DEAD WEIGHT UPDATE

I wrote up a huge new post for the Dead Weight blog that is online now. Head over and check it out if you have your reading eyes ready... it's a long one.

http://deadweightmovie.blogspot.com/2012/02/dead-weight-update-fiesta-now-with-dvd.html

Oh yea, we also released the cover art for the 2DVD!

DISTRO NEW ARRIVALS & RESTOCKS

Tons of incredible new records came through over the last month or so. Took me forever to post them, but now a lot of good stuff goes up at once so you can save on shipping!

DISTRO NEW ARRIVALS + FUN RESTOCKS
L'Acephale - Stahlhartes Gehause gatefold 2LP - $31.00
Aldebaran - Buried Beneath Aeons LP - $14.50
Antideluvian - Under Wing Of Asael LP - $14.50
Ash Borer - Ash Borer gatefold LP - $17.00
Batillus - Furnace LP - $13.00
Batillus/Hallowed Butchery Split LP - $13.00
Botanist - The Suicide Tree/A Rose From The Dead gatefold 2CD - $15.00
Celestiial - Where Life Springs Eternal CD - $10.00
Falls Of Rauros - The Light That Dwells In Rotten Wood - $10.00
Fell Voices - Untitled (2009) - $12.00
Fo(u)r Burials four way spit 2LP - $24.00
Lake Of Blood - As Time And Tide Erodes Stone - $15.00
Locrian - The Clearing LP - $15.00
Locrian - Crystal World LP - $19.00
Lycus - MMXI LP - $15.00
Salome - Terminal gatefold 2LP - $25.00
Thou/Cower split LP - $17.00
Thou - The Archer And The Owle gatefold LP - $17.00
Velnias - Sovereign Nocturnal LP - $17.00

For audio samples and photos for most of these records head over to http://www.gileadmedia.net/store/distro.htm

PHOTOS OF ASH BORER OPENING FOR WITTR

By the always exceptional Bryan Proteau.
Check em all out over at SF SLUDGE - http://sfsludge.blogspot.com/2012/01/ash-borer.html

GILEAD MEDIA MUSIC FESTIVAL SCHEDULE AND TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW!

Gilead Media Music Festival tickets are on sale NOW! Only 250 per day available. $40 weekend pass or $23/day.

Schedule:

FESTIVAL SCHEDULE:
--SATURDAY-- (Beginning around 3:00 PM)
Loss
Ash Borer
Fell Voices
A Scanner Darkly
HELL
Get Rad
Lycus
Protestant
Arms Aloft

--SUNDAY-- (Beginning around 1:00 PM)
Thou
False
The Body
Mutilation Rites
Northless
Sleepwalker
Baby Boy
Aseethe
Darger + Plague Mother

ARTIST APPEARANCES & EXHIBITS:
Reuben Sawyer/Rainbath Visual
Bryan Proteau/Natvres Mortes

Do it to it, and please repost wherever you like to talk to people about heavy music!
http://www.gileadmedia.net/fest

Thank you!
-Adam/Gilead

LYCUS ADDED TO GILEAD MUSIC FEST

LYCUS
Doom from San Francisco, CA
http://lycus.bandcamp.com/

AND I confirmed today that the show will be ALL AGES.

http://gileadmedia.net/fest/
http://gileadmedia.net/fest/
http://gileadmedia.net/fest/

MY BEST OF 2011

Brooklyn Vegan published this list (before some minor revisions) without the descriptions. I also sent it to omgvinyl, but I missed their deadline. So, here is my year-end best of 2011 list. Enjoy!

2011 Records

1. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues (Sub Pop)

I generally don't get much time to check out new music, and I generally don't give the time of day to most popular music. I just hate wading through the garbage to find gems like Fleet Foxes. Thankfully my friend Dale subjects me to great new music outside the DIY metal realm I'm generally immersed in. Helplessness Blues is such a painfully beautiful record, I don't know how they even write these songs. After falling in love with this album I sort of wish I would've paid a bit more attention during the vocalist's solo performance opening for Joanna Newsom. 

2. Ash Borer - Ash Borer (Psychic Violence/Pesanta Urfolk)

It's not often a band evolves so much in between releases, but Ash Borer definitely pulled it off. I love the songwriting here, so memorable. I almost feel like they're taking a path similar to Krallice… not in genre or style, but in aesthetic. Beginning in black metal but breaking out of that mold and changing into something very unique. 

3. Loss - Despond (Profound Lore)

My pal Chad turned me on to LOSS a few years ago during my last casual trip to Minneapolis. When Despond came out this year I took notice, but didn't have the time to pick it up. Unfortunately that meant it fell off my radar until September or October. Man, I screwed up. LOSS have unleashed one of the best doom metal records I've ever heard. And that track with the vocalist from Pallbearer? Damn… great stuff. 

