Roadrunner News     BACK TO RR News | RR Blogs | Partner News

Agreed with Nick on the Two From The Vault re-releases. Bring em back!

As far as the recent re-releases RR should do the best they can to work with the artists to release special editions the same day as the regular editions. This was done to great effect with the last Dream Theater and Opeth releases. If you're a fan of the band, you'll know when their album comes out and if it there will be a special edition of it or not and you'll shell out the couple or even few extra bucks for it.

The Blackening is a phenomenal album. If the price is reasonable this is one of the few recent RR re-releases I might actually buy even though I own the original.

I agree to some extent the argument regarding Roadrunner and re-releasing shit 6 months, a year, 2 years later with a couple new songs or live stuff/DVD and whatnot. It's kinda shitty to people who bought the original, but then again if others didn't buy it they get it with everything when they get it the first time, or a new fan gets it with everything. I guess I can understand where they're coming from but it's still kinda shitty at times, especially if it's a band you really really like. Personally I just find a way to get the material from someone else I know or online or something, there's always other ways to find this stuff these days long before these kind of releases...

The thing I do appreciate from Roadrunner, though, are those Two From The Vault things they periodically put out. Around here in the Flint, Michigan area it's kind of tough to actually find some of these older releases from bands like Life of Agony, Obituary, Suffocation and so on without these being in stores. It's about the only way I've completed by collection of said bands outside of recent releases from them in stores or burning copies of older material from friends. I personally hate ordering shit from catalogues or online and waiting, so picking up one of those every time and again from older Roadrunner bands is kinda cool in my book....

Great discussions and points by everyone on all sides. I will start by saying that I am a huge RR fan of many, many bands on this label. Like everyone on this post, I like the special editions too. They do keep getting better and better and harder to resist for somebody that already owns it. Brad and Jeremy are both correct. Why not offer an "upgrade package" for people that bought the original version? This upgrade could include the package, new booklet and Bonus Cd/DVD for discounted rate. Or a special coupon or discounts could be offered to original buyers. There have been several special editions that I have NOT bought because of price, but I would have purchased this way. The fans want RR to show some appreciation and recognize the faithful listeners. I want RR to be profitable and flourish so that we get to keep enjoying the music of so many great artists. But remember without the fans buying the music, they won't be around long.

Jeremy Rosen, as far as "special editions" go with DVDs, I could care less. I don't have time to watch them. I want a free download of the extra audio tracks on "super-deluxe tour edition special edition" re-releases. For example, on Killswitch Engage's newest release, a "special edition" followed a couple months later with a cover of Dio's Holy Diver. It is very simple. I purchased the original release the day it came out, helping with those important first week sales. A few months later, the re-release with the Dio cover song comes along and I don't have that track because I bought the original version. In cases like this, I feel that I am owed these "special edition" songs because I am one of the ones that bought the cd on the first week of release. I do not condone illegal music downloading, but I see clearly it is reasons like this explained above why it is a problem. I would never download a full album of music that I know I want, I would rather go out and purchase the cd, not only because out of respect of the artists, but also I like the album art. However, when record companies do this special edition crap, I really see nothing wrong in downloading the extras, because in my opinion, I should have got them anyway. Other than the fact I know now special editions are ineviable with every major release now, how is the lamens supposed to know that in 6-12 months the same cd with extra tracks will be coming out? Whats more, what fans of the bands would want to wait that long to get a cd they have already been waiting on for 2 or 3 years? My suggestion is a unique download code being put on all Roadrunner cd booklets so fans can download the extra songs for free on the Roadrunner website once the special edition is released. This way the people who want the DVD will buy the special edition that comes with the extra tracks anyway, and those who don't want to buy the cd again can get the extra tracks too. By the way, I accidentally entered my email incorrectly before, so feel free to give me your comments through email. Thanks for listening to the consumer.

I must say that after many fans go out and buy the cd in the first week this does get annnoying but on the other hand, i cant wait for this.

Machine Head are one very good band and as i did for killswitch Engage i will go out and by the limited edition to not only support the band and roadrunner records but to also listen to the best music there is

keep up the good work

Ill agree with everyone on this board, you all have great points, I know I myself love this album enough to get the special edition of it and ill admit ive purchased other re-issues [Killswitch, Trivium, Fear Factory, Cradle, Stone Sour] and even others from other labels too and its all a matter of opinion, like say... if your old copy is in rough shape and needed a new one anyways, or even sell your origional either second hand or to a friend that likes them and use ther money to buy the special edition.

But i do agree that if you have no desire to get it again, they why not have it as a download [and even if not free then as a discount code for people who already bought it to pay the difference they would have for the re-issue] but I know ill keep buying them, and if its worth it (in which this album will damn well be) ill suck it up

the blackening...most amazing album ever n the live footage should be amazing

on first read of brads comment, his "stab" at RR wasnt as apparent as what he was actually trying to say about the situation. on review, ill distinguish that i dont feel RR is screwing with me. its my choice in the end to buy the album at release or not, and some could argue its just as much my own stupidity as it is PR. RR australia has been very good to me and jeremys email only furthers this.

i wasnt complaining so much as trying to add weight to brads suggestion that it is a problem and that something should be done about it. jeremys comments seem to have answered my question, that RR is aware of it, sees it sort of as a problem, and measures have been taken to try to ensure it dosnt happen.

what brad was saying about download codes has some merit. why are we getting all these doubles? i get that bonus stuff isnt always available at the same time as the albums initial release, but why bundle it with the album again later down the track when it does become available and not a separate dvd?

and sometimes a band wants to thank the fans for their support by releasing bonus tracks, but if these just get bundled with another copy of the album, then these only benefit those who are new to the album and not the fans who spent their hard earned cash to support the band in the first place.

maybe this stuff is available online seperatley, but this isnt always easy for people in other countries, isolated areas, etc, to get seperatley. and legally.

this is where i agree with what brad was saying. in jeremys own words, these things sell like hotcakes, so its not like you could argue that its for rarity's sake.

if bonus stuff is available at an albums release then bundle it with the album then and when stuff becomes available further down the track release that separately. then everyone wins.

what can i say about the blackening ? fuckin' unreal !

Very well spoken Jeremy!