Metal Reviews

So, a while ago I saw that Century Media re-issued Lacuna Coil's In A Reverie with new artwork, but nothing else. I thought that was rather cheap, but then again I have no idea how available that album is. I thought it was easy to find, but maybe it wasn't and the copies I saw had been sitting there for years until Lacuna Coil hit it big with "Heaven's A Lie." So maybe a re-issue was justified, I don't know.

Anyway, I saw a while ago that The Gathering's Mandylion was re-issued, too. At a glance I figured all the demo tracks on the bonus CD were the same tracks from the Accesories: B-Sides & Rarities album, just re-used like so many labels do. I stopped by the record shop last night and the re-issue was only $9.99, I compared the tracks with the Accesories album and they're actually not on that album, none of them! There's even a version of "Third Chance" with the lyrics for "In Motion #1." There's also an unreleased instrumental and five other demos of tracks from Mandylion, and an enhanced CD portion with a video for "Leaves."

Not only is Mandylion a classic album, but this is what re-issues are supposed to be like. Well worth the money. It also comes with some slightly altered artwork and liner notes for the original Mandylion tracks and four of the demos.

Also, it looks like Century Media are planning on re-issuing Into Eternity's self-titled debut, which is pretty hard to find. It was self-released by the band, the re-issued by another label, but both are hard to find. So that's cool. They're also re-issuing 2CD collection by Merauder, Only Living Witness and Demolition Hammer.

But, of course, they're a label and it also shows Nevermore's The Politics Of Ectasy, In Memory (EP) and the debut as being re-issued, but no mention of anything extra. The same goes for SYL's Heavy As A Really Heavy Thing, Stuck Mojo's Pigwalk and Snappin' Necks and Trouble's Plastic Green Head. Whether or not these will be re-issues with nothing new is not certain, but obviously likely.

At least Century Media aren't re-releasing albums that came out 6 months ago. And if even a few of them have extra content like this re-issue of Mandylion you won't hear me complain.

Century Media > Roadrunner. I'll look out for Mandylion...

They should do for Into Eternity what Neuraxis did - reissue all their albums together in one package. That's the only way I'd spend money on any of IE's stuff

^_^

Why? If you could get a 3CD set for $30 or 3 individual CDs for $10 a piece, what's the difference?

It all depends on whether there is actually anything extra from those particular periods of the bands history worth releasing. Chucking on 2 shitty quality demos of songs already on an album is possibly an even cheaper cash-in than just re-issuing it as is.

For the record, Roadrunner actually have a few decent reissues - those "two from the vault" sets can be pretty cool if you don't already own the two albums in question.

Right, the 2-for-1 reissues are great, no bonus material is needed. It's a good deal because it's two albums for the price of one. I think if anything is to be reissued it needs to have new artwork, be remastered or contain bonus material. I see no reason to reissue Nevermore's first three releases "as is." They're not hard to find...at all.

'cause the CDs cost me 15-20$ a piece?

Then good point! That sucks! :(

I hate when something gets reissued and they throw in some bizzare low quality trakcs from a basement somewhere on the tail end of the album. (My Slaughter of the Soul and Alters of Madness Copies are like that) I like to hear a record the way it was intended to be heard with that specific set of songs in a specific order, and when you come in and simply add shit here and there it kind of ruins it. Like when George Lucas remade Star Wars with like 2 minutes of extra footage in each one. :cry:

I like hearing something old get cleaned up prodcution wise, but when I buy an album that comes with a "bonus cd or dvd" or whatever I usually just throw it away.

You're nuts! :shock: I fucking LOVE hearing anything and everything from bands I like. Sure, b-sides may not be the greatest, but I sure as hell love hearing them. I could never throw it away.

I have a friend who keeps everything in case-logic cases. He throws away the jewelcase and back insert! Jesus fuck! I couldn't do that. No way. I'm a greedy fucker when it comes to music, I want it all!

Heh, I throw away the case and back insert as well. They just take up to much freaking space. I keep the cd and booklet and throw them all in a binder. I don't mind hearing other things a band has done, I just think that when you throw it on top of completed work it just doesn't sound right.

I do that, and I keep all the old cases at my parents house. I could never throw them away. I would really like to have it all together, but it's really for travelling. I switch houses a lot, so this way I only need one box per 500 cds.

Crazy. You do realize those case-logic binders are scratching your CDs, right?

Never had any problems with them, but it is something I'm aware off, sure... To be honest I would like to put back the CDs into their cases when I'm settled at a more permanent residence... It's complicated getting my empty cases to the same place as me at the moment, if that makes any sense. When I can do that I may reunite them.

I somehow managed to get my copy of Goat Of Mendes scratched, despite keeping it in the case, so now it skips at a rather neat riff change, annoying as hell. :x

It's quite nice looking at a wall of CDs! =)

It sure is... I think that's the main reason I want them back in cases, even more than them getting scratched, haha...

Go for that one; I have the reissue and it's really well done

It's definitely a good reissue. Obviously the album versions are better quality, but it's cool hearing a song like "Third Chance" with the lyrics for "In Motion #1." Also, the instrumental is pretty heavy.

Seconded. Plus, the liner notes make an interesting read (I'm a bit of a backstage freak).