New Wolf and Norther albums available only as MP3s in the US.

[TychoCelchu]

The amount of metal I see at Best Buy has started to dwindle. I haven't seen a new THE END RECORDS release there in a couple years.

The Best Buys around here are wastelands. I remember seeing Arcturus - the Sham Mirrors at Best Buy (in 2002) when it was released. Seems like a distant fantasy now. Last September, I tried to go get the Pantera Cowboys from Hell re-issue in its release week and they did not even have that! Pantera! And to think that less than a decade ago I was actually buying Allan Holdsworth from there.

I liked Norther quite a bit, but I stopped buying their albums after having three that all sounded the same (Dreams, Mirror, and Death). I remember buying Mirror of Madness from Media Play. Man, those days are gone.

We do have a couple of local chains and specialty shops where I live that are surviving. And the local FYE is still doing OK for some reason (it's in a good location).

 

[Diabolik]

YEARS later? I got EVIL STAR when it came out, so I guess that was 2004.
Sorry, I didn't recall every CD purchase you made one weekend 9 years ago!
The point was simply that I obviously know WOLF's history and you were implying that I didn't.

From a retail perspective, if WOLF's new CD charted, it would be considered a release by a NEW band. And while you might say ,"Who cares about mainstream charts" that is the type of thing that will keep a band's release on the shelves.

That is why the new ANVIL (on THE END) will end up on the shelf at Best Buy (as the re-release of their last album charted), but you may not see the new NOVEMBERS DOOM or HELLOWEEN there.

I was just pushing AE's theory on you that you are a hipster and know it all who cant read.:Spin: But it is true....I remember our conversation in the car back home even. You made fun of the artwork on the cover and stuff.

 

[TheLongshot]

I wouldn't be as bothered by the trend if you could buy music in a lossless (i.e. FLAC) format. At least then I could use it as my archive copy as I transcode to other formats as needed. Unfortunately, MP3 and AAC still rule the world.

Course, I'm probably one of the few who still listens to CDs out of necessity. (Many of the workplaces where I work do not allow MP3 Players.)

 

[Diabolik]

I wouldn't be as bothered by the trend if you could buy music in a lossless (i.e. FLAC) format. At least then I could use it as my archive copy as I transcode to other formats as needed. Unfortunately, MP3 and AAC still rule the world.

Course, I'm probably one of the few who still listens to CDs out of necessity. (Many of the workplaces where I work do not allow MP3 Players.)

I still listen to CD's every day on the way back and forth from work on the train. There have been tons of assaults and thefts of MP3 players on the trains in my area and no one wants a CD walkman so it works well for me.

 

[Justin G]

I remember buying Mirror of Madness from Media Play. Man, those days are gone.

I so miss Media Play. I must have bought hundreds of $1-2 used rock and metal CDs from the Atlanta area stores when I first moved there.

 

[AeonicSlumber]

I was just pushing AE's theory on you that you are a hipster and know it all who cant read.:Spin: But it is true....I remember our conversation in the car back home even. You made fun of the artwork on the cover and stuff.

Oh hell no man, he is NO hipster. Someone as out of touch as he can't possibly be "hip" about anything.

 

[AeonicSlumber]

I wouldn't be as bothered by the trend if you could buy music in a lossless (i.e. FLAC) format. At least then I could use it as my archive copy as I transcode to other formats as needed. Unfortunately, MP3 and AAC still rule the world.

Course, I'm probably one of the few who still listens to CDs out of necessity. (Many of the workplaces where I work do not allow MP3 Players.)

There are places where you can get legal lossless downloads, but I agree, this is probably the largest bummer with regards to digital distribution. Hoping it will change.

 

[MYSTIC1]

I don't mind this at all. I'm a former CD only buyer and used to own well over 1,000. I've sold most of them and only buy discs anymore if I can't legally download a release. I don't steal any music. I'll buy the CD, rip the songs and then sell the disc. I don't need it. Yeah, it was nice to have that collection for years but it got way too expensive to keep buying all of those imported discs. I don't believe that it makes me any less of a fan to not buy the physical product. As a matter of fact, I can now afford to check out more bands and I find myself more actively seeking new bands or even older bands which I may have missed somewhere along the way. BTW, I worked for a CD manufacturer for 17 years and held great loyalty to CD's for years.......Times change.

 

[Diabolik]

Oh hell no man, he is NO hipster. Someone as out of touch as he can't possibly be "hip" about anything.

hahahahahahaa so true.

 

[Jasonic]

hahahahahahaa so true.

Ok funny pants. This should be good.
Explain what I am out of touch on?

