Flowers in Chains

Okay, so although Dad Punchers and Touche Amore are my main collection focus, there are a few bands out there that I do aim to grab anything and everything I can. Be it variants, tour presses, cassette runs etc. and one band that has had me captivated from day one is Chain of Flowers. I have every physical output so far. It wasn't too difficult as there aren't variants as such, but all the same I'm pretty happy with it and will try to keep it current.

Kicking things off is the 'Chained / Spit' cassette. This was self released through the singer of the band's label (Swine Language). Clear cassettes /100. 

The art folds out fully to show this weird photograph. It's a little smudgy, a little Instagram friendly, but I really dig how it looks. 

Reverse of the J-Card. Although it's not creased like a J-Card so you have to weigh it down to photograph with any real clarity. As a debut release, it's pretty solid and really lends itself to a cassette release. 

Insert. Chained lyrics. 

Spit lyrics. These are folded and slotted between the cassette and the J-Card, making things a bit of a tight squeeze. But I always moan when releases come without a lyric sheet. so it's all cool I guess? 

Second up is the 'Sleep' 7''. This was my first exposure to the band, and from here I was beyond hooked. Sleep is an incredible song, and Clutching The Night is a perfect B-Side; giving the limelight to the title track, but completely holding it's own all the same.

B-Side / Back Cover. Much the same with Playlounge's 'Thrash Magic' EP, this was pressed by Fear and Records. This means that there is no insert and no dust cover. But I don't mind, you get what you need. I like the art on the centre labels. Inside the letters is a floral pattern which works nice with the stark black contrast. I think these were /300. All on black. 

Not too long after the vinyl release, Chain of Flowers (Swine Language) made a tour press of Sleep on cassette. No bonus tracks or anything like that, just something cool for you if you were there. I was not, but thankfully leftover copies surfaced online through the band's bigcartel store. All clear shells /70. 

The J-Card folds out as such, and there is no print on the inside. The artwork is very reminiscent of the Chained / Spit release, which sticks out to me. It forms a nice continuation, like they were part of the same time frame even though they were not. Stuff like Self Defense Family's 'Island Series' is a similar idea, and I'm a real sucker for that. 

Again, there is an insert with lyrics jammed inside the case too which is helpful, as the vinyl release had no such thing. Plus, with these recordings especially, there is a 'wall of noise' kind of thing which drowns out the vocals a little, so this comes in handy. 

No lust for tomorrow. No lust for the light. 

Next up is the 'Arches Session' cassette tape. Again, this was released through Swine Language, but there is a radical change in artwork here as you can see. The shells are now black and come with printed labels which is also something new. Although I like that they're keeping things fresh by changing it up, there's something here that seems a little less DIY, despite it still being self released. I don't know, I like it and I don't... All on black /200.

B-Side / Back Case. This is the first time I photographed the B-Side of any of their cassettes, as up until this point, there was nothing to identify A/B Sides apart unless it was played. Here though we are treated to a B-Side label. 

Also, this is the first time you get a band photo with a release. This J-Card insert provides some info on the recording and song credits alongside a full list of band members. No lyrics though which is a real shame, as the vocals are buried really deep in the mix.

Lastly, we have the vinyl release of the 'Arches Session'. This was put out through Bedside Records in the US and is /300. All on black. 

A-Side. The centre labels are really simple, and tell you all you need to know, including the RPM and song length. 

B-Side / Back Cover. The art, much like the cassette is an all over print type deal with a little cutaway to slip the record in and out. The sleeve is also on some weird textured kind of card, a little similar to Garrod & Lofthouse sleeves. No dust cover. 

Although this was put out through Bedside in the US, 50 copies made it over to the UK for the band to sell. These particular copies came with a hand numbered photograph / art card. I ended up with number 24/50. 

This is how it arrived, and it's in a poly sleeve which is a nice bonus these days. The poly sleeve also came stickered which I thought was really cool. I don't know why stuff like this pleases me so much, just the extra effort I guess. 

There we go. That's it so far. Two 7''s, 3 cassettes and only 6 songs. Well, 5 songs and a cover. I really like everything this band has come out with, but I have played these songs nearly to death. I have heard they're working on a full length though. I'm anxious to hear what this band come out with when it's not in 2 song bursts. They're playing a few UK dates with Nothing in November too. I'm going to do my best to make it to that London gig.