Omens

I would doubt that there was anyone as excited as me when it was announced that there would be a new Into Another record coming out. Initially, however, it seemed that there wasn't going to be a vinyl version, as the only options available for pre-order were an itunes download or a CD. So I sat it out and crossed my fingers, and then after a few weeks a vinyl option appeared for pre-order via RevHQ. There were two options available... black vinyl and purple vinyl, so I ordered one of each.

Well, just before they started shipping I was sent an email from Rev which read as follows:

Due to a pressing plant error, no copies of the Into Another "Omens" 12" were pressed on black vinyl. However, 25 copies were pressed on a special blue/lilac color that we are offering to people who ordered the black.We do not have black vinyl, so you can choose either a refund, or a copy of the special blue/lilac vinyl that is limited to 25 copies. Please let me know what you prefer as soon as you can, as these are now ready to ship.

Seems kinda funny to me that I was given the option of either a super limited version or a refund. I mean, seriously, is anyone in this situation going to ask for a refund?

After a couple of weeks everyone else had received their records, and pictures were popping up all over instagram. Even people in Europe had theirs, yet mine still hadn't shown up. At this point it's probably worth clarifying that mine were being shipped to my friend who lives in California, and Rev orders usually get to his house within two days. So it was looking a little sketchy. Also, there appeared to be quite a bit of variation in colour on instagram. So I started to panic. It felt like my records had gone missing. So I did what anyone who had been waiting 20 years for a new Into Another record would do - I ordered three more copies.

A few days later, my friend emailed me. Both packages turned up, which meant that I had 5 copies of the record. He sent me the following photo:

When I saw the photo I was stoked, because it showed that I had got lucky and bagged three different colours. I naturally assumed that the one in the middle was the limited blue/lilac copy limited to 25. But that was not the case. The real story of what is what is much more interesting... if you give a shit about these things that is. So here is the account of what happened...

At the point my friend ordered the second batch (of three records), he emailed Rev to tell them that he didn't receive the first order, despite the order status being marked as 'SHIPPED'. Also, he usually gets a 'shipping confirmation' email containing a tracking number. Rev then replied to say that they would re-send the original package. My friend emailed back again to say that he wanted to make sure that he could still get one of the 25 blue/lilac copies, and Rev replied to say ok. Sounds good, right?

Well, the first package to arrive contained two records. So in theory this was the original order, containing one purple copy and one of the 25 blue/lilac copies. When he opened the package, one record was opened, the other was sealed. He assumed that the open copy was the blue/lilac copy. However, when he then opened the sealed copy, he found it to be on the exact same colour. These two copies are the ones on the left in the above photo. Then, the second package containing three records turned up. All three copies were sealed. When he opened it he fuond the two light purple copies (the two on the right hand side of the above photo) AND the blueish looking copy in the centre of the photo. So one of the two dark purple copies on the left is apparently one of the 'limited to 25' copies, whereas the two copies on the right and the one in the centre and all just regular purple copies. So here's the thing - if there are only 25 copies on a blue/lilac colour, then how come only one of these copies was open and the rest sealed? Does that mean that Rev only opened a few, yet somehow knew there were only 25 of one particular shade? Or does it mean that they looked at all of them, then sealed them up, but somehow mixed up some copies? Or does it mean that there are all kinds of colour variations and Rev don't actually have a clue? Well, on the evidence of my two packages, I'm voting for the latter.

Anyway, that's the story. Here are my photos of these things. Firstly, the light purple. This is the one on the right of my friend's photo:

Next, the dark purple. This is the one on the left of my friend's photo. The one which is, in theory, one of the 25 blue/lilac copies.

And finally the blueish copy, the central copy in my friend's photo.

And a photo which shows all three copies together.

Remember, the top two copies are purple. The limited to 25 blue/lilac copy is the one on the bottom, which looks pretty much grey here. It's not really this grey in real life, but photographing these three together and getting them to look like they do in front of my eyes is like mission impossible.

That aside, how good is this record? Well, I'll simply say that this sounds almost exactly like it could have come out twenty years ago right after 'Seemless'. Which is about the biggest compliment possible I would say. I just hope that this isn't a one off, and they carry on going for a while longer. I feel they have a few more songs in them yet...