FORBIDDEN – FORBIDDEN EVIL VINYL REVIEW
Buying modern vinyl is a gamble. As overbooked pressing plants struggle to meet demand, quality control suffers. Receiving a flat, noise-free record feels like a stroke of good fortune. So, it was with a sense of trepidation that I ordered the reissue of Forbidden’s classic, Forbidden Evil.
Visually, the infamous album art was stunning. It was obvious that Century Media cared about their product. Forbidden Evil will always be among the greatest thrash albums in my mind and I was thrilled to upgrade my old cassette tape.
Breaking the shrinkwrap brought all my quality control fears into visceral reality. Upon removing the record from its inner sleeve, I noticed a sticky blob of unknown origin on the vinyl surface. The sleeve had been sticking to the record and presumably this was a big splatter of GLUE spread across two tracks.
Instantly, my elation turned to profound disappointment. Glue on the playing surface was a first. The issue transcended the minor annoyance of watching the stylus track through a minor warp. Would this mystery sticky substance damage the record grooves? Get stuck in my needle? Would it transfer to other records? I feared playing my new record.
Desperate to hear the vintage thrash of my youth, I opted to run the record through my trusty Spin Clean wash system. Most of the glue was removed but the affected area was still visible. Foolishly, I gave the record a spin, only to hear a swooshing noise every time the needle passed over the defiled spot. Was I getting glue in my stylus? I realized I could never play the record without that nagging thought, so I set up a return with Amazon.
Forbidden Evil is a limited reissue. I was fortunate enough to score a replacement before the final copies found other homes. Again, quality control issues plagued my experience. Despite seemingly being well packed for shipping, my replacement had several bends in an otherwise pristine cover. In the end, what mattered was MUSIC, and THIS record had a clean playing surface.
Craig Locicero had boasted that these reissues were remastered specifically for vinyl. Granted, I don’t have an original pressing, but I can’t imagine anyone finding fault with the sound quality. As someone that initially explored this album on a $15 off-brand Walkman, it’s incredibly satisfying to hear vinyl playback on a decent turntable.
As noted above, the artwork is vibrantly reproduced and does absolute justice to a timeless album cover. Equal attention has been lavished upon the inner sleeve (glue incidents aside). The front of the sleeve offers recollections from Craig Locicero. Below these quotes, are band photos taken from the Raw Evil-Live at the Dynamo EP.
Flip over the inner sleeve and you’re greeted with vintage photographs of the band along with an assortment of old gig flyers. Additionally, an article from the Twisted Into Form era is reprinted.
Collectively, the inner sleeve offers a nice visual history of Forbidden. Century Media printed lyrics on the inner sleeve to Twisted Into Form. I found myself wishing they had done the same with Forbidden Evil. Still, it’s hard to find fault with the tasteful collage of vintage photos that recreate the vibe of the late 80’s thrash scene.
Labels are also nicely done. Instead of reprinting the album cover or going with generic boredom, Century Media opted to recreate the old school Combat labels. Doing so gives the listener a sense that he or she is holding a piece of metal history.
After doing a bit of digging, it appears that Century Media uses a pressing plant with known quality control issues. Given the great attention to detail for every other aspect of this reissue, this revelation is absolutely maddening. In the end, I’m happy with my Forbidden Evil record. Still, unless it’s a record that I MUST have in my collection, it’s doubtful that I’ll purchase future reissues from Century Media.
