The Tower
Tower - Shock to The System
Artist: The Tower
Album: Shock To The System
Unexpected disruption. Challenge. Paralyzing chaos and confusion. A reality check. These words all run the gamut of what the world had experienced since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020. They also serve as the inspiration for Shock to the System, the second full-length album from New York City classic metallers Tower. Tower was halfway finished with writing Shock to the System when the pandemic hit. It forced the band (comprised of vocalist Sarabeth Linden, the guitar tandem of James Danzo and Zak Penley, and drummer James Jones) to find creative ways to complete the album's ten cuts. For a band accustomed to regular rehearsals and live appearances, the ensuing lockdown enabled them to get together only once before heading into Artifact Audio in Ridgewood, New York with producer/engineer Sasha Stroud this past May and June. However, the less-than-ideal situation helped spawn an album of immediacy and energy. The freewheeling nature of the writing and recording process helped give rise to several firsts for Tower. While their trademark vintage metal-on-'70s rock sound is still dominant, elements like thrash and doom have entered the equation (one such song had the working title of "Skynyrd Sabbath"), not to mention some ultra-catchy pop hooks for "On the Line" to the point where Tower decided to omit a guitar solo - yet another first. Elsewhere, "In Dreams" features quiet experimentation in a song that nearly reaches the seven-minute mark, showcasing even more diversity. Lyrically, Shock to the System tackles political themes, personal loss and the volatility of relationships and life in general. And while the outside world continues to rear it's ugly head and unending grimness, there is only one thing left to do - put on Shock to the System and turn it up to 11!
UPC/ISBN: 8032622216042
Product Information
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At Third Eye, we ship thousands of comics every week, and we know condition matters. Whether you're reading, collecting, or grading, we want you to feel confident when a Third Eye package arrives.
This policy outlines our standard for new release and shipped comics, and the industry-standard guidelines we follow.
OUR STANDARD
Books without a stated grade will be offered as Near Mint 9.4 or better. We do not guarantee 9.8 condition on any book unless specifically noted.
We use industry-standard grading guidelines from:
- Â CBCS Comic Grading Scale
- Â Overstreet Comic Grading Standards
- CGC grading standards
If you're new to comic grading, the resources above are a great place to start.
WHY WE DON'T GUARANTEE 9.8
Modern comic printing is an imperfect process. Books are printed in massive
runs, bound at high speed, and shipped in bulk to retailers. Even brand
new books off the truck will exhibit minor production characteristics,
and that's normal, and consistent with industry standards across every
retailer.
A 9.8 grade represents near-perfection, and the reality is that not every printed book qualifies for that grade no matter where you buy it from.
We can absolutely commit to NM 9.4 or better. We cannot commit to 9.8 on every book, because that's not how comics are made.
WHAT QUALIFIES AS NM 9.4
Per industry standards, a book may exhibit the following minor characteristics and still grade as Near Mint 9.4, as long as there's no accumulation of defects:
Bindery characteristics:
- Minor to moderate corner tears
- White edges along the spine (common on most modern printings)
- Covers slightly offset from interior pages (common on cardstock covers)
Printing characteristics:
- Slight color rub on back covers
- Small paper wrinkles present from the paper roll prior to printing
- Wavy paper texture from the printing process
Spine characteristics:
- 2-3 small color-breaking spine ticks
- Minor non-color-breaking spine dings
These are normal modern production characteristics, not damage from handling or shipping. They are present on books across the industry, regardless
of retailer.
OUR RETURN & EXCHANGE POLICY
We do not accept returns or exchanges on books that meet our NM 9.4 or better standard.
We will replace or refund:
- Books damaged during shipping (clear shipping damage, not pre-existing print characteristics)
- Books that fall below NM 9.4 standard (significant spine damage, major creasing, tears, etc.)
- Wrong cover or wrong issue shipped
For premium variants (1:25, 1:50, 1:100, 1:250, 1:500 incentive covers, signed editions, exclusive variants), we apply enhanced QC during pull and packing. If a premium variant arrives outside our standard, contact us within 7 days of delivery and we will work with you on a replacement.
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If you have questions about a specific book or want to learn more about comic grading, our team is happy to help. Reach out to service@thirdeyecomics.com.
We appreciate your trust in Third Eye Comics, and we're committed to delivering books that meet the standards both you and we expect.

