Nerve Agents Deluxe

I finally getting around to picking up on the Nerve Agents reissues that Rev put out last year (2025). I had these in my hands at Rev when I was there last Summer, but I didn't really have room for them in my case, so I paid and left them to be sent later... which has ended up being ten months.

All three Nerve Agents 12" records have been reissued as 'Deluxe Editions'. To differentiate them from earlier pressings, these versions come with obi strips and large booklets The booklets look like this:

that contain photos and 'testimonies' by various scenesters who were around at the time. The booklets are of varying length. The one that accompanies the first record is the thinest, and feels like the poor relation of the three. The 'Days Of The White Owl' booklet one is thicker than the other two, and it definitely feels like this seems to be recognised as their best record, which I find interesting as for me it is the worst of the three.

The obi strips are nice additions, and I like that all three have one. It helps identify them as a separate little collection.

The first, self-titled 12" EP was originally put out by Rev in 1998. The younger version of me immediately loved the artwork. The older version of me still does. For some reason, this is the only one of the three reissues that came with a limited sleeve, numbered out of 131 copies.

This same clear vinyl version also comes in a regular cover, and given that they sold out relatively quickly there was then a second pressing on purple (both pictured below in the collection shot).

'Days Of The White Owl' was the second release and first proper full length, released in the year 2000. This reissue adds an extra song on to the end of Side A that was originally on some compilation that I'd never heard of before. It came on two different colours of vinyl, and has also been upgraded to a gatefold sleeve.

'The Butterfly Collection' was the third 12" and the second full length, and was originally released by Hellcat Records in 2001. I remember at the time being slightly surprised that they had jumped ship from Rev, but I guess this was because unbeknown to me at the time they had crossed some boundaries a bit and become popular with a lot of people outside of Rev's usual sphere. The original vinyl copies came out in an era when vinyl was at a pretty low point, so there was only one pressing (well, technically two - a US pressing, and a EUro pressing) with all copies being on black vinyl. So it's kinda cool to finally get see this one pressed on colour.

There were three colours of this one, which means that all in all I ended up with seven records. Here's a picture of the lot all together:

Shown in the photo are (top row to bottom):

'S/T' - Clear w/ ltd. cover /131, Clear w/ regular cover /419, Opaque Purple /550
'Days Of The White Owl' - Pink & Purple Marble /300, Green Marble /700
'The Butterfly Collection' - Grey Marble /300, Red Marble /512, Blue Marble /900