4. Young Widows - In And Out Of Youth And Lightness (Temporary Residence)

Young Widows are a band I've always enjoyed, and more so with each record. I feel like they evolve in the same direction and at the same pace as my own musical interests. I heard mixed things on In And Out Of Youth… and hesitated to check out it. Finally my friend Brian forced me to listen to some songs on YouTube, and I'm very grateful for that. Even though these songs are subdued and relaxed compared to their prior material, Young Widows have managed to evolve into a fantastic mellow band. There's a lot of great atmosphere on this record. 

5. Algernon Cadwallader - Parrot Flies (Hot Green Records)

Yup, it's guitar laden indie rock with off-key vocals… and it's absolutely fantastic. My pal Seth and I went to see Algernon in Chicago this past summer, it was the most disgusting show I had ever been to, and I think I was the oldest guy there. Weird. But the show was a ton of fun and it's always great to get to Chicago. Seth also calls this one of his favorite records ever… it's definitely worth it if you're into weird indie rock that blossoms from the DIY/punk community. 

6. Hell - II (Pesanta Urfolk)

Gritty, dark doom from Salem, OR. What is in the water over there? So many awesome bands. HELL does the best job of capturing the feel and emotion of Buried At Sea while remaining unique and crafting songs that are themselves memorable. Not at all another modern doom clone. The 2LP is expertly presented by Pesanta, as well. 

7. Hammers Of Misfortune - 17th Street (Metal Blade)

I would never have anticipated a Metal Blade release ever crack my top 10… or my CD collection in general. Surprise! I have no beef with the label, they just generally don't release records that interest me. Well, I blind bought 17th Street without any prior listening. Sometimes I get burned, this time I got stoked. It's not the type of band I'm usually a fan of, but the songwriting rules and the vocals hit a very, very fine target. It's easy to do this style in a very cheesy way, and that turns me off. Hammers pull it off, though. Superior riffage. 

8. Panopticon - Social Disservices (Flenser Records)

There's a lot to love here if you're into black metal. There's also a lot to love here if you're into extreme metal with lyrics and concepts that break the mold a bit. The entire album is based around the sole member's experiences in social work and social services fields. There's a great essay included with the record, and that's something that really drove home the appeal of this album for me. Great songwriting, to boot! 

9. Battles - Glass Drop (Warp)

I've been in love with Battles since the B and C EPs came out years ago. Mirrored was a good record, but the vocals drove me nuts sometimes. I think I was the only person that was excited to hear Tyondai Braxton had left the band… but I was also somewhat concerned about what would happen to some of the band's depth. Crisis averted! The guest vocalists here really add a great deal to the record, and the songwriting is so incredibly focused. Battles continue to boggle my mind, and Glass Drop took a potentially terrible turn of events and capitalized on it with immense skill. 

10. Ascension - Consolamentum (World Terror Committee)

People are overlooking this record, and it's driving me nuts. It came out at the end of 2010, so officially it's not a 2011 release. But every list-compiling maniac had their year-end records selected before it was released… so to me that means it's eligible this year. German black metal, reminds me at times of Deathspell Omega, Glorior Belli and the like, but Ascension have a very unique feel. The production is spot on and the songs vary in tempo so you're never bored by a series of continually blazing fast tracks. To top it off the artwork is fantastic on this record. I actually blind-purchased this based on the art alone. The fact that this record is overlooked is seriously criminal. 
 

Runners up

Implodes - Black Earth (Kranky)

Ordo Obsidium - Orbis Tertius (Eisenwald)

Thou - To The Chaos Wizard Youth (Vendetta/Howling Mine)

The Decemberists - The King Is Dead (Capitol)

Absu - Abzu (Candlelight)

Hollow Sunshine/The Austrasian Goat - Split/Collaboration (Vendetta)

Deafheaven - Roads To Judah (Deathwish Inc.) 

2011 CS

Lycus - 2011 Demo (Graceless Recordings)

Barghest - Untitled CS (Big Mountain Tapes)

Velnias - Velnias CS (Land Of Decay)

Ash Borer - Discography 2CS (Land Of Decay/Psychic Violence)

Hell - II CS (Eternal Warfare)

Algernon Cadwallader - Live CS (Sex Cave Records)

Ruin Lust - Ruin Lust CS (Psychic Violence)

Mutilation Rites - Mutilation Rites CS (Poison Infiltration)

Alda - Tahoma CS (Eternal Warfare) 

