Unmix

A little over a year ago there was a new pressing of the debut Integrity full length, 'Those Who Fear Tomorrow', put out by German label Backbite Records. I wasn't sure why the world needed another pressing of this record, but it turns out there was a reason. Sort of. Apparently Dwid got the original analogue tapes and thought that they sounded great in their raw state, so sanctioned a limited pressing of it on vinyl. It is referred to as 'Those Who Fear Tomorrow: Unmixed'. I picked up a couple of copies of this one when it first came out, but it has taken me over a year to get the other two, but I had been waiting for all four before posting them.

First is the test press. There were actually 40 tests made, of which 20 were kept or sold by the label and come in a plain black sleeve. The other 20 were given to Dwid and sold in hand made covers to fools like me.

There were then 3 different colour vinyl versions made. One looks alright, whereas the other two look pretty awful. The acceptable one is the most limited version, which is clear vinyl (100 made):

The other two colours are not particularly nice to look at, and are both out of 200 copies. The first is known as 'splatter':

The second is know as 'tri color' and is also out of 200 copies:

I'm not usually a fan of remixes, as my ears generally can't tell any difference between different mixes. I think my brain is just wired to hear riffs and vocals and not appreciate the subtle differences in mixes. Usually I listen to a remix and all I notice is that the tune is the same and the words are the same, so I don't get the point. But I definitely hear a difference here. The main difference is that the vocals are quieter, and the guitar and drums sound louder. To me it sounds a little dirtier and I like it. Definitely an interesting new take on some old songs.