That matrix SID (IPFI) is enormous... legit ones should be damn near invisible without squinting.

Try turning down the treble on your sound system. The remaster may be a bit louder than necessary but it's closer in sound to the vinyl than the old CD was. The album's production is very cymbal-heavy so that aggressive treble is meant to be there, the old CD sounded muddy compared to the LP.

Shadow_of_a_Storm you should cough up some more info mate, we're all budding super sleuths here!

I posted this in the other thread before dreadmeat closed it, but:

What you have there is a poorly made counterfeit. The pictures you've just posted confirm it's a CD-R; the poor artwork and the obvious visible ring of burned data more or less give it away as such. CD-Rs do have IFPI codes - they help in tracking piracy - and the code on that CD-R confirms it was manufactured in Taiwan. I'm not sure what company is behind the blank CD-R that eventually was used to create your counterfeit, but the same code is found in a number of releases on Discogs from Taiwanese bands... so that suggests to me that it's a fairly popular manufacturer (at least locally).

In comparison, the Amon Amarth CD that this counterfeit is based on was manufactured in two different places, through Americ Disc in Drummondville, Canada (US version) and Sonopress Arvato in Gütersloh, Germany (German/EU version).

Fuck! Now how do I get rid of it? I only want official merch in my collection.

Thanks everyone for clearing this up (feeling pretty stupid now for buying such shit).

It happens to the best of us, just always gotta have constant vigilance.

If you don't mind doing it, would you be willing to include your counterfeit as another version of the album? Unfortunately the lack of information on this counterfeit didn't help you out, but you could help out others by letting them know this exists and what to look out for.

No I don't mind, always happy to help fellow metalheads out. I've never done that before though so what information do I need to give? (You can PM me if you wish).

Is there any way to pursue a refund or some other form of resolution through Amazon? Depending how shady the seller is it might not have much of a result but at least you may be able to get them banned for selling illegal merchandise.

I definitely plan to contact them. Not sure if I'd be able to get a refund because I had already taken off the plastic seal and played the DVD before I noticed all the typos.

I don't mind showing you how to do that here. You'll need to be logged into the main site.

1. Go to the album page here: http://www.metal-archives.com/albums/Am ... God/205093

2. Click on the "+" button beneath the word "Amarth" at the top. This will allow you to add another version of an album.

3. A new page will pop up with information already filled out. This is a copy of the information for the original version of the album. Go ahead and make any changes necessary to match the bootleg/counterfeit version you have (ex. the incorrect titles of songs, the different identifiers). Make sure that the "Authenticity" field is set to "unofficial." If there's anything odd about the version (ex. it's on a CD-R/DVD-R, it has faded artwork, etc.) just add that to the "Additional notes" section.

4. Once you're done making changes, click "Save" at the bottom and you're done. Since it's a counterfeit I'll take a second look for you and make sure everything is right once you're done. Because you're the one with the counterfeit you're the expert on it, so try to be accurate.

Does that make sense? If you need help, feel free to contact me.

Okay I did it, and sent you a PM with some of the identifiers that I wasn't sure as to where to put them. Please let me know if you need any more info.

On a semi-related note, the Australian version of Twilight Of The Thunder God is an absolute shitter. It's in one of those 'digi-book' cases with cardboard disc-holders, and which is the same shape as a CD case but the opposite way around - vertically longer than it is wide - so the artwork is cropped at both sides. As if that wasn't bad enough, the start of the title track on the CD itself is missing the very beginning of the song. Yep, about 1 second or so is just not there, so the track starts halfway through the opening riff. Needless to say I returned it within half an hour of purchase and imported a proper one from the US...

Put the thing on Discogs too if it's not already there, you'll get brownie points if you do.
http://www.discogs.com/Amon-Amarth-Twilight-Of-The-Thunder-God/master/40482

Just receive Desaster A Touch Of Medieval Darkness (desribed as first press), but matrix is slightly differs from this one: http://www.discogs.com/Desaster-A-Touch ... se/1680857

Any opinions? Repress? Bootleg (unlikely, dont see any reason to make boots of this album)

Pictures:

matrix


cd/cover


Sorry for poor quality - phone camera

And the same questions about matrix of Incantation / Onwards to Goglotha 1996 Relapse reissue, is it OK?

matrix

looks like a 1999 repress, incantation looks ok too

Those are both fine.. Incantation is a typical Disc Manufacturers matrix, and I have that same repress of the Desaster that definitely came from Merciless about 10 years ago.

Anyone have a copy of Overkill - W.F.O. (catalog number 82630-2) that I can compare my matrix to? I just bought mine and it looks off.

I'd like to attach a picture, but even after scanning it, the matrix doesn't show. It's one of those matrices that's hidden unless you look at it the right way in the right lighting.