2011 Shows

False - Irish Knot, Milwaukee, WI

Thou/Northless/Protestant - Borg Ward, Milwaukee, WI

Rocky Votolato - Cactus Club, Milwaukee, WI

Alcest - Bottom Lounge, Chicago, IL

Utech Records Music Festival - Cactus Club, Milwaukee, WI

Mutilation Rites - Maritime, Appleton, WI

Algernon Cadwallader - Strangelight, Chicago, IL 

Best records released prior to 2011 that I just heard in 2011

Mastodon - Crack The Skye (Reprise)

Alcest - Écailles De Lune (Prophecy Productions)

Deathspell Omega - Paracletus (Season Of Mist)

Astomatous - The Beauty Of Reason (Self-released)

FALSE'S UNTITLED NAMED ALBUM OF THE YEAR AT MEAT MEAD METAL

Brian over at Meat Mead Metal has been supportive of Gilead Media since he first heard Thou's Tyrant in 2008. Today he named the Untitled 12" by FALSE album of the year for 2011. Thank you, Brian!

Check out his great write up, alongside a short interview with me about releasing the record.

http://meatmeadmetal.wordpress.com/2012/01/06/best-of-2011-1-false-untitled-gilead-media/

LITERATURE!

For the past couple weeks I've been considering picking up as many used Philip K Dick and Dark Tower books as I could find so I can sell them at the Gilead Media Music Festival. A Scanner Darkly would always sell PKD books at their merch table and to steal a page from their book (hardy har) I figured it made sense to sell used Dark Tower books on the cheap at the Gilead table. There's going to be a bunch of other merch, posters, shirts, records, etc alongside the books, too!

HELL (SALEM, OR) CONFIRMED FOR THE GILEAD MEDIA MUSIC FESTIVAL

In 2011 HELL released their II 2LP with Pesanta Urfolk (Eternal Warfare handled a killer CS release, too!) and it easily landed amongst my own top 10 for 2011. Incredible scathing sludge/doom, and they hardly play shows. I've somehow managed to convince them to make their way out to Wisconsin in April for the Gilead Media Music Festival!

Give it a whirl!

THOU JANUARY TOUR DATES WITH THE BODY

Thou are heading out this coming Friday with THE BODY on what will be one of their final tours for quite some time. Make sure you get out to one of the shows if you're on the west coast!

01.06 - Ft. Worth - 1919 Hemphill | eight pm | with: THE BODY and MOON TITAN.
01.07 - Albuquerque - Peace and Justice Center | 202 Harvard SE | eight pm | with: THE BODY, RONOSO, and ACRYPTICAL.
01.08 - Las Vegas - Yayo Taco | 4632 South Maryland Pkwy # 17 | six pm | with: THE BODY and GOD'S AMERICA.
01.09 - Oakland - 1234Go! Records - 423 40th Street | seven pm | with: THE BODY and LYCUS.
01.10 - Portland - Backspace | 115 Northwest 5th Avenue | eight pm | with: THE BODY, COWER, and CHASMA.
01.11 - Portland - Beech House | 604 Beech Street | ONE PM MATINEE | with: THE BODY, TAURUS, and YOB (acoustic).
01.11 - Seattle - The Black Lodge | eight pm | with: THE BODY, MARROW, and BREAG NOAFA.
01.12 - Olympia - Capital Theatre Backstage | 206 5th Avenue | nine pm | with: THE BODY, CHRISTIAN MISTRESS, and DREAMDECAY.
01.13 - Salem - Burial Grounds | 23rd Street NE | seven pm | with: THE BODY and DRUDEN.
01.14 - Berkeley - Gilman | 924 Gilman Street | eight pm | with: THE BODY, BRAINOIL, NEGATIVE STANDARDS, and SWAMP WITCH.
01.15 - San Francisco - Submission | 2183 Mission Street | eight pm | with: THE BODY, KOWLOON WALLED CITY, and MONUMENTS COLLAPSE.
01.16 - Santa Cruz - Pioneer | 105 Pioneer Street | eight pm | with: THE BODY, LAKE OF BLOOD, and FOLIVORE.
01.17 - Los Angeles - The Smell | 247 South Main Street | with: THE BODY, CHILDREN OF GOD, and DNF.
01.18 - Tijuana - Bica | seven pm | with: THE BODY and FICCIONES.
01.19 - Rosarito - house show | seven pm | with: THE BODY.
01.20 - San Diego - Che Cafe | 9500 Gilman Drive | with: THE BODY, CRIME DESIRE, and FICCIONES.
01.21 - Phoenix - The Trunkspace | 1506 NW Grand Avenue | with: THE BODY, RITUALS, DISTANCE, and SHIR.
01.22 - Las Cruces - The Train Yard | 102 Conway Space 3W | with: THE BODY, DROUGHT, and MALPAIS.
01.23 - Dallas - Sons of Hermann Hall | 3414 Elm Street | seven pm | with: THE BODY and TRUE WIDOW.

