Armageddon Shop

Best record store in providence, hands down.
Wonderful staff, a remarkably eclectic selection (don’t be fooled into thinking it’s all metal, punk, and metalpunk) at great prices and a fantastic local section with a selection of local art for sale, as well.
One of the galaxy’s best record shops!

So, I usually do not feel hip (ster) enough at the establishments on this side of town, but for some reason walking into Armageddon has never made me feel quite that way.
Yes, they take music i do not necessarily listen to very seriously. Yes, its weird to me to go somewhere not be able to rhythmically bob my head along to or tap a foot with, but that’s part of coming to Armageddon. The gentlemen who work here have always been lovely and aren’t pushy or questioning why I am digging through the most random assortment of bins in their store. But, they aren’t blinking an eye when I saddle up to pay for my Hunx and His Punx, Monkees, and Heavy Trash albums. If they are judging me, they’re doing it silently and with a good poker face. Heck, they even accept Amex!!! Talk about world class.
The store is a bit small so if there are a lot of people it can be a tight scenario while digging, but i think that just adds to the appeal of coming here, for me at least. The prices are fair, the people are better than your average High Fidelity-​esque record clerks and I can walk here from my house. So maybe you’ll run into me there, I’ll be the one not sure of how to appreciate the music playing.

I can pass as a hip (ster) girl: I have the glasses, Savers jeans, and a digestive tract that hasn’t processed meat in well over a decade, but when it comes to music I’m a little less… cool. Like, I know that there are lots of shows in Olneyville, but I have never been to one. I don’t «get» the Noise Scene. I don’t even own a Deer Tick album.
Because of this I always feel a little hesitant when I first walk into this shop. Its evident that this shop takes metal, hard core, and local music very seriously due to the shelf space dedicated to it. Most of my personal collection is comprised of Divas, Riott Girls, and queer folks.
I spent about 30 minutes digging through the records and found some fabulous stuff, a Beyonce single, K. D Lang, Patsy Cline, Aretha Franklin. The gentleman working the counter was so pleasant and he and I got into a talk about Kathleen Hannah and he offered to order her newest album.
A nice cherry on top was him throwing in a free CD by a local female fronted band that the shop had helped finance.
This shop clearly understands that people from all walks of life love music and does a good job of offering a broad range of fabulous pressings.

This is the best record store I think I have ever stepped foot in. The selection is vast and even if they don’t have something you’re looking for in the shop they’re more than willing to order it for you.
The guys that work there are great too, a lot of times I’ve gone in to record shops where the employees have been pretentious jerks but not this place, not at all.
I have yet to go in and not find something I at least wanted, and I am almost always surprised at the smaller name or more local bands that they have, which no other place probably would. To add to it, all the prices are beyond fair, unlike your big name CD stores that charge you an arm and a leg because branding.
This place is a Godsend for music junkies like myself and my friends.

If you’re into Metal, or Punk, or underground music in general then this is Heaven on Earth (or Hell on Earth if that’s your thing). Personally I love all kinds of Metal — traditional Heavy Metal, Speed, Power, Thrash, Death, Black etc, etc, etc. — and I was sick and tired of every other place (i.e. Newbury Comics) carrying the same old «mainstream» Metal (Metallica, Pantera, Slayer, etc.). If you’re looking for something killer and little more obscure, there’s a good chance Armageddon Shop has it. They have a great selection of CDs and records and a good selection of cassette tapes. Plus the have a good amount of band shirts for a reasonable price (Forbidden’s Forbidden Evil shirt for $ 15?! Nice!) and some patches for your denim vest thrown into the mix as well. The guy behind the counter, who I assume is the owner, is real friendly, has great recommendations and will even play the music you’re thinking of buying if you want a preview while you’re shopping and discovering more hidden gems. Since coming to this store — and it’s Boston location — I’ve been turned onto Saint Vitus, Hellhammer, Inepsy and Midnight. Trust me, if you need a recommendation, just ask. They’re real helpful and only recommend killer music. I cannot praise this store enough. One word of warning though — bring some extra cash because you’re going to spend more than you expect.

Fantastic record store! Great selection of metal and hardcore with some indie and various other stuff mixed in. Super friendly guy behind the counter too!

Awesome selection of punk, hardcore, metal but also of indie, indie rock and classic rock. Great mix of old and new. And the guy behind the counter (who I think is the owner?) was really nice and helpful, and not at all a record-​store snob. Great great store!

They stock Beherit, ’nuff said.

