasoning Poi, I do think it's an amazing record, probably just not enough Integ songs on it for me to choose it as favourite, even though both songs are of extremely high quality. I love the Mayday side too, the way BREATHE kicks in, fuck.

My dunlops fell apart, so I now have some no-name cheap TK Maxx beasts...