DISTRO PAGE UPDATE + NEW FALSE SHIRTS

Tons of new items were added on 12/31. Many things I've been sitting on throughout December, a month where I was determined to work as little as possible and begin to make up for the time I missed playing video games. Some of the old distro stuff is still on sale, alongside older Gilead Media catalog titles. Distro page: http://www.gileadmedia.net/store/distro.htm.


Alaric - Alaric LP, $13.00


Ash Borer - Ash Borer gatefold LP, $17.00


Bloody Panda - Summon gatefold 2LP+DVD, $17.00


Bosse-De-Nage - II LP, $15.50


Brainoil - Death Of This Dry Season LP, $12.50


Ensorcelor - Crucifuge LP, $15.50


Fell Voices - Demo 2008 180g LP, $17.00


Ghast - May The Curse Bind 2LP, $19.50


Hell - II 2LP, $28.00


L'Acephale - Stahlhartes Gehause gatefold 2LP, $31.00


Locrian - The Crystal World LP, $19.00


Panopticon - Social Disservices 2LP, $22.50


Panopticon - Collapse 2LP, $22.50


Yob - Atma gatefold 2LP, $21.00


Ural Umbo - Delusion Of Hope LP, $19.00


Cedars Of Lebanon - Archive II CS, $7.00


Servile Sect - Demos 2005/2006 CS, $7.00


To buy any of these (and listen to most!) visit the Gilead Media distro page: http://www.gileadmedia.net/store/distro.htm

Also added, FALSE shirts from their December 2011 tour!


S-XL are $12, XXL is $14.00. Printed on 100% ringspun cotton Anvil shirts w/plastiol ink. Dark grey on black, light grey on white. To order visit the merch page: http://www.gileadmedia.net/store/merch.htm

THE BODY ADDED TO THE GILEAD MEDIA MUSIC FESTIVAL

Oh, yes! Providence, RI noise/sludge duo THE BODY have agreed to come and slay our ear drums with their aural assault. Stay posted about the fest: http://www.gileadmedia.net/fest

LOSS, DARGER + PLAGUE MOTHER ADDED TO GILEAD FEST

Very happy to announce two(-ish) additions to the music festival

DARGER + PLAGUE MOTHER
Both are noise projects from parts of Ohio. Darger is comprised of two old friends of mine, Cody and Matt, and rests more on the ambient/drone side of noise. While Plague Mother is the solo project of my old friend and Lockstep vocalist Joey. Harsh electronic noise. They're going to be doing a combined set at the fest.

Darger - http://soundcloud.com/dargeroh/sets/discography
Plague Mother - http://atavistictransformations.blogspot.com/

LOSS
From Nashville, TN, Loss released one of my favorite doom records of the year (ever?) with Profound Lore earlier this year. Terribly bleak, terribly heavy. I can't wait to see them at the festival!
http://lossdoom.blogspot.com/p/discography.html


http://www.gileadmedia.net/fest/

INVISIBLE ORANGES/ASH BORER GIVEAWAY!

Invisible Oranges is doing a giveaway that includes an Ash Borer/Fell Voices split LP and an Ash Borer shirt. Head over to their site for info on how you can win!

http://www.invisibleoranges.com/2011/12/5-days-of-kvltmas-day-1-gilead-media/

MUSIC FESTIVAL VENUE = BOOKED!

Had a meeting today with Ryan at the Electric Lounge & Lanes in Oshkosh, WI. I'm happy to announce that they will provide the venue for the Gilead Media Music Festival!

The Electric Lounge is a historic building located a quarter mile east of downtown Oshkosh located at 405 Washington St in Oshkosh, WI that serves as a venue for many local events and private parties. The room we have booked for the festival will fit about 300 people. This venue may also require that the show be 21+, which I don't think should be a huge deal. I figure most people attending are over the age of 21. This may change, and we may be able to do an all ages event, but for now I'm billing the fest as 21+.

Here's a photo of my pal Scott standing in the room we'll be using. I took this photo from the small stage on the east side of the room. I'm quite excited we were able to find such an intimate environment that will work so well for the show.

GILEAD MEDIA MUSIC FEST: A SCANNER DARKLY & ASEETHE ADDED

A SCANNER DARKLY will be reuniting with a special guest vocalist for the festival. Their s/t cdep  of sci-fi grind/sludge was the third release for Gilead Media, and stands as one of my favorite metal records ever. Great people, great music. Can't believe they're going to be playing those songs again.
http://gileadmedia.bandcamp.com/album/a-scanner-darkly

ASEETHE, atmospheric doom from Iowa will be playing. One of the few bands on the bill that is not directly affiliated to Gilead Media, but they're from the midwest, played a bunch of shows with Northless and are confirmed good people. Very glad they'll be taking part!
http://soundcloud.com/aseethecreation/reverent-burden-clip

GILEAD MEDIA MUSIC FESTIVAL UPDATE

Two new tidbits of info to confirm!