That's right! You are an expert because you just got into NWOBHM / Trad Metal like what, a year or two ago, once all your Umpa Loompa bands became Hot Topic regulars?

 

[Jasonic]

I still listen to CD's every day on the way back and forth from work on the train. There have been tons of assaults and thefts of MP3 players on the trains in my area and no one wants a CD walkman so it works well for me.

While that might be true, your perspective would change if you had a "good" MP3 player.

For many years when they first came out, I had a handful of cheaper MP3 players. I was not sold or convinced whatsoever. It felt SO impersonal, just looking at a non-color screen with the song title floating by in black lettering.

Once I got an IPOD NANO, my perspective changed 100%. ITUNES is one of the most convenient applications I have ever used. The easiest tool for burning your own CDs or downloading.

There will always be bands where I "must" own the CD, simply because I consider myself a collector of the band and want the product. Though as others have mentioned for bands I am a casual fan and have nothing rare, I have been able to rip the disc to my IPOD and then either sell or trade the physical copy.

Furthermore, I actually will then have a better chance of listening to most discs in my collection on the IPOD long before I would possibly pull a CD off the shelf. Shuffling is great.

 

[dcowboys311]

Sorry, but iTunes is the most bloated piece of crap I've ever installed onto my computer. I'd rather use Winamp, and Winamp crashes every time I open it.

Only Foobar is real.

 

[Jasonic]

Sorry, but iTunes is the most bloated piece of crap I've ever installed onto my computer. I'd rather use Winamp, and Winamp crashes every time I open it.

Only Foobar is real.

I guess everyone is going to have a different experience.
I have never had any issues with ITUNES.
I haven't used Winamp, so I can't compare.

 

[AngraRULES]

I guess everyone is going to have a different experience.
I have never had any issues with ITUNES.

Same here.

 

[TychoCelchu]

I don't like Winamp. I only use it when I want to burn FLAC to a disc.

 

[dcowboys311]

About halfway through the new Wolf right now (before anyone gets pissy this is a LEGITIMATE PROMO COPY) and this smokes!!! Definitely gonna look into their back catalog now.

 

[Diabolik]

While that might be true, your perspective would change if you had a "good" MP3 player.

For many years when they first came out, I had a handful of cheaper MP3 players. I was not sold or convinced whatsoever. It felt SO impersonal, just looking at a non-color screen with the song title floating by in black lettering.

Once I got an IPOD NANO, my perspective changed 100%. ITUNES is one of the most convenient applications I have ever used. The easiest tool for burning your own CDs or downloading.

There will always be bands where I "must" own the CD, simply because I consider myself a collector of the band and want the product. Though as others have mentioned for bands I am a casual fan and have nothing rare, I have been able to rip the disc to my IPOD and then either sell or trade the physical copy.

Furthermore, I actually will then have a better chance of listening to most discs in my collection on the IPOD long before I would possibly pull a CD off the shelf. Shuffling is great.

I will always be a disc buyer until they stop. As a collector and fan it is the way to go. No need for an MP3 player. I like to listen to a whole disc on the way to work and not mix tape versions. I know you can put the whole disc on there but why waste the time when I already have the disc.

 

[Diabolik]

Ok funny pants. This should be good.
Explain what I am out of touch on?

That's right! You are an expert because you just got into NWOBHM / Trad Metal like what, a year or two ago, once all your Umpa Loompa bands became Hot Topic regulars?

oh kittie has claws.:Shedevil:

 

[gilpdawg]

I do know that Baptized in Blood, who has a digital only release on Roadrunner, sells the physical CD at their shows. I was going to buy a shirt at the table when I saw them open for Devildriver, which I tend to do if I enjoy the openers. Most of the time those dudes need gas money and shit. The singer was there and he was like "dude, buy a CD too, because this is the only place to get the CD itself," and I was like, "I would, dude, but if I buy the CD I won't have enough money for the shirt so I'll buy the shirt now and the album online later" and he was like "cool."


/cool story bro
//did buy the album later. I like it.

 

[J. Golden]

Physical CDs of both albums will be issued in Europe, diehard fans are advised to seek out the imports.

Obviously it's not terribly hard to pick up a European import, but the idea that this is happening on a metal label is unsettling. I always figured metal was the genre that would continue to embrace the physical product. Maybe Wolf and Norther are just lousy sellers in the US.

Metal will be the last to fall pray to downloading ending physical copy sells maybe not in the U.S. but worldwide yes.
And does it really matter anyway must of us buy from mail orders and most mail orders carry more imports than domestic releases.