Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives

Message board

* FAQ    * Register   * Login 



Reply to topic
Author Message Previous topic | Next topic
Miikja
Metal newbie

Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2006 5:36 pm
Posts: 372
PostPosted: Tue Jan 23, 2024 5:08 pm 
 

Hey all, in this topic I'd like to hear opinions on this packaging option for CD's. If you're unsure what I'm talking about, this is what digibooks look like:

Image

Usually marketed as a 'deluxe' version of an album (current or reissue), the digibook typically offers additional artwork and photography, liner notes or a second disc with bonus tracks. It's a good option to take when a band wants to share the stories behind the music, something that wouldn't normally fit on the pages of a regular CD booklet. This type of packaging is also a lot sturdier than jewel case or digipak, which for me makes it preferable to those regular editions. The ones I have in my collection are very good looking products, and it's easy to see that a lot of care went into design and lay-out. Even better when the artist is directly involved in a reissue and adds personal touches. For example their experiences during the making of the album.

I suppose they're rather expensive to produce, which would explain why only select titles get this kind of 'deluxe' edition, but I do wish more albums were released this way, as they're much better to look at than digipaks, let alone jewel cases. Especially if the plastic trays are foregone in favour of paper sleeves. As a rule basically, I say paper beats plastic. It's just a far nicer material.

What do you guys think, any pros and cons? Do you have a digibook album that is a particular highlight in your collection?
_________________
Akelei - atmospheric doom
akelei.org

Top
 Profile  
Lane
Metalhead

Joined: Sat Nov 09, 2002 11:54 am
Posts: 1088
Location: Finland
PostPosted: Wed Jan 24, 2024 2:06 am 
 

I like them because they look so cool, plus the extra material they often have. I usually pick one instead of regular version if possible. Same goes with some artists' artbook (12" sized) CD editions. I got many Ayreon and other Lucassen's albums as artbook, and boy do they look lovely!

But if they have pockets for discs, they often get scratched. If they get water damage, you want to cry. I got the bigger mediabook version of Paradise Lost's 'Faith Divides Us - Death Unites Us' from abroad and package was wet when I fetched it from post office. I managed to dry it pretty well, but water left some visible damage on book and slipcase. Like a miracle, I found an shrinkwrapped version some time later for 15€!
_________________
"We don't play for you, we play for us." - Lemmy Kilmister

Top
 Profile  
tobi is an animal
Metal newbie

Joined: Tue Mar 20, 2018 1:29 pm
Posts: 143
PostPosted: Wed Jan 24, 2024 1:47 pm 
 

I love digibooks/earbooks, wish every album had at least a digibook option. I can't think of any cons myself as I've never had any issues with them.
I have the earbooks of the last 4 Avantasia albums.
I have the digibooks for the last 6 Avantasia albums, a few of the Edguy albums and the latest Battle Beast album was also digibook.

Top
 Profile  
Miikja
Metal newbie

Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2006 5:36 pm
Posts: 372
PostPosted: Thu Jan 25, 2024 1:47 pm 
 

Lane, yes some solutions for holding the disc in place are better than others. Nothing better than heavy paper sleeves, if you ask me.

One of my picks: Century Media rereleased Nighttime Birds by The Gathering as a digibook in 2007. It's a 2-disc version including radio edits, live recordings and demo versions of album tracks. The cover artwork had a touch-up, which makes this book stand out, it's quite lovely.

Image
Left: 1997 original, right: 2007 digibook

The pages inside* feature winter landscape photography that goes with the theme of the front cover. Some of the pages are transparent paper with either artwork or lyrics on them. It's really nice and while I'm sure it's probably not unique, I haven't seen this in any other CD booklets. It goes to show that someone at the label had good ideas about where to go with the art direction and made it work. This has become my favourite edition of the album. The band even had it on stock in their own webshop though it's sold out. If this gets remade at some point, I'd love for it to have paper sleeves for the discs instead of plastic trays. That would open up room for additional pages.

*You can have a look here: https://www.discogs.com/release/1207611 ... c0ODg5NzQ=
_________________
Akelei - atmospheric doom
akelei.org

Top
 Profile  
Gravetemplar
Metal freak

Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2019 10:08 am
Posts: 4651
Location: Antarctica
PostPosted: Sat Jan 27, 2024 11:28 am 
 

I love them. Regular jewel cases feel cheap. A mass production object. Some of these formats just feel closer to the listener somehow. Like actual work went into it. They're also softer on the touch and the artwork is better.

I love this one for example:

Image

Miikja wrote:
Nothing better than heavy paper sleeves, if you ask me.

Agreed. I love CD digisleeve editions that are vinyl miniatures with heavy sleeves. The Daymare Prod editions of Sunn O))) albums are amazing.

Image

Top
 Profile  
DecemberSoul
Mirties Metafora

Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2010 9:46 am
Posts: 1399
Location: Switzerland
PostPosted: Sun Feb 04, 2024 11:20 am 
 

I must say I've grown peculiarly fond of The Devil's Elixir's hardcover releases - many of them look and feel astonishing. Furthermore, that label often shows terrific taste in their choice of reissues, many minor and not-so-minor legends are unearthed once more by the people behind TDE.

