Quintuple THRASH attack on Stormspell Records, coming soon!

I'm going to have a massive load of 5 (FIVE!) THRASH METAL releases coming out next month!

Let's start with the first one:

HELLHOUND - Anthology CD/DVD Set
Criminally neglected Bay Area speed/thrash metal combo from the 80s. This double CD/DVD set release consist of their classic 80s demos from 1985 and 1986, and a rare video concert taken from Rock Talk calble TV show from 1987

Essential "must have" for all self-respected 80s speed and thrash metal fans.

Set me up for one!

Hey Stormspell, I tried to register a while ago, but your system wouldn`t accept my email adress becourse it has a - in it.
Is that problem solved?
Lots of stuff i want from your shop..

Man, I still need to catch up on the Fatal Violence cd/dvd....your coming out with some rad stuff, keep it up!

You should send a copy to NoLifeTilMetal.com to review.

Olafsto wrote:

Hey Stormspell, I tried to register a while ago, but your system wouldn`t accept my email adress becourse it has a - in it.
Is that problem solved?
Lots of stuff i want from your shop..

Hey man, sorry for the inconvenience. This bug is still there, I couldnt figure it out with my limited php knowledge, and the guy who wrote the code is N/A so I have no idea when/if I'll be albe to fix that anytime soon...

The one way I can work it out is: e-mail me at metal@stormspell.com and I'll create the account manually for you.

Stender wrote:

Man, I still need to catch up on the Fatal Violence cd/dvd....your coming out with some rad stuff, keep it up!

Only handful of the FATAL VIOLENCE die-hards left (with embroidered denim patch and hand-numbered slipcase) so be quick or cry later

ultmetal wrote:

You should send a copy to NoLifeTilMetal.com to review.

Ult, I can do that once I have the CDs released. Please send me your mailing address to metal@stormspell.com , thanks!

stormspell wrote:

Olafsto wrote:

Hey Stormspell, I tried to register a while ago, but your system wouldn`t accept my email adress becourse it has a - in it.
Is that problem solved?
Lots of stuff i want from your shop..

Hey man, sorry for the inconvenience. This bug is still there, I couldnt figure it out with my limited php knowledge, and the guy who wrote the code is N/A so I have no idea when/if I'll be albe to fix that anytime soon...

The one way I can work it out is: e-mail me at metal@stormspell.com and I'll create the account manually for you.

Thanks, will do, hope it`s not to much trouble..

Whoa! Stormy sends CDs for review? Why have I been buying them all along? Haha.

That's a killer cover! Who does your artwork, Stormy? Is it always the same person?

Eyesore wrote:

Whoa! Stormy sends CDs for review? Why have I been buying them all along? Haha.

Who, me? there must be a mistake

Actually I got Ian McKellen to record voice-overs for me, so I'll have digital "promos" for download in a very near future. I'm going this way coz like 95% of the editor-in-chiefs I send retail-ready CDs as promos shelve them and forward to their reviewers mp3 rips anyway. I was totally disgusted to read tons of EKZISTENCIA reviews all over the internet in which reviewers groan and moan about being unable to understand and comment on lyrics and such (the album is sung in Russian) while the booklet have all info and lyrics translated in English...

Quote :

That's a killer cover! Who does your artwork, Stormy? Is it always the same person?

Not always. This was done by Dimitar, but I'm going to have some artworks from Alan Lathwell (MRTYRD is his btw)

I've had record companies send me links to their music asking for reviews. I very politely tell them I don't review MP3s. I have a CD site and I review CDs. I've even had independent bands pull that. It seems to piss them off when I tell them I won't review it. LOL!

I'm dreading the day when everything goes the way of digital and CDs will be gone.

I refuse to review MP3s. Piss on that.

Eyesore wrote:

I refuse to review MP3s. Piss on that.

My thoughts exactly.

I personally used always to send retail ready CDs as promos as I want the reviewers to be able to hold the entire package in their hands and see and evaluate the actual product. I do not release mp3s or naked cds in slipcases, I take pride of going the extra mile providing lavish packaging for my releases and I want this noticed and acknowledged on the review.

Unfortunately, after my "adventures" with places like metalcdratings.com and metal-observer.com I had to re-evaluate and as much I dont like it, I'm going to have online "promos" as it seems to be the way big medias work now (they just rip the promo CDs and put the mp3s on their server for their reviewers to download and write an INCOMPLETE review based on mp3s and lo-res coverartwork jpg only, doh!).

stormspell wrote:

I personally used always to send retail ready CDs as promos as I want the reviewer to be able to hold the entire package in their hands and see and evaluate the actual product. I do not release mp3s, I take pride of going the extra mile providing lavish packaging for my releases and I want this reflected on the review.

Unfortunately, after my "adventures" with places like metalcdratings.com and metal-observer.com I had to re-evaluate and as much I dont like it, I'm going to have online "promos" as it seems to be the way big medias work now (they just rip the promo CDs and put the mp3s on their server for their reviewers to download and write an INCOMPLETE review based on mp3s only, doh!).

