Shane I just played my copy of Sunn O))) - Oracle the other night for the first time, 180 gram, felt like I was holding some sort of monolith \m/ And it sounded absolutely GORGEOUS!
I am ordering an Ortofon M2 Red cartridge later today, exciting times!
Also on distortion, I played my supposedly mint copy of Behold... The Arctopus - Skullgrid the other night as well and that had some very noticable distortion around the end of each side (so You Are Number Six and Transient Exhuberance in particular,) and it really took me out of it, but it's a pretty thin vinyl. I also played my copy of Atheist - Unquestionable Presence (from the same ebay store) which sounded absolutely pristine (as did everything else I played that night,) so I'm pretty sure I must have gotten a one off dodgy pressing. My bud's copy of Skullgrid that has been played quite a few times has some distortion on the same tracks (as vinyls aparrently wear more towards the center, dunno why,) but it was fairly mild, so yeah, I'm convinced I just got a dodge copy.
Be wary of first pressings from Relapse Records, too. They tend to be pretty light and thin.
Anyway, I'd highly recommend investing in some Sunn records. Monoliths and Dimensions and Oracle both totally, totally blew my mind sound wise.
Has that AT cartridge got an elliptical stylus by the way? You might wanna look into getting one if not because the detail is really enhanced with one, noticably so.
Nice to be sharing the journey of getting into the forum with someone \m/
As for recent acquisitions here:
Sunn O))) - Domkirke
Burial Chamber Trio 10" Picture Disk (Sunn O))) side project featuring Greg Anderson, Oren Ambarchi and Atilla Csihar, get it, it's fucking awesome)
Pentemple - O))) Presents
(These three are arriving today!
)
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Lift Yr. Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven
Behold The Arctopus/Orthrelm 7" split x2 (one red, one green, £6 altogether from eyeofsound)
Dysrhythmia - Barriers And Passages (only 500 made, if you're a fan you should probably invest in this IMMEDIATELY and it's only £7.99 from eyeofsound, sounds great too.)
Current 93 - The Inmost Light Trilogy (this is a birthday present though and I won't be getting this for another week, although it arrived with my GY!BE record)
Atheist - All 3 albums on 12" picture disks from Relapse (36 dollars, absolute steal and they sound great on vinyl \m/)
Cynic - Traced In Air (180 gram vinyl also, look into this one Shane if you're a fan, got it brand new from ebay.)
Edit: ignore my previous statements about looking at an elliptical stylus, goddamn, I bow in your cartridge's aura. \m/
Edit 2: Shane you got msnz? LETS BE VINYLFAGZ 2GETHA BBZ