With its flurry of vinyl-only releases over the past year, consisting of a 12”, two 10”s, and a 7” (all of which were splits on different labels), Columbia’s Thank God has solidified itself as a dual-pronged threat in the underground punk scene. With marketing savvy to match its frenetic brand of thinking man’s hardcore, the band is poised to spread the gospel successfully with an armful of quality merchandise as it heads over to Europe for a month-long trek this September. The band hooked up with Germany’s Trapdoor booking and is heading out on the road with Miami’s Capsule for the duration.

After such a hectic year of releases and shows, most bands would be tempted to rest on their laurels, but Thank God has no intention of slowing down. In fact, the band has been hard at work writing its next record. Currently eight songs in, the new album may or may not be released as a cohesive unit. Traditional methods of distribution have been tossed aside in an age where fans don’t exactly pay for CD’s anymore. Fortunately for the punk rock community, which has never let vinyl die, the LP and its smaller siblings are enjoying a resurgence that has trickled beyond neurotic collectors and into the hands of more casual fans.

Before the new record sees the light of day, though, Thank God plans to release a discography full-length on an as-yet-undetermined label, entitled The Fertile Crescent, capturing the past year’s splits onto one vinyl long-player. The compilation will include two new songs, just so you don’t feel ripped off