Both last FDR records (Warmaster and From Enslavement To Obliteration) are very dynamic and very well done. I enjoy listening to them and definitely can recommend them to everyone who's interested.
It's shiny Nice big gatefold, stiff cover and good thickness. Inner sleeve is still the same shoebox as it was on IVth crusade. But it 'clamps the disc a bit better, so as long as there is no rotation, it will be fine. I got lucky, not a hairline. Innersleve should be replaced. Look at Metal Blade records and their Six Feet Under releases. This have magnificent innersleves. Anywho, it's spinning on the Okki Nokki now for initial cleaning. Guess I know how it sounds in 15 min
Listening now - it's very clear that this is very very good (re)production. Nice punch in the drums, and grit in the guitars. Even separation of instruments seems enhanced. Initial reaction is definitely worth it
The US webstore has a "remove from sleeve" option. For Left Hand Path they pit the vinyl in a nice poly-lined inner sleeve. Hopefully they'll do the same for War Master.
The EU store has this option as well. I also purchased couple of records from Supreme Chaos Records (Unleashed's Warrior and Hell's Unleased along with Grave's As Rapture Comes) which have records out of sleeve and sealed like that. I like it. And last thing, the records are clear, I didn't need to wash them and could go straight to listening. Great work Earache. This FDR series is really worth it.
Must have missed that option, when I ordered. What a shame. Anywho, glad they offer a better solution and it's just me not paying attention. And I agree, they're definitely worth it
All of the FDR reissues by Earache definitely impressed me so far. I'll have to get around in getting the others that was released recently beyond Napalm Death's Scum, Carcass' Heartwork and Bolt Thrower's Realm of Chaos.
From Enslavement to Obliteration is another winner. Great clarity for grindcore, and for those among us interested, NOT a loud pressing.
Blessed is out. The digital versions sounds very good, I think there's more bass than on the original CD
Blessed Are The Sick and World Downfall are both the bees knees. Blessed sounds especially good (cut by Noel Summerville). I didn't see any initials on World Downfall.
in the last days i've listened to blessed are the sick, not my favourite morbid angel record (which is maybe domination) but this kicks ass. now i look to get wolverine blues and maybe the two sepultura records, i've got some old presses of the two which i dont particularly like, they sound pretty bad compared to cds..especially roots but don't know, maybe a record from 96 was made and intended to be played on a cd player, what do you guys think?
I have or used to have a needledrop of Roots; it's been many years, but from what I remember, level-matched, it sounded no different to the CD.
The only Sepultura presses I have that are head-and-shoulders over the original CD's are Schizophrenia (Cogumelo) and Arise (the Scott Burns mixes on Estudio Eldorado), both the originals from Brazil. The Epic CD of Chaos AD is as good as it gets. Skip the remasters.
I believe the Schizophrenia's original Cogumelo master was used for the German Shark Records pressing as well. I never got a chance to listen to Arise from Estudio Eldorado as I only listened to the original CD and LP pressing from Roadracer Netherlands. Are the mixes actually different? EDIT: Never mind, I think you're referring to the Rough Mixes Limited Edition For Rock in Rio release. Also, the original red label Bestial Devastations (the split with Overdose) is THE original sound as I read that all subsequent reissues afterwards was a needledrop of the original red label version and thus sounds inferior.
It was a needledrop of the 2nd press (black label), and the record they used was off-center A legit red label BD will easily cost you over $100 in remotely decent shape. I'd love to hear a professional needledrop of a true 1st press. Morbid Visions has great songs but will never sound good no matter what. The first R/C CD, with Bestial Devastations tacked on the end, is very close to the sound of the first Cogumelo pressing. Yep I was talking about the Rough Mixes. It has that Scott Burns kick drum sound, and was cut HOT with barely any deadwax on side one. IIRC the Shark Records version is a notch below the Cogumelo. The first US pressing of Beneath the Remains on R/C (cut by Fullersound with "pizza rules" in the matrix) is very bass-shy but by no means bad. Maybe it was cut to sound like ...And Justice For All? Back to FDR... Covenant ships Friday! Earache Records♠️ on Twitter ...and "On Demand" targets have dropped to 200: Earache Records♠️ on Twitter
Are you referring to this release, as per Discogs? Sepultura - Beneath The Remains Regarding that bass-shy version, that can also be found in the original Japanese release on CD by Far East Syndicate.
They just added more pre-orders (I'm not going to re-post the take my money meme): Bolt Thrower - The IVth Crusade & ...For Victory Entombed - Wolverine Blues & Clandestine I'm all in for the first 3, Clandestine not so much.
By the way, I emailed Phil at Earache (he's in charge of the webstore I think), and he told me, in my question regarding mastering source of the On Demand series, "we're hoping to make them all FDR if they're made. If not, they'll be as close to the FDR series as we can get them." That motivates me to put some orders in. Damn money... Morbid Angel's Heretic doesn't have many fans but that would be cool, and Nocturnus The Key desperately needs this release, if it can truly be FDR. Vader's Ultimate Incantation original LP had some nice dynamics if memory serves; a re-issue of that would be welcome. Not to mention mid->late 90s Napalm Death; good stuff. I've recently bought Altars and Blessed (with vinyl) on Bandcamp and these are true audiophile death metal. Especially Altars... as "raw" as it is, it has an energy that is unparalleled and not found on any 21st century metal recording (that I've found, anyway). The cliche "they don't make 'em like they used to" holds true. As much as I love Blessed, these days I often want that mad energy (and real sounding drums!) over Blessed's sheen (and gated drums).
Dropping to 200pcs was a great news. I don't thing they'd make it to 500. I preordered most of the stuff as it started from the On demand offer. Crossing my fingers. These On demand releases are a great alternative to first pressings which are overpriced as hell.
For those still playing along, Covenant arrived today and it's really nice. The jacket is seriously nice and the vinyl is perfect-o. A "blasphemy yellow" Altars of Madness should arrive any day!
