Thanks for that. And does this mean that the Darkness Descends I'm expecting any day now is likely to leave me wanting?

Not necessarily, depends if you've got something to compare it to. The original production is crap, so that is one I wouldn't be too worried about.

I've had a downloaded copy for some years. The crappy production you referred to is what made me go for the remastered version.

Do you have any opinion on the Artillery remasters?

Does anyone have any other thoughts on the Black Sabbath Castle remasters vs the Sanctuary/Universal remasters?

Looks like the new ones have much more to offer in terms of packaging and bonus material (on the deluxe albums), but I'm interested if anyone has compared the sound quality.

I currently have the original WB and/or Creative Sound versions of the first six albums. The Creative Sound versions are a bare-bones as you can get, and to me the sound is thin. I have hear that the Sanctuary/Universal re-issues actually use the same masterings as the Castle versions, but are a bit louder. I'm not sure if this is true.

The Human reissue by Death

I've put off expanding my Black Sabbath collection simply because there are so many different versions around and i want to know which sound good or not. Too much choice is sometimes a bad bad thing.

Haven't gotten any of the Deluxe Edition Sabbath, much less heard them. But, the 1996 Castle remasters "From the Original Master Tapes" are the best sounding over the common Warner versions or the horribly inferior, cheaply priced NEMS records CD's which should ALL be burned so that new fans aren't buying them, AVOID THESE!!

I feel the same way. There have been multiple boxed sets (Black Box, Ozzy Years, etc and CD vinyl replicas, digipaks, etc. I've narrowed it down to either the '96 Castle remasters, or the new ones from Sanctuary. My main reason is that the debut has the songs individually indexed. Having multiple songs on the same track was always annoying to me, especially if I wanted to go strait to N.I.B. The other reason is that the debut on both versions includes Evil Woman and Wicked World, one of which is typically missing in many re-releases. The Castle remasters are cheaper now, which is a big plus considering I'm basically hoping to get all of the Ozzy and Dio material, and maybe the rest of them down the road. However, the Sanctuary versions have amazing packaging. Several of the Sanctuary one are "Deluxe" releases that have a second disc full of bonus material. Paranoid actually has two bonus discs. Unfortunately, Vol4, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and Sabotage have no extra tracks. The bad thing is that they have not been releases in the US, so I have to buy imports. Amazon has decent prices, but after a dozen or so CD's, it's going to add up.

However, the most important thing to me is sound. I have heard that the Sanctuary versions are the best, but again I have also heard that they are (or maybe based off) the 1996 remasters. Anyone who has some input here would be greatly appreciated.

Definitely. You can HEAR the bass, the guitars are still in a good level, the drums are fuller/less clicky.

Not really metal but you should check out the 10th anniversary remix/remaster of Nine Inch Nails Pretty Hate Machine. It's breathtaking.

The Downward Spiral's 5.1 remastered version is spectacular, too!

So Far...
So Good...
So what?


its maybe the worst remastered version ever,just innecesary awful mixing and re-recordings

Damn right. That remaster version is a lesson on how to fuck up a recording...

Remasters are in most cases a joke, espeically vinyl re-releases. Instead of mastering the sources specially for vinyl like it was done two decades ago for every vinyl-record, now the masters are taken as WAV-files from the CD, loudness-war-compressors over the frequency spectrum and then press is on LP (or CD) again.

No restoration done (see Mortal Sin's debut which was bonus CD of their latest CD), no drop-outs in the channels cured, just bad in all terms. No money invested, just a quick job for a repress.

German reader can have a look here on this "Bathory master thesis": what a joke all Bathory remasters are, starting since the 1990 remasters. Especially the 2003 ones are useless and N.O.T.H.I.N.G. compared to the original pressings.
http://www.musik-sammler.de/forum/viewt ... pid=631481


Same guy made an analysis also for Mortal Sin:
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Some words about the 2007 remaster (also included on the limied double CD set of "Psychology Of Death"):
Besides my original MEGA METAL and VERTIGO pressings, I decided to buy the new album as double CD set, so I have the debut for my car stereo.
I listened carefully to the remaster and I noticed a lot of sound flaws and mistakes in the master...!!! Did anybody listen to the 2007 remaster, also released with some live tracks some years ago ??? There are some small drop-outs in the sound and there is no track included without any fault...very sad and a shame !!! What do you think ???
In the end I ripped my original MEGA METAL vinyl to computer - and there are no mistakes !!! So it could be a damaged master tape or a lousy and hurry remastering job from a bad source tape, used for the 2008 CD and the "Psychology Of Death" bonus (it is the same master on both versions !!!)...who knows...???
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Can someone tell me how the first two Gorguts remasters sound compared to the originals? I'd love to have the originals, but they fetch more than I really want to pay right now.

Have no idea since I haven't heard the originals, but I do own the Metal Mind remasters and you can't go wrong with them. I personally think they're awesome and avoid the typical sound compression.

Conversely, the remaster of Rust In Peace is easily the worst album I have ever purchased.