The matrix is(12089103) T80-UG-5 and in the center its 71ET A218 N326220346 A21

Thanks!

^ practice with angles and a strong light, I have my technique down, often an image is the only way to tell...

These are as good as I can get it.
Warning, the pictures are huge!



I can try to take better photos if these don't do a good job of telling you anything. I couldn't get the center ring at all, as its just clear letters just raised up a little.

If the pictures are too big, here are the links
http://i.imgur.com/Wj85kIC.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/EGvhlri.jpg

See at the bottom right of the image where it says "get embed codes" that's what you need to click on
Then you can do this

Oh, thank you very much! As tech-savvy as I am, things like this elude me. So any thoughts? I can't find anything similar anywhere online.

http://www.discogs.com/Overkill-WFO/release/3173804

This is the one it should be.

So that's it, no SID codes or mould stamps etc?
To me that matrix looks really odd, especially since they are on a huge label like Warner/Atlantic

Yeah, no SID and the mould is the thing on the center ring that I listed (71ET A218 N326220346 A21), but I couldn't get a photo of it.

I compared the matrix to other cds released by atlantic around that time period and it wasn't similar to anything.

Ok so how about coughing up some more info for us mate, where did it come from, how much did you pay, what was it advertised as, what else does the seller have for sale, how is their feedback, any comments about suspect looking items in there, what's the quality like, sharp edges, blurry text, rough or smooth?

Unbelievably this has been bootlegged, it's not at all hard to find and it's cheap as, so yeah =x

If I had to guess I'd say it's just a bootleg/counterfeit, no way is that a standard looking matrix, without looking any further I'd be asking for a refund and returning it.

How does it sound by the way?

After doing some research, this matrix is a common CD-R matrix, but sometimes used by labels to release promos...

It sounds fairly good though!

http://www.musik-sammler.de/media/769807

For example ^

I think I'll return this. It was sold to me by my local record shope which I've never had problems with.

Can you add the thing to Discogs mate? I know you have a scanner
The reflections all look very green = dye = CD-r =[

My scanner doesn't capture the matrix or the mould on the back though... I'll scan the front and back cover though.

That's fine, you can add those photos, nobody is really expecting to see a matrix for a CD-r

Done and done! And already returned haha

Good work http://www.discogs.com/Overkill-WFO/release/6825513

So I finally found a website which lists the cd with the same matrix as the one I have. http://heavymetalcd.com/Top_Rare_Metal_CDs.html

Also 'kreator72' on ebay appears to maybe have one listed with the same matrix, you can't make out the end of it though, but it is missing an inner code like mine. However his disk has a thin black ring around the matrix as well as a thicker black ring around the outside.

So I'm not sure if his version or my version is legit (or both, or neither!?)... I would like to add mine to discogs but don't know if it should be a separate release or just a variant of http://www.discogs.com/Nuclear-Assault- ... ase/895426 or what.

I am confused!

my older MPO cds from the 80s doesn't look like this, but your cd can be a later version from the 90s, I don't know.
a example of a MPO cd from 1994
http://www.discogs.com/Burzum-Hvis-Lyse ... ase/367480

As far as I can tell the matrix font and spacing seems to match exactly to other under one flag releases from 1988. Here's a cd with almost an identical matrix:

http://www.discogs.com/Holy-Terror-Mind ... se/2047115

However this one and others around it all have the black rings I mentioned earlier which is the main reason why I question it.

I would second Recordcollectors thought. There are plenty of MPO pressings from the 90s without that inner ring. I'm 99% sure that it's legit, because otherwise the matrix looks totally identical.

I just got a copy of Mayhem - De mysteriis Dom Sathanas and it completely matches this version http://www.discogs.com/Mayhem-De-Myster ... ase/367759

EXCEPT on the back cover it doesn't say distributed by ROD, just says distributed by.

Is this a very small detail that doesnt matter, or am I onto to something?

That's RED = Relativity Entertainment Distribution
I have that version too but my rear cover is entirely missing...

Weird. Could it just be a reissue? I also feel like the SID codes means it came out later.

Century Media vs Century Black
US vs EUR
Reissue vs Repress

This release was a total nightmare to catalogue for me, I have these

http://www.discogs.com/Mayhem-De-Mysteriis-Dom-Sathanas/release/4429384
http://www.discogs.com/Mayhem-De-Mysteriis-Dom-Sathanas/release/367759
http://www.discogs.com/Mayhem-De-Mysteriis-Dom-Sathanas/release/2452817

I'll just go with reissue. It looks to nice to be an original, but to legitimate to be a bootleg

Your matrix matches this?
No SID codes on mine by the way