Collector Corner: Earache Digipacks
Earache, legendary label, responsible for Bolt Thrower, Napalm Death, Entombed, Morbid Angel, Vader, Decapitated, Brutal Truth, Godflesh, Cathedral, Carcass, The Berzerker. At some point they had some really cool CD + DVD packs, which I wholeheartedly recommend to search, as quite cheaply one could have some truly cult material. And it was released during the hard time for CDs, early XXI century. Unfortunately, it's all in the past, as the label fell so low, I can't even begin to comprehend.
20 years later and CD start to sell again. At this point, Earache releases mostly bands playing Blues Rock. Their catalog remains unused, one can forget about re-releases of Spazztic Blurr, O.L.D., Lawnmower Deth, or Scorn. Then comes the pandemic and people start sitting at home, and return back to their childhood / teenage years. Perfect opportunity to remind about yourself, right?
Boss of Earache has a "genius" idea - to push some more or less popular albums in form of digipacks. That's the first red flag, as digipacks have mixed reputation. The real issue starts with the fact, that these digipacks have no booklets, no lirycs, no info, no photos, no design. It's released so poorly, while at the same time, are pretty expensive. Interesting option: to release with the minimum effort and cashing maximum profits. In exchange the idea is that they have an audiophile-tier remaster.
For an example, let's take Carcass - Reek of Putrefaction. Sure, I listen to Metal for over 20 years, but only since 10 I could finally afford to have a collection. As such, many gems got me by. Like Carcass, with which I had no problem getting the rest of their discography, but their first two are kinda difficult, due to the infamous censorship of the art.
Seeing a remaster, I bought it blindly. What I got was a thin digipack, and like mentioned before, no content. To say that I was disappointed was to say nothing. The label explained it with the OG art being too controversial to be released otherwise. Yeah right, it doesn't explain that literally every other digi-release by Earache follows the same format. But okay, does this version at least sounds better than before. The "Full Dynamic Range"? Bullshit. After some time I managed to buy a mind debut (2003 version) and compared the two. They sounded identically. So the "remaster" bullshit can be treated like a fairy tale.
I do recommend reading comments to the MMXX edition: Link
But much worse was the matter with Morbid Angel - Altars of Madness, as the cover art was changed for some cheap knock-off. Already once in the past, Earache had to change the cover, as they lost the rights to use it. I'm talking about Bolt Thrower - Realm of Madness, where the OG version was by Warhammer 40K, which wanted a lot of money to extend the license. The boss of Earache decided that instead of paying royalties, let's make a new one. And I wonder if such was the case with the famous debut of Morbids.
Maybe the only exception, when it's worth to buy Earache's digipack is "Juvenilia", also by Morbid Angel, which features their famous gig in UK from 1989, which was also added in the past as a bonus to numerous re-releases of Altars. Nonetheless, if someone doesn't have it, it is worth to get it, even if like with the rest of digipacks, it's poorly released.
Anyway, avoid these editions like fire, and unfortunately, you have to rely on Amazon-like websites to get the real deal. Below, the complete list (as of 2026) of the crappy re-editions Made in Earache (so, all the digipacks released after 2018):
| Akercocke | Antichrist |
| Akercocke | Words That Go Unspoken, Deeds That Go Undone |
| At the Gates | Slaughter of the Soul |
| Bolt Thrower | Live War |
| Bolt Thrower | Realm of Chaos |
| Bolt Thrower | The IVth Crusade |
| Bolt Thrower | War Master |
| Bolt Thrower | Who Dares Wins |
| Brutal Truth | Extreme Conditions Demand Extreme Responses |
| Brutal Truth | Need to Control |
| Carcass | Heartwork MMXX |
| Carcass | Necroticism - Descanting the Insalubrious MMXX |
| Carcass | Reek of Putrefaction MMXX |
| Carcass | Swansong MMXX |
| Carcass | Symphonies of Sickness MMXX |
| Carnage | Dark Recollections |
| Cathedral | Caravan Beyond Redemption |
| Cathedral | Endtyme |
| Cathedral | Forest of Equilibrium |
| Cathedral | Supernatural Birth Machine |
| Cauldron | Chained to the Nite |
| Confessor | Condemned |
| Deicide | Scars of the Crucifix |
| Deicide | The Stench of Redemption |
| Entombed | Clandestine |
| Entombed | Left Hand Path |
| Entombed | Wolverine Blues |
| Godflesh | Godflesh |
| Hate Eternal | Conquering The Throne |
| Massacre | From Beyond |
| Morbid Angel | Abominations of Desolation |
| Morbid Angel | Altars of Madness |
| Morbid Angel | Blessed Are the Sick |
| Morbid Angel | Covenant |
| Morbid Angel | Domination |
| Morbid Angel | Formulas Fatal to the Flesh |
| Morbid Angel | Gateways to Annihilation |
| Morbid Angel | Heretic |
| Morbid Angel | Juvenilia |
| Municipal Waste | The Art of Partying |
| Napalm Death | Death by Manipulation |
| Napalm Death | Diatribes |
| Napalm Death | Fear, Emptiness, Despair |
| Napalm Death | From Enslavement to Obliteration |
| Napalm Death | Inside the Torn Apart |
| Napalm Death | Noise for Music's Sake |
| Napalm Death | Scum |
| Napalm Death | Utopia Banished |
| Napalm Death | Words from the Exit Wound |
| O.L.D. | Old Lady Drivers |
| Sleep | Sleep's Holy Mountain |
| Terrorizer | World Downfall |
| The Berzerker | Dissimulate |
| The Chasm | The Spell of Retribution |
| The Haunted | Made Me Do It |
| Vektor | Black Future |
| Wormrot | Abuse |
| Wormrot | Dirge |
| Wormrot | Hiss |
| Wormrot | Left to Rot |
| Wormrot | TNT |
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