Ink & Dagger’s catalog is set to be reissued via Trust Records this fall. The band are also planning to support the re-releases during three shows at the First Unitarian Church in Philadelphia, PA on October 30 to November 1. The following was said about the group's plans in a press release:
“From 1996 to 1999 Philadelphia’s Ink & Dagger burned like a roman candle, blurring the lines between punk, hardcore, and psychedelia, an enigma wrapped in rumors, vampire lore, and blood-spattered theatrics. Equal parts chaos and prank, their ever-shifting all-star lineup fed on the energy of others and spit it back out as something entirely their own.
Controversial, influential, and long out of print, their complete legacy has finally risen again. Trust Records is proud to announce their partnership with Ink & Dagger to reissue their entire discography via three stand alone LPs: Drive This Seven Inch Wooden Stake Through My Philadelphia Heart, The Fine Art of Original Sin and Ink & Dagger. All audio was painstakingly remastered by David Cooley (M83, Tame Impala, Jimmy Eat World). Each of the three albums will be in stores and available across digital platforms for the first time ever on October 31.
In addition, a deluxe edition box set titled Ink & Dagger: The Complete Works has been announced. This version includes the three stand alone albums, plus a fourth LP titled Experiments in Nocturnal Sound and Energy: Singles 96-99. Writer Erik Bader authored the insert / book, titled ‘The Almighty’. The box set was designed by visual artist Jeremy Dean and is limited to 500 copies. Ink & Dagger: The Complete Works ships March 2026.
LP 1: Drive This Seven Inch Wooden Stake Through My Philadelphia Heart – Includes Ink & Dagger’s first two EPs and one bonus track. It’s the first time ever this collection is available on vinyl as it was originally released only as a CD in the 90s. The Dagger’s blistering origin story, including such iconic tracks as “The Changeling”, “Frigid Shortcomings”, “The Road to Hell”, and “Full Circle”.
LP 2: The Fine Art of Original Sin – Ink & Dagger’s first LP. Originally released in 1998, The Fine Art of Original Sin saw Ink & Dagger pushing the boundaries of genre into uncharted territory. A psychotic blend of punk, hardcore, electronica and full-throttled rock and roll, Fine Art showcased the Dagger at their absolute peak.
LP 3: Ink & Dagger – Originally released posthumously on Buddyhead in 2000, this was the Ink & Dagger’s final form and statement, a murky, swirling, psychedelic soundscape that defied all category, a cryptic preview of a future that never came.
LP 4: Experiments in Nocturnal Sound and Energy: Singles 96-99 – *This LP will only be included in the physical box set and is a compilation of B sides, singles and splits. A sinister showcase of the band’s various modes and methods, exploring the furthest perimeters of structure and sound.
Ink & Dagger: The Complete Works – Deluxe Edition Box Set – Split across four separate LP releases, Ink & Dagger: The Complete Works collects the entirety of the band’s four years of furious output, all together for the first time.
Earlier this week, Ink & Dagger unveiled a billboard in Philadelphia teasing today’s news alongside a short film shot and directed by guitarist Don Devore titled “The Order” [see below.] Today Ink & Dagger are thrilled to announce a trio of hometown performances at Philadelphia’s First Unitarian Church happening over Halloween weekend, October 30, October 31 and November 1. Each night the band welcomes support from Paint It Black (October 30), Deadguy (October 31) and Soul Glo (November 1). Tickets are on sale Friday, October 3 at 10AM Local.
In celebration, Ink & Dagger have shared the remastered audio for revered single “Full Circle” alongside a video directed by Brian Balchak which includes unseen footage by Joe Burns and images from the box set’s book.
In 1996 Philadelphia hardcore stalwarts Sean McCabe (Crud is a Cult, Mandela Strike Force) and Don Devore (Frail, The Icarus Line, The Lilys) drew up a maniacal manifesto for a new kind of band, a century-ending statement that would push underground music beyond the confines of genre and into something completely new.
It was to be an unholy marriage of punk and hardcore that blended theatrics, mischief, and occult mystique, launched through a coercive campaign of misinformation and misdirection. They mixed myth and metaphor, presenting rock & roll as a psychic vampire that obtained immortality by stealing energy and making it their own.
Their ranks were filled out by an ever-rotating cast of Philadelphia’s finest, including members of Guilt, Prema, Frail, Dave Wagenschutz (Lifetime, Kid Dynamite, Paint it Black), Gregg Foreman (Delta 72, Cat Power), Eric Wareheim (Elements of Need, Tim & Eric), Josh Brown (Crud is a Cult, Lenola), and Jennifer Layne Park.
For four years they operated tirelessly, from the chaotic blister of their first 7” records, the frenetic sleaze of their first LP, to the dense psychedelic swirl of their final posthumous album.
During what was supposed to be a temporary hiatus for the band, frontman Sean McCabe died in 2000 at the tragic age of 27. As in life, so in death, the story was forever shrouded in mystery, putting an unfinished capstone to a short-lived but brightly burning legacy that never faded.
For decades the band and their long out of print discography existed only as legend, prized by collectors and shared among enthusiasts. Tales of their decadent, debauched tours continued to circulate like sinister scripture.
Their lasting impact continues to reverberate; they remain a band’s band. That legacy lives on within every single individual who was privy to witness their incendiary performances. Those who were there were forever changed. An incredibly disparate bevy of bands were launched directly as a result; bands as notable as American Nightmare, Thursday, The Murder City Devils, Botch, AFI, and My Chemical Romance have all cited Ink & Dagger as a core influence.
The shock and awe of Ink & Dagger’s bloodthirsty barrage is as relevant today as it ever has been. A caustic keystone of hardcore history, these re-releases present a portal to the past, while continuing to pave the way forward into a wilder, more feral future.”
“Drive This Seven Inch Wooden Stake Through My Philadelphia Heart” Track Listing:
01. “The Road To Hell”
02. “Shadowtalker”
03. “Caretaker”
04. “Full Circle”
05. “The Changeling”
06. “Frigid Shortcomings”
07. “Newspaper Tragedy”
08. “Bloodlust”
09. “My Lady Love”
10. “Crawler”
“The Fine Art of Original Sin” Track Listing:
01. “The Fine Art Of Original Sin”
02. “Philapsychosis”
03. “We Live Despite Their Schemes”
04. “Cut Throat Tactics”
05. “The Six Feet Under Swindle”
06. “The History In Ecstasy”
07. “Vampire Fast Code Ver. 1.5”
08. “The Fine Art Of Original Sin” (The GSF Resonant Mix)
“Ink & Dagger” Track Listing:
01. “She Came Crashing”
02. “Sweet Relief Of Revenge”
03. “Sarcastic Sunrise”
04. “The Lines Of Lies”
05. “Part Time Prophet”
06. “Den Of The Scorpio”
07. “Absinthe”
08. “Lolita”
09. “Creatures Like Us”
10. “Omit”
11. “Facedreamer”
“Experiments in Nocturnal Sound and Energy: Singles 96-99” Track Listing:
01. “Philapsychosis”
02. “The 13th Dream”
03. “The 13th Dream” (JG’s Remix)
04. “Vampire Fast Code”
05. “Catch The Flashback”
06. “Mayor Withdrawal”
07. “Part Time Prophet”
08. “The Solo Mission”
09. “Actress”
Tour Dates:
10/30 Philadelphia, PA – First Unitarian Church (feat. Paint It Black)
10/31 Philadelphia, PA – First Unitarian Church (feat. Deadguy)
11/01 Philadelphia, PA – First Unitarian Church (feat. Soul Glo)