THIS IS THIS – 25th ANNIVERSARY REISSUE
Limited edition double (blue) vinyl release on the band’s own Black Box record label. Features live faves Familiar Territory, Sleep, Second Hander plus a 5 song Triple J Live @ the Wireless session from 2003! All tracks feature Scott, Scott and Stanier.
Pre-order now for shipping November 20 via https://artistfirst.com.au/collections/the-mark-of-cain
Includes bonus Triple J ‘Live at the Wireless’ session coloured vinyl / lyric sheet
“This is This” was an oft used quote we used from Michael Cimino’s film “The Deer Hunter” to describe a situation which just “was”. Often used jokingly by us, it also underscored the idea of having your shit together – a state of being I often struggle with, however that’s never stopped me from pointing it out as a deficit in others… “- Josie Scott.
Recorded in Sydney and London in 2001 and produced respectively by ABC engineer Phil McKellar and former Gang of Four guitarist Andy Gill, This is This was the 4th album for Adelaide trio The Mark Of Cain and the first to feature drummer John Stanier formerly of US band Helmet.
Australian producer Phil McKellar was enlisted to capture the full energy of the band. His years as a Triple J’s chief live session engineer meaning he had the perfect chops to capture the band at their brutal best while former Gang Of Four guitarist Andy Gill was entrusted to help main songwriter Josie complete ideas not fully realised.
The recruitment of Gill was yet another coup for TMOC. In 1991 they had been the first Australian band to work with Steve Albini in 1995 the first Australian band to work with Henry Rollins and in 2001 the first Australian band to work with Andy Gill.
“There were three people that I really admired, guitar wise, and their live music, and I got to work with Rollins, got to work with Albini, and Andy Gill of Gang of Four. They were a huge influence on me and working with them was the greatest thing I can think of, out of this whole musical endeavour.” – Josie Scott
Stanier had met the band back in 1993 when the two bands played together in Melbourne. Their mutual respect had them keep in touch and when the time came Stanier accepted the invitation to join the band.
The end result is a perfect encapsulation of what the band has always been about; intensity, precision and an unrelenting groove setting the foundation for the lyrics of J Scott that translate experiences such as alienation, rejection, anger and emotional exhaustion into the vocabulary of combat, discipline and survival.
Kim Scott‘s thundering bass underpins the whole thing while John Stanier’s reputation as a beast behind the kit becomes apparent in tracks like Cut Em Down, Sleep and Let Chaos Rule Supreme. A method the Scott siblings refer to as “like playing with ten drummers!”
“We developed near all these songs in rehearsals with John Stanier back in 2000, working up some that were near fully fledged to others that were merely riffs that Kim and I and John Stanier had. I took all the complete and incomplete songs to the UK in 2001, to finalise and record the vocals working with Andy Gill from The Gang of Four who really pushed me out of my comfort zone for vocals. Knocking is still a favourite of mine from that time, as is Lone Pine and note that Lockdown has the opening guitar riff played by Andy Gill himself. John Stanier’s drumming style fit perfectly for us, and his powerhouse drumming is on full display in songs such as Cut Em Down, Familiar Territory, One Day Late in December, Sleep, and Outsider, a song which was based off a Stanier bass/guitar riff. The overall mix was achieved by Phil McKellar who really, finally, managed to capture our sound.” – Josie Scott
For this deluxe vinyl-edition of This is This, The Mark Of Cain have added two bonus studio tracks: Introspection (released initially as a b-side to the (R) Retaliate CD single) plus a previously unreleased Andy Gill extended mix of Lockdown. Perhaps the real jewel in the crown though is an absolutely punishing ‘Live at the Wireless’ session for Triple J recorded in 2002 with the same line-up of Scott, Scott and Stanier. It will literally explode off your turntable. And all pressed on lovely skyblue vinyl.
The 25th anniversary deluxe vinyl edition of This is This will be released… via the band’s own Black Box Records. Pre-orders via tmoc.com.au and all good indie record stores. Distribution via Magnetic South.
Side 1
Familiar Territory
(R) Retaliate
Second Hander
Let Chaos Rule Supreme
Lone Pine
Side 2
Token
Sleep
One Day Late in December
Knocking
Side 3
Outsider
Lockdown
Cut Em Down
Introspection *
Lockdown (extended mix) *
Side 4
Familiar Territory (Triple J Live at the Wireless)
(R) Retaliate (Triple J Live at the Wireless)
Second Hander (Triple J Live at the Wireless)
Sleep (Triple J Live at the Wireless)
One Day Late in December (Triple J Live at the Wireless)
*Bonus track