THOU will be performing their debut LP, Tyrant, live at the fest!


SLEEPWALKER (solo project of Michael Rekevics, members of Fell Voices & Ash Borer fill in for live shows) will be putting on a rare live performance at the fest!


That's all for now. Keep your eyes peeled to www.gileadmedia.net/fest for continuous updates!

GILEAD MEDIA MUSIC FESTIVAL, FIRST BATCH OF BANDS ANNOUNCED

Confirmed bands:

Thou

Ash Borer

Fell Voices

Get Rad

Northless

False

Mutilation Rites

Arms Aloft

Baby Boy

Appearances by/art on display from:

Reuben Sawyer/Rainbath Visual

Bryan Proteau/Natvres Mortes

More bands, venue, daily lineup, cost, and more fun details coming soon. Hoping to have 15-20 bands overall.

Website:

http://www.gileadmedia.net/fest

Facebook event page
https://www.facebook.com/events/145804345523149/

FALSE TOUR DATES W/THOU

Here's the full list of FALSE tour dates, which begin today! 11 shows are with THOU.



FALSE Winter tour (11 dates with THOU)
12/1/11 - FALSE - CHICAGO - IL - THE ORPHANAGE - 643 West 31st St.
12/2/11 - FALSE - BLOOMINGTON - IN - THEE LOVE CANAL - 1305 W 11 St.
12/3/11 - FALSE - NASHVILLE - TN - LITTLE HAMILTON - 1318 Little Hamilton Ave
12/4/11 - FALSE - BIRMINGHAM - AL - HELM'S DEEP HOUSE
12/5/11 - FALSE + THOU - TALLAHASSEE - FL - THE FARSIDE - 803 Railroad Avenue 32310
12/6/11 - FALSE + THOU - ST. AUGUSTINE - FL - NOBBY'S BAR - 10 Anastasia Blvd.
12/7/11 - FALSE + THOU - SARASOTA - FL - SCIENCE RECORDING STUDIO - 1768 10th Way
12/8/11 - FALSE + THOU - COCOA BEACH - FL - SURFER'S PUB - 350 N. Orlando Avenue
12/9/11 - FALSE + THOU - ORLANDO - FL - WILL'S PUB - 1040 N. Mills Avenue
12/10/11 - FALSE + THOU - MIAMI - FL - CHURCHILL'S PATIO - 5501 NE 2nd Avenue
12/11/11 - FALSE + THOU - FT. MYERS - FL - COOL HAND LUC'S - 2040 Collier Avenue
12/12/11 - FALSE + THOU - TAMPA - FL - UNIT 19 - 5805 North 50th Street
12/13/11 - FALSE + THOU - GAINESVILLE - FL - WAYWARD COUNCIL - 807 West University Avenue
12/14/11 - FALSE + THOU - PENSECOLA - FL - 309 HOUSE - 309 West 6th Street
12/15/11 - FALSE + THOU - NEW ORLEANS - LA - MUDLARK THEATER - 1200 Port Street
12/16/11 - OFF
12/17/11 - FALSE - HOUSTON - TX - VINYL JUNKIE RECORDS - 4202 Canal Street
12/18/11 – FALSE - SAN ANTONIO - TX - KOROVA
12/19/11 - FALSE - AUSTIN - TX - SLAMALOT HOUSE
12/20/11 - FALSE - DALLAS - TX - QUEEN CITY HALL - 115 North Carroll Avenue
12/21/11 - FALSE - OKLAHOMA CITY - OK - LA CHATEAU BLUE -
12/22/11 - FALSE - COLUMBIA - MO - HAIRHOLE COLLECTIVE HOUSE
12/23/11 - FALSE - ST. LOUIS - MO - BONERVILLE - 3301 Michigan Ave

GILEAD MEDIA MUSIC FESTIVAL 2012

Happy morning! Here's an "official announcement" for you on this fine Saturday...


GILEAD MEDIA MUSIC FESTIVAL. 
Saturday April 28th and Sunday April 29th.


The venue I'm hoping to use is the Time Community Theater. Set right in downtown Oshkosh, on the same block as records, coffee, food, comics, and midwestern small-town hospitality. I'm working with the non-profit group that manages the theater to get the details figured and find a way to make this event work at their venue. More info coming soon, including line-up and other fun info.


For six years I've been delivering you records from my home in the middle of Wisconsin. In 2012 you will follow that path back here and together we will share our love for these bands.

MUTILATION RITES LIVE FOOTAGE

WATCH THIS.

SOME VERY KIND WORDS ABOUT THE LABEL

A couple folks out there published some articles about the situation I'm in. Very kind. It's humbling to read people's reaction to the label, and how personally connected they feel to the work I've done. I lose scope of that sometimes.

