Does anyone have this item who could offer an opinion? Is it a set worth tracking down? It seems like it has a good selection of known artists (and a lot lesser so). Just interested to hear if it works well overall as a compilation collection.
Discogs listing here: http://www.discogs.com/Various-In-Stahlgewittern-II-Kapitel/release/228996
Any thoughts appreciated!
I know this seems already known fact, but 4xLP reissues is certainly better to take than original 3xLP. Packaging is pretty much the same. Just repress has one more LP of stuff.
What comes to the overall quality and level of interesting tracks, it's basically questions whether listener generally like Steinklang artists releases. I find many bands too clean, too electronics (in negative sense), and out of multiple LP set, I think good tracks could have fitted to 1 or 2 LP's easily. So lots of "average" tracks there. But for those who like such style a lot, I consider possibility that they'll enjoy it all the way.
Thanks for the feedback. Much appreciated!
However Mikko, when you mentioned the 4xLP being a 'repress' of the earlier 3xLP (just with an extra LP), this confused me slightly based on the discogs listings for the various versions.
So for clarity it seems there are 3 versions including:
The original 3xLP set from 1995 (part I of the series)
http://www.discogs.com/Various-In-Stahlgewittern/release/227296
The 4xLP set from 2003 (being part II of the series)
http://www.discogs.com/Various-In-Stahlgewittern-II-Kapitel/release/228996
A 7xLP set also from 2003 (containing parts I & II)
http://www.discogs.com/Various-In-Stahlgewittern/release/405716
But confusion aside over versions, I am getting the distinct impression that this set is passable overall!
well, I may be wrong then. I recall I read that 4xLP was repress of 3xLP with just bonus LP. But nevertheless, unless you come across copy cheap and with some other stuff, I don't think it's worth investment. If METAL BOX packaged 4xLP sets are for sale in high numbers, for discount prices, I guess it is a little suggestion that we aren't talking about "War Against Society" level material...
I have the 5xCD Set, same Music. There a a Lot of good Tracks but like all other Compilations with so much Music, a Lot of Tracks also, i won't like. Its like the OEC 7 CD Box. Too much Tracks i don't like, so i won't play it often after all.
But since the Box are pretty Cheap, see no Argument not to buy it
edit:
you can get the 4 LP Box for 17,50€ from Steinklang as Special now.
Person who asked this, lives in Australia. So even if box retails cheap, I can imagine postage for metal boxed pile of LP's ain't going to be cheap. That's why mentioned that along some bigger order somewhere, it could be worth to give a try. For finns, I believe Sarvilevyt carries at least vol 1 triple LP..
It counts on Discogs 920gramm, not sure if its true but if so, from Steinklang it will be 19€ Postage and you have some weight left for good Package. Since i paid nearly 20€ Postage from the US for 1 LP, its not so Expensive at all.
Otherwise RRRecords have it also and not too Expensive. Nut sure about Postage Rates from the US after all, Germans Postage rates are not such High like Australian, Canada or even Finland, if it comes to LP's
The 7 LP box has been on my to buy list for years. Even if it's bound to have plenty I am not interested in there are also enough great names to make it an essential release. Sektion B, Ex.Order, Söldnergeist, Phosgen and Thorofon to name only a few.
Yeah, I am based in Australia - so postage on a metal box set is a huge consideration. That said German postage charges are excellent so I do search out lots of material from German distros over other European countries.
Speaking of 'War Against Socielty' 3xLP comp, I was lucky enough to pick that up cheap at an industrial focused shop here in Melbourne years ago. I always assumed that it would have Streicher's personal copies put up for sale in local outlets – but I have never confirmed the truth of that.
Quote from: re:evolution on July 01, 2014, 04:05:45 AM
Yeah, I am based in Australia - so postage on a metal box set is a huge consideration.
Cost me nearly a hundred bucks for Chop Shop's "Metal Plate" and more than half of that was postage. Going by the prices on Discogs I'd say you'd be paying a bit over a hundred for this item. Not trying to put you off, just a bit of perspective.
From what I can see, this release is well and truly a labour of love from the label. That's to be commended. Not sure if the so-far slow movement on it is down to actual quality or because most of the names aren't familiar to a scene more inclined towards familiar names (even given the examples Martin's made). Did these releases sell out from the label?
I bought it when travelling for about $30, and felt it was perhaps *just* worth that to me. I have a very similar opinion to Mikko's. Richard, I suspect you would probably like it more if I compare our tastes through our respective review writings; if you could spend $60-$70aud I don't think you'd find that a waste. Even a tad more.
Oh, I'm referring to the 4xLP.
Malignant had copies of the 4lp version for $20 plus shipping...
Quote from: murderous_vision on July 01, 2014, 04:38:59 PM
Malignant had copies of the 4lp version for $20 plus shipping...
And Malignant's shipping is
usually top notch!
Well in the end I decided to bite the bullet and ordered the 7xLP version. If I am going to spend the $ I figured I may as well get parts I & II in the one package. It cost at total of 53 euro including postage from Germany ($77 Aus), so not too bad overall. So if there are 3 LP's worth of tracks I like out of the total 7 LP's I will be happy. A bit of listening to get through when it arrives!
Please do share your views once you've digested it, I'm interested now.
So the 7xLP version arrived earlier in the week and I have been spending my evenings immersing myself in the extensive material. Packaging and presentation is simple and to the point, with nice heavy vinyls and thick plastic sleeves. And who wouldn't like the metal box used for the cover?!
On first impressions the musical scope is actually a fair bit more varied than I was anticipating. I had been assuming it was going to be mostly of the rhythmic industrial, power electronics and noise focus. So whilst it does span those sounds, other tracks touch on heavy electronics, death industrial, martial industrial and dark ambient.
Mikko mentioned earlier that this box set is not up to the standard of the 'War Against Society' 3xLP set. I would tend to agree with this comment, and would also add that it does not function as a focused conceptual compilation such as others like the Natural Order 2xLP set on StateArt or the Saturn Gnosis 2x10"ep set on Loki Foundation.
So to my mind it is really a question of how you approach this. If you consider it as 'just' a collection of tracks, where you can skip to the material you like, it works fine overall. However in listening to all tracks in order, there seems to be less of a focus on appropriate track positioning/ ordering. For example a track called 'Epileptic Dance Hit' (...yes it is as bad as it sounds...) follows Diutesc's track. This juxtaposition of unrelated sounds is just jarring to the overall flow of material.
Given the extent of genres covered, to my ear it is the rhythmic industrial material which sticks out the most (...in a bad way...) and does not suit the thematic sound/ focus of the rest. Also by 'rhythmic industrial' I mean it being of the heavy quasi dance floor industrial pounding material of the early Ant-Zen sound (noting also that P.A.L, Noisex, Salt are featured here).
Overall I would say there is about 65%-70% tracks I 'like' on this set, but I also don't imagine that I will play through the entire set of 'liked' tracks all that often, rather just be a bit more selective and pick and choose tracks to play. Known names also are on the mark, including Dagda Mor, Ex.Order (one of their most aggressive tracks actually), Rasthof Dachau, Operation Cleansweep etc, along with many positive surprises from lesser known/ unknown projects.
So all in all paying $77 for the the 7xLP set was worth it for me, and I am sure US and Euro people could get this for much less based on reduced shipping (Malignant currently has the 4xLP set for a mere $20).
So ultimately if you approach this as a 'collection of tracks' where you can pick and choose what you want to hear, it works fine. But as a solid and strong concept which ties together music, theme and packaging, it does not work so well.