In general, mediabooks are THE superior alternative to the majority of those flimsy and shabby digipaks.
_________________
______In Marble Halls Of Falling Snow______

Top
 Profile  
CelestialEmissary
Metal newbie

Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2023 8:19 pm
Posts: 51
PostPosted: Sun Feb 04, 2024 12:09 pm 
 

I do like these! The Kreator reissues from Noise records had these, Behemoth's the Satanist, as well as the Celtic Frost reissues. Cirith Ungol's 40th anniversary edition of Frost and Fire is great too, but the trays were so tight I thought the CDs were gonna snap. I'm sure I've got more kicking around but those spring to mind immediately. I agree with what was stated above, that when these just have a "pocket" for the cd, it scratches them a ton. I hate that. Jewel cases are typically my go-to, but these are good when they keep the CD spindle or put the cd in a sleeve like a record. The King Diamond/Mercyful Fate reissues made the packaging look like a record, but unfortunately there's no sleeve. The CDs also have grooving on the top and look like records, and the bottom of the CD is black. Very neat.
_________________
https://chsrfm.ca/blog/cat/current-show ... corruption
Check out my radio show "Harmony Corruption" on CHSR-FM! New episodes every Tuesday.
Most recent interviews: Ihsahn (Emperor), Necrophobic, Nocturnus AD, Voivod, Tomb Mold and Horrendous.

Top
 Profile  
Zephirus
Metalhead

Joined: Wed Aug 03, 2005 1:37 pm
Posts: 574
Location: United Kingdom
PostPosted: Sat Feb 10, 2024 3:00 pm 
 

Miikja wrote:
Hey all, in this topic I'd like to hear opinions on this packaging option for CD's. If you're unsure what I'm talking about, this is what digibooks look like:

Image

This type of packaging is also a lot sturdier than jewel case or digipak, which for me makes it preferable to those regular editions.



i think they are very nice to look at and have the benefits that have already been mentioned, but i'd disagree they are studier than jewel cases. i would never want to drop a digibook, or spill something on it etc
they are easily damaged and cannot be replaced unlike a jewel case

Top
 Profile  
Miikja
Metal newbie

Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2006 5:36 pm
Posts: 372
PostPosted: Sun Feb 11, 2024 12:35 pm 
 

Well, that's certainly true, the jewel case works like a protective shell. I admit that the possibility of replacing a damaged case is a big benefit. However, I think the chance of damaging a digibook by dropping it is not higher per se. A jewel case will pretty much crack when landing on any type of hard surface, with the added chance that the CD inside gets a scratch. Since paper is a softer material, it absorbs more of the shock and protects the disc inside. Provided we're talking about versions with disc sleeves of course. The book itself won't likely be in mint condition anymore but still better looking than a jewel case.
_________________
Akelei - atmospheric doom
akelei.org

Top
 Profile  
Planetary_Misfortune
Metal newbie

Joined: Wed Apr 21, 2021 11:18 am
Posts: 189
Location: United Kingdom
PostPosted: Tue Feb 13, 2024 8:20 am 
 

I'm quite funny about CD packaging. My absolute favourites from an aesthetic level are Mediabooks and Digibooks, followed by Super Jewel Cases. Digipaks and regular Jewel Cases are all right. I get really annoyed about Digisleeves as the CD is about as secure as an open safe.

What really irks me is when the CD comes in a media/digibook with taller dimensions than a regular cd case. I use IKEA's legendary Kallax units (Picture of collection below), so when something is taller than the rest i have to put it at the beginning or end of the display, which ruins the alphabetization of my collection, or indeed the ability to actually stack the CDs in a nice, neat way. The worst offenders for this are the label that put out the recent Tankard 2xCD reissues. Fuckers.
Image
_________________
ladyforsatan wrote:
As a Norwegian witch, I know what I'm talking about.

Top
 Profile  
Nocturnal_Evil
Metalhead

Joined: Mon Apr 19, 2021 12:00 am
Posts: 668
Location: United States
PostPosted: Sat Mar 02, 2024 10:51 am 
 

These can be fun. When they're well made, like the Kreator and Falkenbach reissues, they add extra value to already great albums. When they're cheaply done (this goes more for regular digi-packs, not books), I try and steer away from them if possible.

Given their delicate packaging relative to jewel cases, I'd never store the two in the same place. You gotta have a separate shelf for them, and ideally even keep the plastic packaging they usually come in.
_________________
Metal_On_The_Ascendant wrote:
YEEEEP DIS DAT FAKE BATUSHKA

Top
 Profile  
Lane
Metalhead

Joined: Sat Nov 09, 2002 11:54 am
Posts: 1088
Location: Finland
PostPosted: Thu Mar 07, 2024 3:42 am 
 

CelestialEmissary wrote:
Cirith Ungol's 40th anniversary edition of Frost and Fire is great too, but the trays were so tight I thought the CDs were gonna snap.

I have the special edition (digipak) of Bolt Thrower's 'Honour, Valour, Pride' album, and the CD is fractured and does not play the special bonus song 'Covert Ascension'! I remember trying to get the disc out nicely, but no, it did snap... Gladly the song appears on reissue vinyl editions.

Edit: I got my new Bruce Dickinson album as a comic book edition. Another cardboard pocket for CD... I took the disc out as carefully as I could, without ripping the pocket: Small scratches on the disc already... I hate these fucken things!
_________________
"We don't play for you, we play for us." - Lemmy Kilmister

Top
 Profile  
Miikja
Metal newbie

Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2006 5:36 pm
Posts: 372
PostPosted: Sat Mar 09, 2024 3:33 am 
 

I watched a few unboxing videos for the Dickinson 'bookpack' (as they call it) and while the CD storage does seem like a snug fit, I don't see how it could damage the CD. You could argue in favour of this design that at least the disc wouldn't fall out if you were to hold the book upside down.
_________________
Akelei - atmospheric doom
akelei.org

Top
 Profile  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Reply to topic


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot], Wilytank and 20 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

 
Jump to:  

Back to the Encyclopaedia Metallum


Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group