Brian Krasman of Meat Mead Metal
http://meatmeadmetal.wordpress.com/2011/11/21/support-gilead-media-this-holiday-season-simply-because-theyre-awesome/

Tyler Maas for Inside Milwaukee
http://www.insidemilwaukee.com/Article/11222011-HelpGileadMedia

Thank you to both Brian and Tyler, and all others who have shared this story.

THE DIFFERENCE A COUPLE DAYS WILL MAKE...

Wow. Unsure of exactly where to begin with this blog update. I don't know, expect some disjointed ramblings...

On Sunday evening I posted a blog entry about some money I lost out on that really put a huge bump in the road for the label. I just wanted to put something out there to say, "hey, things have gotten kind of rough, I'm stressed and not real sure what to do to get back on track, buy some stuff if you can." What I received was an absurd outpouring of support.

I just want to take a moment and say that it wasn't my intention to try and get a ton of attention and to guilt everyone into buying some of my records. It wasn't some cry for people to give me all their money. Yeah, of course I was hoping some additional sales would help out. I more so wanted to be honest about the state of the label, since I know people are really into what I'm doing. I didn't want to just let it idly fall into a state of vague inactivity while I spent months trying to recover. I've always been very transparent about what's going on and how the label operates.

I heard from friends, fellow labels, distributors, customers, and even some press outlets/writers, all in response to my little write up. This entire blast of support and orders has been totally overwhelming and unexpected. The word "blast" is sort of a weird one to use, but that's really the only word I can find to accurately describe how I feel. It took me by total surprise.

Thank you. I am usually accused of being long-winded and wordy by my pal John, but those are really the only words I can come up with in this case.

If you emailed me, placed an order, wrote a forum post, published an article, "liked" or re-tweeted a link, anything of that sort... I thank you endlessly. The fact that so many people have such a positive opinion of the label is something I always hoped for, but I never expected it to be like this. The people who support independent labels and particularly, it would seem, metal labels, are amongst the most supportive people I've ever known.

The process required to get the label back on track is definitely underway, thanks to the last two days of support. I will continue to post updates as we move forward on the Mutilation Rites 12" and Thou collection 2CD/2LP. Thank you, for everything.

Long days and pleasant nights.
-Adam Bartlett

THE STATUS & FUTURE OF GILEAD MEDIA

2011 has been a year of immense growth for the label. I made the decision in 2010 that I would focus solely on metal releases, and that was a choice I’ve become very happy with. I’ve released a large quantity of records this year, especially for being a one-guy operation with some-time help from friends. I handle almost every aspect of a release, organizing the mixing and mastering of the audio, rendering and laying-out art files for packaging and inserts, screen printing all patches and posters that come with releases, and making all buttons. It’s a huge task for just one release, let alone the batch I’ve done this year. As of November 19, 2011, that total is seven new releases and six represses - all of which were vinyl.

It’s been a crazy year, and it’s been rough. While doing all of this I’ve also been managing a screen-printing shop, Offbeat Press, and working on producing a film I co-wrote and co-directed, Dead Weight. 2011 has been a year of very little rest, a lot of coffee, and a lot of stress. On the opposite side of things, this has been the most productive and fulfilling year of my life.

On the label side of things, I owe that success to all the people that have ordered records and to all the folks that run websites, blogs, magazines etc. that have covered or promoted my releases. I’ve met tons of incredible people and built some great relationships over the course of the year. The level of support I’ve had is overwhelming. It started to feel like the label was unstoppable.

That’s what made things so hard when I found out I won’t be seeing much, if any, of the $5,500 I was owed by my old retail distributor, the Independent Label Collective. It was like running full speed into a brick wall.

Earlier in 2011 there was a situation of inner turmoil at ILC, which involved people I considered friends, many of whom I’d known for quite some time and to whom I had grown close. Having helped found the company from the ashes of the Lumberjack Mordam Music Group, I took everything very personally and was thoroughly irritated with the situation. People say business isn’t personal, whatever, that’s ridiculous. Everything is personal. For me it is. I’m not a business guy, so when I build a relationship with people on a business level, it means a lot to me personally and I take it very seriously.

So, in light of the drama and turmoil at the company, I pulled Gilead Media from their distribution network. Three months later the company imploded, having fired their three key employees that were integral to department management and operations. The owner is now MIA, the company is a mess, there are serious pending issues, there are no assets, and essentially no way for me to get the money I’m owed. Remember that killer month earlier this year when I released the Fell Voices LP, Ash Borer/Fell Voices LP, Northless 2LP, and took over the Thou Peasant stock from Autopsy Kitchen records? Yeah, that was the period I’m owed sales for, first quarter 2011, great timing.

