Review Summary: A little spit polish.
3 of 3 thought this review was well writtenIt has been 4 years since the release of "Uroboros" in its original entity. As pretentious as the concept maybe, the band consider this album to be their finest work to date but felt that the final product of the 2008 version needed some tweaking to reach the bands complete satisfaction.
Being a fan of these guy's since the release of Uroboros, I can say that this album is not only my favourite album by the band to date but is also one of my favourite albums of all time. But I do have a problem with these types of releases though: I instantly think it's a money making ploy to make a quick buck out of you. Luckily the quick answer to my usual thoughts is it doesn't waste your time and there are enough additions and tweaks to justify buying this version -or at the very least giving it another listen to see what the changes are.
The most noticable thing about this version is the production of the album; 2008's Uroboros had a very muddy sound and not everything was in earshot. When you listen to the R&E version from the moment Vinushka kicks in you realize that everything this time round is absolutely crystal clear: the drums in particular are really crisp and vibrant, but every instrument is balanced really well and listening to it -headphones or not - you can really hear everything that is being played.
Sound aside, there is also a couple of added tracks to the album:
"Sa Bir": their opening track, has been expanded by an extra 1:52 and I thought the added time and extra sounds given in this track gave an even bigger atmosphere than its former and I felt it worked really well for when VINUSHKA kicks in.
"Hydra-666": a remake or "reimagining" of what was originally on their "Macebre" album, the song has the modern day Diru sound, very heavy. I really like this track, but if I was to give it a little criticism it'd be that it sounds more Dum Spero Diru than Uroboros, and it stands out a little from the rest of the album.
"BUGABOO RESPIRA": A very intimate, claustrophobic track that has just Kyo singing. This is my least favourite addition, but it does line up Bugaboo really well.
Personally, I think this fine tweaking has only made the album that much better. With the decision to use the Japanese versions of "Glass Skin" and "Dozing Green" aswell, it just makes the album flow that much better (a flaw I found with the original album was the English ver. of them two songs didn't fit at all).
I fully recommend downloading this version of the album. If you are anal and like your albums of superb production quality you won't be disappointed here. If you want to buy it in physical form I'd suggest you think about how much you love the album and its changes and whether the price is justifyed. It's a very expensive purchase.
All in all though, I think the band achieved what they set out to do. And it goes to show the little things really do make a difference.
