If anything like previous FDR, should be good. (key word being "should") Heartwork and Swansong looked great, and Covenant looks fabulous - high quality printing (seems like they went back to original elements), gatefold, etc. I ordered it, so we'll see!
I got it yesterday, white vinyl. Artwork reproduction looks good. Back photos look clear, if perhaps a bit dark. Gatefold is a huge photo of the band. Everything definitely looks like they reproduced from original elements. I think the LP was pressed at GZ (there is an alpha-numeric code stamped in the deadwax that I think is theirs), with "NS" (Noel Summerville) and "RECORDED IN 1989" hand written. I haven't been able to listen yet, by Lucifer's beard!!
it has been, by Relapse. Personally I don't like them that much - they sound pretty same-y: modern and sterile with constant loudness. Some like that sound, of course... If you mean the FDR equivalent, I fully agree; the Relapse releases are a wasted opportunity.
Do you own the original records ? From Human forward I bought the cd's. If so how did those sound. I'm happy to see I'm not the only one who adores Chucks work. Like any other reissue program I would just like to see them pressed from the original source with quality mastering.
Heck yeah, RIP Chuck. Such a loss. Sound of P. was a huge gateway album for me - into more extreme metal. Nope, no Death records. Those releases in particular (not to mention all of the earlier ones) are quite rare and go for big bucks. I quite like the original CDs of Ind. thought Patterns and Symbolic; as for sound of Perseverance, they actually compressed it even more on the re-issue..
Sucks they messed with Sound more, what a brilliant record. I bought the first 3 on record as they were released and then switched to cd like a dummy. Probably the single most catalog by anybody that I would like to see done up right and its only 8 albums if we count Control Denied.
I hear ya!! It seems there is little will in metal (especially death metal) to do audiophile-level reissues (e.g., the new Metallica reissues ), outside of Earache's FDR. I have to imagine there would be a market. Now with these Relapse reissues it would probably crowd their market, or somesuch yada yada. They're not terrible and probably will do if someone isn't willing to hunt and pay more for original pressings (I'll be honest, I have very few due to rarity and $$), but there's no getting around the goosed sound. Most metalheads like that, though... By the way, listened to side 1 of Altars, sounds like the real deal. Might not have as much low end oomph as an '89 UK LP (I used to have), but it's definitely not as shrill as the old CD. Sounds old school, raw, in the best way, of course.
I don't have any of the fdr vinyl but I do have many through bandcamp. I must say I am still impressed by these releases. I find the Bolt Thower releases to be the most impressive to my ears. I hope they continue to do these releases.
Has anybody heard if they are doing a "Blessed Are The Sick" FDR release? It's one of my favorite Morbid Angel records and a local store has a few copies of the 2015 pressing. I will hold off if a FDR is coming, as the other FDR's I have sound awesome (Covenant, Necroticism, Alters...)
Nothing has been said about it yet on the earache website. Gateways To Annihilation is the next lp release but it is not an fdr.
I really should pick up a copy of Wolverine Blues …..I bought the Carcass Reek re-issue weird glow in the dark but never opened it. I still have a bunch of the Earache original UK pressings and they have always sounded good to me. I would really love a nice vinyl copy of Cathedral "Endtyme"
I have to imagine the first 4 Morbid Angel on FDR would be good sellers for them, but it seems FDR has slowed down. Covenant and Altars FDR are true audiophile death metal. Blessed deserves it...any in-print version is probably remastered (i.e., nuked). I have an original US press CD and it's a nice, high dynamic range disc. The new Gateways I'm sure is the CD master and a cash-in.
I wish they released FDR as a download for Covenant, and not only vinyl. The original CD has some room for improvement, IIRC it is DR8-ish. Wonder how different the Altars FDR is from the original CD and if it's worth the upgrade. Blessed is IMO their best sounding album. The original CD is absolutely glorious - DR12 and great production.
Earache auctioned off on Ebay the original DAT tape. It sold for $700. They have copies in other digital format (e.g. CD), which would be digitally identical. It also seems they still keep multi-track tapes but any reissue from those would also need a brand new remixing job, as I understand it. So based on the above, I guess the FDR releases use the digital sources but without any EQ applied, e.g. they are transferred as they are. Not much value added honestly, unless the original release has indeed been brickwalled at the CD mastering stage; and none of those so-far released albums were brickwalled. Slaughter of the Soul and maybe Heartwork are the only ones where the FDR is more dynamic than the original CD. So these two are definitely worth picking. But for the others, I am not so sure. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
I have to get back to the Altars FDR vinyl - I have to reset my cart with a new stylus - I think it sounded like a recording of a death metal playing in real time. Raw. Not slick. I LOVE that. That's what I'm seeking these days. I've noticed a lot of metal bands actually want a slick product. I thought it sounded like audiophile old-school death metal. I've always thought the original CD is very open but EQed harsh. I had the 89 Earache LP - sounded amazing except for terrible inner-groove distortion. Cut pretty hot and likely my copy had a history of being played on rubbish equipment. I sold it. It slammed. Oh well. This one doesn't slam as much. If I get up and running I might post a sample. If the data on the Blessed master reel has been saved, then that's probably fine (it's PCM, after all, and they have the sense to keep the multi-track reels, as any sensible label would). It's the same that made the original CD that we love. That's long out of print, so if they re-issue that in some format, the world is better off. (my $.02: Blessed has great DR, yes, but I don't dig the sound - very processed [gated drums, etc.]. Altars and Covenant are my jams, as they say. I've heard a death metal guitarist say Covenant sounded muddy - **** that. Dark, deep bass, awesome.) I think the point of FDR isn't merely to supplant original releases - a lot of them were FDR to begin with, at least until 1991-92 - but a lot of those are long out-of-print and replaced in Earache's catalog with nuked remasters (e.g. Morbid Angel Altars).
There are loads of copies of the original Blessed pressing kicking around. It isn't hard to find and well worth the money. One of the best death metal pressings I've ever heard. A new reissue of Domination has appeared, this time pressed by Rhino. It's only available in the USA, which sort of says to me maybe Earache charged a licensing fee on the proviso the EU market was off limits. At any rate, I'm still waiting for FDR releases of Domination and Formulas. No idea if anything is planned though. I don't understand why Earache are still doing non-FDR reissues. Gateways sucked in my opinion but still it should've been an FDR. Maybe they should start up a FCT series (Flat CD Transfer), an acronym pronounced f**ked.
No info at all on the pressing, simply "back on vinyl" (whoopty-do) so I'm assuming no special treatment in mastering. A couple of years ago I had the original pressing of Domination; I heard zero difference to the CD. Sold it and made some money; let the fetishists have their artifacts.
Seems they won't be doing any FDR vinyl anymore http://www.earacherecords.com/myspace/FDRPressRelease.pdf
Seems like just a press release for the virtues of FDR, what's sold out and what will be repressed. Doesn't say it's finished. I sure hope not - Blessed are the Sick is a no-brainer (though I have the US Relativity CD), and Harmony Corruption, et al.
Yeah, reading it sounds like they're still gonna be putting them out. Looking forward to the 'Heartwork' release ....