Some of the other ILC labels took over the company’s operations to try and bring in as much money as they could from open invoices to pay off the labels. It’s going to be an uphill battle to collect on invoices and whatever they can mange to collect is going to be spread thinly across the many labels owed money.

There are definitely a lot of labels that are owed much more than Gilead Media, so I’m not trying to throw a pity party for myself and claim that I’m in a dire position all alone, the sole victim. Every ILC label got hit hard and they all need support from their respective groups of fans. What I am telling you is this: Gilead Media is a label that operates with minimal overhead, but also operates with minimal profit and reinvests 100% of the meager profits back into the label to release more records. I do everything I can to ensure that each release is of the highest quality, and that costs money. I press all of my records in the US, and I purposely avoid using the cheap and easy routes. I use manufacturers and printers that I trust, that I know create high quality products. I use manufacturers that will provide the best customer service to me, and therefore ensure the best results for my customers and supporters. I keep prices as low as possible so people can afford the records and ultimately feel as though they are getting the best value for their money. I’ve never taken a paycheck from Gilead Media.

Right now I also owe the pressing plant and printer a fairly large collective sum for the pressing of recent releases. My plant was gracious enough to pump out these represses for me, despite my situation, so that I have more to offer to get money coming in. But right now I can’t send anything else to the plant until I’m settled up with them, until everything is paid off. They’re willing to be patient, and they know I’ll pay them as money is available, but I’d like to ensure that happens sooner rather than later.

So, that being said, $5,500 is a lot for me, especially in a year when I’ve been trying to avoid using my credit card for a single release and I’m paying off bills with cash. I don’t want handouts, and I’m not asking for donations from people. All I want to ask is this: if you were thinking of picking up some records, and haven’t, now is a really good time. I always say that every dollar spent with Gilead Media directly supports future releases. Because of this situation I’m in that is more applicable now than ever before. The flow of records coming out of Gilead Media at this point depends solely on continued support from folks who buy records. Many of you have already done so much this year, and I’m very grateful for that. Anything you can do to spread the word and get some other folks to pick up a record or two is going to help out immensely.

I just printed a large batch of new shirts for Ash Borer, Fell Voices, and Thou that are available in the merch section of my online store, in addition to the addition of odds and ends of random older shirts I had lying around. I’ve also added some new distro titles that have been lying around, and put a ton of older Gilead Media releases and older distro titles on mega-sale. I have to clear out these shelves and pay off some bills, so if you can grab some stuff you normally wouldn’t, please do. If you can talk someone into doing the same, please do.

What this financial issue also means is my release schedule had to take a serious hit. I had to cancel a number of records and delay a couple more. For the records I’m still committed to I’m working on a plan to get those releases out in a timely manner. Gilead Media is not closing, not for the foreseeable future. I love doing this, I can’t stop doing it, and I will continue to. But there is going to be a period of down time while I step back, collect things, get back on track financially, and then attempt forge ahead once everything is stable. Another aspect of support that will help things move in the right direction will come from retail stores. If you work at a store and want to carry Gilead Media releases you can now order from Revolver and Cobraside in the US and from Hammer Heart Records in Europe. Or contact me directly using the email on my website.

The upcoming records I will be working on are: Mutilation Rites I Am Legion 180g 12” and Thou Collection 2CD. Anything else beyond that is going to be contingent on many factors, primarily how much of this debt I can pay off. At the present time I can’t commit to anything more.

If you’ve bought a record I released this year, or any year, published kind words about records I’ve released, seen any of the Gilead Media bands on tour and bought a shirt, or even just told some kid on a message board to check out an album I’ve released, I thank you. Your excitement and love for the projects I’m involved in means everything. Things will be back on track soon.

-Adam Bartlett
Owner, Gilead Media LLC

Online store: http://www.gileadmedia.net/store

After  hand-assembling the first Gilead Media release in 2005.

THOU/LEECH SPLIT LP - PICTURE DISC EDITION PHOTOS

Another incredible record that's been a long time coming here at Gilead Media HQ. The picture disc edition, as requested by the Leech folks. Enjoy & consume. http://www.gileadmedia.net

Full package & Side A of picture disc.

Side B.

KRALLICE - DIOTIMA GATEFOLD 2LP PHOTOS

Finally got a chance to snap some shots of the Krallice Diotima gatefold 180g 2LP. Feast with thine eyes! Then buy with thine paypal! http://www.gileadmedia.net/store. Tons more photos after the break!

Front cover detail.

MAILORDER-POCALYPSE!

Just a quick note to let everyone know that the mailorder apocalypse is almost over! I'm about a day away from being caught up shipping everything, thank goodness. Note: Don't have two new records and four represses all show up in a two month period. It's not a good idea.

