Believer is the debut full-length from The Promise, a Syracuse, NY hardcore supergroup formed in 2001 by veterans of some of the most respected straight edge bands of the 1990s — Earth Crisis, One King Down, Another Victim, Turmoil, Conviction, and Starkweather. The album was released on CD through Indecision Records, while Deathwish Inc. — then in the earliest days of what would become one of the most important labels in modern hardcore — pressed this exclusive vinyl edition in two limited runs: 100 copies on clear vinyl and 900 on red, for a total of 1,000 copies worldwide. This is the red pressing.
The cover artwork is what makes this record a genuine crossover collector’s item. Designer J. Bannon (of Converge, and Deathwish’s founder) adapted Banksy’s “I Fought The Law” painting — depicting a protester hurling a bouquet of flowers — for the sleeve. Banksy had debuted the image at his Peace Is Tough show at the Glasgow Arches in 2001, just months before this record came out, making this one of the earliest sanctioned uses of his work on a record cover. That connection to early Banksy, combined with the deep pedigree of the band and the tiny press run, is why this copy commands serious money. On Discogs, the red vinyl has sold as high as $460 — and that was some time ago. This $800 BIN is premium, but the market has only moved up.