See, it's not your fault, but that sucks. My reviews usually mention things like the packaging, lyrics, and such as I am a music collector, not a music critic/reviewer. Actually, the big companies do send out those cardboard promos. Century Media was sending them to me, but I told them I don't review promos so they stopped sending them to me. No big deal, I don't really want them. I only review stuff that I keep in my personal collection. There are only a few companies that send me stuff now, and those companies send me full CD versions. Retroactive and Bombworks are the only two. Nightmare Records sometimes sends full CD promos as well. Every other CD on my site I purchase myself.

I'm not a big site. I only get around 200,000 page hits a day. I know that Metal-Archives, Blabbermouth, etc. gets far more than that. However, I think many of the people reading my site are collectors like myself.

stormspell wrote:

I personally used always to send retail ready CDs as promos as I want the reviewers to be able to hold the entire package in their hands and see and evaluate the actual product. I do not release mp3s or naked cds in slipcases, I take pride of going the extra mile providing lavish packaging for my releases and I want this noticed and acknowledged on the review.

Unfortunately, after my "adventures" with places like metalcdratings.com and metal-observer.com I had to re-evaluate and as much I dont like it, I'm going to have online "promos" as it seems to be the way big medias work now (they just rip the promo CDs and put the mp3s on their server for their reviewers to download and write an INCOMPLETE review based on mp3s and lo-res coverartwork jpg only, doh!).

Metalcdratings.com, while a decent site, is a joke. It's a front to build a massive music collection. They do download and review albums, which I find absolutely pathetic. But at the same time, bands are sending in CDs and the "reviewers" are writing one line and give it a 1- to 5-point rating. A frickin' joke.

Another thing that pisses me off is bands that send the real CD with no artwork, or no back art. I hate that. I know the majority of "reviewers" out there are jokes, but I spend hours and hours and weeks listening to albums before I write a review. And when I do write the review, I spend hours on it. I think I deserve an actual CD for that. Haha.

I may do that Ultimatum review someday. =(

ultmetal wrote:

I'm not a big site. I only get around 200,000 page hits a day.

My dong isn't very big, only 13 inches.

200,000 hits a day? Dude, that's a big dong.

Stormy...nice updates. The covers alone are worth the price of admission. I'm recouping my coinage and waiting for your Nov. 30th drop.

Sounds awesome to me

Eyesore wrote:

My dong isn't very big, only 13 centimeters.

Fixed!

Tall Tyrion wrote:

Eyesore wrote:

My dong isn't very big, only 13 centimeters.

Fixed!

So THAT'S what this is all about. It all makes sense now.

Eyesore wrote:

Metalcdratings.com, while a decent site, is a joke. It's a front to build a massive music collection. They do download and review albums, which I find absolutely pathetic. But at the same time, bands are sending in CDs and the "reviewers" are writing one line and give it a 1- to 5-point rating. A frickin' joke.

Another thing that pisses me off is bands that send the real CD with no artwork, or no back art. I hate that. I know the majority of "reviewers" out there are jokes, but I spend hours and hours and weeks listening to albums before I write a review. And when I do write the review, I spend hours on it. I think I deserve an actual CD for that. Haha.

I may do that Ultimatum review someday. =(

My biggest beef with metalcdratings was due to the fact they do not bother mentioning any releasing info whatsoever. No links, no credits, not even mentioning label names. What's the purpose of sending a retail-ready CDs to be reviewed if all release info would be carefully avoided? I've discussed this with them and was told everyone interested can google the album and find the info... this is not acceptable to me so I dont send them promos. Clint knows this and seems to be okay with that.

In their defence I have to say that both Clint and Kit have been returning customers, so they do buy a lot of the stuff they review.

I never understood the idea of sending incomplete releases for reviewing (CDs without inserts, or in slipcases, etc.) I'm NOT selling naked CDs or slipcases after all. How is the reviewer supposed to know what my release really looks like and reflect that in the review if I send them naked CD or some goofy slipcase? Totally pointless...

If I'm a reviewer and get naked CD or a slipcase, my review definitely will reflect this pointi n a very negative way. Same notion regarding "fade-out" promos or the ones with more than one voiceover per song. Recently someone gave me a promo with about 20 voiceover breaks on every song. I cannot tell you how annoying it is to hear the stupid thing repeated every 10 seconds... at the end of the second song my review would have been done and would be very short and to the point: "BLOODY UNLISTENABLE ALBUM, AVOID!"

scottmitchell74 wrote:

Stormy...nice updates. The covers alone are worth the price of admission. I'm recouping my coinage and waiting for your Nov. 30th drop.

Scotty, thanks for the kind words! If I manage to push all 6 and get them out as planned (a monumental task given the "last minute" work still to be done in next two weeks) I'll have a special limited offer for everyone buying all 6 together. You may want to keep an eye and check December's issue of METAL MANIACS to find out more

I think you guys are pissing and moaning over nothing. Reviewers are reviewing the music. Some comment on cover art, packaging, etc...but not all. I reviewed the BISON B.C. album after getting the MP3's from Metal Blades press site...a lot of labels are going this way. All this "I refuse to review MP3's" just makes you sound like A- eletist collectors and/or B- someone trying to get something for free.