There's been some wacky stuff going on behind the scenes over here that will greatly effect the way the label operates over the next year. I will be posting a blurb about what happened over the course of this week, along with a store-wide sale on the Gilead online store. Not good news, I will say that. Bad news even, perhaps. But I won't be closing the label, just need to scale back for a bit.

Hope everyone is well. I'm sorry I haven't been keeping the blog updated. More soon now that operational stuff over here is slowing down.

ARMS ALOFT OCTOBER TOUR DATES!

Catch the Wisconsin boys on their way to THE FEST and back!

Oct 21 - Normal, IL @ Firehouse Pizza and Pub
Oct 22 - Louisville, KY @ Cahoots
Oct 23 - Chattanooga, TN @ Sluggo's North
Oct 24 - Atlanta, GA @ 529
Oct 25 - Orlando, FL @ Hoop's Tavern
Oct 26 - Miami, FL @ Churchill's Pub
Oct 27 - Tampa, FL @ Transitions Gallery Pre-Fest
Oct 28-30 Gainesville, FL @ The Fest 10

DEAD WEIGHT FULL TRAILER & THEATRICAL POSTER

Last night we had a photo exhibit in Oshkosh featuring photography by Mary Manchester from the first week of production back in April. It was an incredible evening, with a huge turn out. We have a lot of support and excitement coming from the local community, and we're very grateful for that.

So, here is the full trailer & theatrical poster that we premiered last night. Enjoy & share!

REPRESSES: ASH BORER/FELL VOICES LP, FELL VOICES LP, KRALLICE DIMENSIONAL 2LP, THOU/LEECH SPLIT... AND DISTRO STUFF

GILEAD REPRESSES





Ash Borer/Fell Voices Split 180g LP. Still on black. Using up the rest of the jackets from the initial printing.
$12.50






Fell Voices - Untitled 180g LP. Still on black. Using up the rest of the jackets from the initial printing.
$13.00






Krallice Dimensional Bleedthrough gatefold 180g 2LP. Using up the rest of the jackets from the initial printing. All copies on black 180g this time around. Original pressing was standard weight vinyl. About 200 copies.
$19.00






Thou/Leech Split LP (Picture Disc edition). Using the remainder of the jackets from the initial printing. This pressing will run about 200 pieces on picture discs. Still includes the same patch and poster as the original pressing. These will NOT be available wholesale or for trades. Gilead and bands get copies only. Since Leech is no longer active, Woodsmoke and Eternal Warfare will be getting copies.

$22.00




To order any of the above, visit: http://gileadmedia.net/store/





NEW DISTRO ADDITIONS





Ash Borer Ash Borer gatefold LP. Their newest full-length (ish) record. Released by Pesanta Urfolk.

$17.00






Fell Voices - 2008 Demo 180g LP. The band's first recordings released on vinyl for the first time, by Analog Worship.

$17.00






Locrian Dor Ist Der Weg b/w Frozen In Ash. The great new 7" from one of the best live bands I've seen in the last year. Released By Flingco Sound.

$17.00






Thou/Human Intruder A Faire Quarrel Split 7". Released by Dead Earth records, whom I grabbed a big batch of these from just last month. It's nearly out of print so I won't be able to get my hands on more. Do it.

$5.00






DARK MATTER/DUNKLE MATERIE - Terence Hannum & Alexander Binder - Zine & DVD. Released by Land Of Decay. Blurb from the label: DARK MATTER/DUNKLE MATERIE combines the haunting photography of German based artist Alexander Binder in visual collaboration with artist/musician Terence Hannum (of LOCRIAN). In a limited edition of 200, this deluxe black and white publication comes in a printed black envelope and contains a DVDr of one of Hannum's recent videos Epiclesis (10m38s / 2011).



Separated by the centerfold, where the DVD is affixed, this publication is composed of two distinct parts by each artist. On one side Hannum's hazy black and white video stills, dissected from the video on the DVD, are edited for the printed page creating a murky narrative between frozen landscapes and a mysterious ritualistic musical event. On the other side Binder's foggy photographs present a procession of profane images, some lost to their process, and others more explicit in their intensity. We witness altars, sacrifices and wonderful abstractions.



More on Alexander Binder:

Alexander Binder was born on Halloween night 1976 in the Black Forest/Germany. He's a totally self taught photographer, having never attended a photo class in his life. Even his lenses are mostly self built from optical toys, old soviet cameras, prisms or plastic crap. A fan of Hans Bellmer and Herbert List, Alexander creates mystical and ethereal photos which are characterized by a strong passion for the spiritual, the surreal and the occult.



Edition of 200

w/ DVD of Hannum's new 10m38s video piece Epiclesis

40 Pages

B&W Color Copies

Comes inside a black 9"x12" envelope with black xerox print on the outside

8.5"x11"

$20.00