Great selection of C.D.‘s, Vinyl and even Cassette tapes (which i love since I’m one of the few remaining people on this planet who still has a working tape deck and uses it often)!!
While they specialize in Metal, Punk, Hardcore and Grindcore, they also have a decent selection of other genres/​styles (for those of you who have eclectic tastes… or those who maybe don’t dig heavy music that get dragged in by a friend).
My only complaint (not enough to take a star away though) is that they don’t carry anything by the band A.C. (if you don’t know what it stands for, you probably wouldn’t be a fan anyway)…granted most A.C. recordings are easily found at chain record shops or online, but I’d rather support a local business, and don’t understand why they would ban this one group from their shelves.

There’s not enough nice things that I can say about this place. The simple fact that it exists makes life a little better. Support local and independent music. Shop here

I walked all the way from the east side of Providence to go to this place (although it was more because I like to walk a lot) and I wasn’t disappointed. They had a huge selection of cds, vinyl, tshirts, music dvds, books, and even posters from local shows (I think they were for sale, at least). I am a huge metal-​head, so finding a place that specializes in heavy metal and punk is an awesome find in my book. The staff was busy talking to a friend, which may have been a little off putting if I needed help with anything (they didn’t ask), but luckily I was fine minding my own business. Armageddon is the type of place where I could spend hundreds of dollars on any given day. If you are into the underground metal, hardcore, or punk scene, then this place is for you.

A record store run by people involved in the music scene in the city. This place has what you looking for as long as what you are looking for is not MTV crap. The only way this place could be better is if they only charges hi-​fives and you got a free beer for walking in the door.
Oh and the staff are all very handsome. And they are also excellent dancers. I
Just can’t toot their horn enough. Place rocks. For those of us old enough to remember it’s like fast forward with a better selection and less chance of walking in on some breast feeding.

This is a great used record store by any standards. Of course they also carry new cd’s/ vinyl /​etc. as well. I spent the majority of my youth clicking through bins like this. And it smells and feels just like the good old days. I picked up about 4 cd’s…some stuff that I had on cassette as a teenager but needed to add to my 1’s and 0’s library. The guy behind the counter was nice and chill, and played some great tunes over the store stereo. They also have a local band selection and some free local schwag stickers on the counter… one of which just made it’s way to my laptop which I decided to sticker. They don’t have a great selection of Blues but I might have missed something. The Jazz, indie, garage and of course Metal sections are really solid. I’d recommend making this a regular stop as I will be doing just that.

I haven’t been here in a while, but everytime I come back to Providence, even if its only for a weekend, I make a stop at Armageddon and inevitably end up dropping close to $ 100 on records. It specializes in the harsher end of the musical spectrum: punk, metal, hardcore, experimental noise and all things in between but they still have a respectable selection of garage rock, indie and some blues and jazz records. I love everything about this store, from the staff, the posters on the wall, the used section, and the local section full of CDs of local bands past and present. This is one of my favorite stores ever and I feel a deep attachment to it and wish I could bring it with me whereever I go. I hope it sticks around for a 100 years.

There’s not many independent record stores around anymore, and if you want a good place to find rare punk, hardcore and metal — this place is on top of the heap in RI!

I’ve never had a disappointing trip to Armageddon. It always seems like I find something totally insane that I never thought I’d find, at a totally reasonable price. Well worth the trips!

Wow… Where to begin. Greatest record store. Most knowledgeable staff. Best place to blow money in the universe. Only thing that could possibly make them better is if they had a bar that served beer.

I heard about this place for so long and finally decided to go there. I personally think people hyped it up too much, but non the less it was a great shop! Small mom and pop feel and I really liked how the selection was bigger then Newbury Comics in the metal, industrial, punk style. The one big disappointment I had really was they didnt have a great selection of original used Black Metal cassettes or Vinyl like people claimed. I am deff. a fan though non the less and will be going back more, because they certainly have alot more personal connection with there customers then other cd or record shops. They actually promote local shows, bands cds, and the guy that runs it was really nice and helpful. :)

This place is very deceiving… what appears to be a goth/​death metal/​industrial focused-​shop has some real hidden gems… the dollar bins on the floor have provided me with a number of great finds… a good selection of older punk/​new wave as well… definitely worth a trip…

Best. Record. Shop. Ever.
I have never walked in and not found something fucking fantastic to grab. A true gem in the crown of Providence. Always friendly and helpful and always something new playing I want to get a hold of.