Frydee Electric Wizard
I still haven’t heard the new Electric Wizard album, Black Masses. By now I think I’m the only one. I bought a copy off the Rise Above website the weekend before it was to be released (Oct. 30 or so), and although I told myself that if it wasn’t here by this Tuesday, I was going to buy a copy off the All That is Heavy webstore because I couldn’t wait any longer — because spending more money on their product would certainly teach the label a lesson about their slow shipping — I haven’t done that either. I refuse to download the record. What am I, 19 years old? Fuck that.
Moreover, I refuse to listen to it digitally. Even the clip above for “Black Mass,” I didn’t hear it all the way through. I played about two seconds’ worth so I could gauge the audio quality (apologies if it’s unacceptable) and then hit stop and embedded the file. I’d rather wait than listen to shitty quality. Of course, I’d rather not wait, but if it’s one or the other… well, here I am.
If anyone needs me, I’ll be alternating between homework and patting myself on the back for actually posting all three of the promised interviews this week. Stick around next week because I’ll have a chat with Crowbar‘s Kirk Windstein to go up and all kinds of giving-thanks goodness.
Until then, I hope you have a great and safe weekend. I’m gonna go find some dinner.
Tags: Dorset, Electric Wizard, Rise Above, UK
I feel your frustration dude. I am similarly waiting for Wino’s “Adrift” and refuse to duplicate.
I suspect when you say you won’t listen to it digitally, you mean in a form of digitally compressed file (as opposed to digital media in general, which would include CDs), such as MP3, such as acquired from a download. Leaving aside issues around packaging etc, what’s your beef with digitally compressed music in general, in terms of audio quality? I have heard more people than I care to mention claim that even good quality compression algorithms are no match to CD audio quality, but it always comes back to similar arguments that people use to claim that bollocks like homeopathy works for them.
I for one, commend your waiting for the CD. I have to receive my copy either and I ordered from a different source entirely.
I don’t care what people say. There is an audible difference between mp3’s and CD on some recordings. I don’t have the patience of JJ and fully admit to be a nearly 40, 17 year old. Thus, I have heard black Masses as an mp3 and as FLAC (digital lossless). There is a difference. What you listen to the album on makes a huge difference too. An mp3 player or computer speakers will not do it justice.
Wait, analog=CD and Digital= download….. Downloads can reach higher bit rates than CD’s ever could. example search pirate bay for a Pink Floyd “the wall” cd vs Vynal rip.
thats a whole other conversation……..
Love your blog and keep it up!
“Downloads can reach higher bit rates than CD’s ever could.”
Not as mp3’s though, correct?
Has anyone in the States seen a physical copy of this record? I was in a very good store in Philly on Friday night and the owner’s been calling all over trying to get a copy of this with no luck…I seem to remember having to wait 3 or 4 weeks after the release date for “Witchcult” as well.
@Mike. I’d be interested to know whether your claim would withstand a carefully controlled experiment (e.g. ensuring no coding errors, not a dodgy algorithm, no damage to CD, that they both came from the same master, music is adjusted for equal overall volume, listener and all interacting with listener are blind to which is which etc).
@Paul. CD = digital. I’d enjoy reading an argument that higher than 16-bit reproduction would be expected to make an audible difference for the sort of music that is usually discussed here (and most music that’s listened to generally), especially if the environment in which it is listened to is taken into account.
That all said, I am highly critical of the legal download industry. For example, because of the astonishing lack of vision for what can be done and because coding errors with individual downloads (and difficulty getting a correct version or a full refund) are too common. Oh and DRM. This really bugs me because I think that reducing the plastic the we use (and that fills my house) is important.
@Paul. I agree, great blog! :)
I’ve been waiting my Black Masses cd from Rise Above about three weeks. Electric Wizard will play gig here in Helsinki the day after tomorrow and I’m really really waiting it but I haven’t got chance to listen new songs cause of Rise Above’s slow shipping… So yesterday I had enough and I went to local record store but Black Masses was out of stock there. And same problem with another record store. So now I don’t hear new album before gig or I have to download it (and I really don’t want to do that). Thanks Rise Above!
Great blog, thanks!