The Vanguard (3) – Black Messiah

Great album but sadly not an analogue pressing; digital files pressed onto vinyl (confirmed on IG live by Russell Elevado and Ben Kane, album engineers). So loses a few stars.

Great album but sadly not an analogue pressing; digital files pressed onto vinyl (confirmed on IG live by Russell Elevado and Ben Kane, album engineers). So loses a few stars.

Nothing to complain about, clear, dynamic and bassy! Sound beutiful and true to the source, recommended! A little surface noise between songs though but it doesn't affect play at all

The second disc side D sounds a little rough, it sound more like a vinyl issue than static has anyone had this issue? Ive cleaned it and i'm still getting the same issue the other sides are fine i'm miffed

Not good release, sounds flat most of the time, soul/funk and lack of dynamics don't go together

Faultless. I'm blown away by the pressing and mastering. And almost 9 years later, I'm also still blown away by the album itself.

Sounds pretty good to me after turning up the gain a bit. Super detailed and dynamic, wonder if it could be improved even further with the 180g treatment. Has anyone compared the EU and US presses?

I love the album from a musical standpoint and I respect it from a production standpoint. The positive is- the vinyl LP sounds A LOT better than the CD. The whole record sounds great with the exception of “1000 Deaths”, which still falls a bit flat due to the excessive saturation. Before someone roasts me, please know that I listened to this record in the mix room of my studio as well as in my friend’s mastering studio. I know that’s the sound they are going for and, as an artist who is also a producer and engineer who records analog to tape and mixes analog on a console, I can respect the amount of work and effort that went into this but I would prefer a little less of the “analog” sound for a dab bit more clarity and detail. “1000 Deaths” is the real culprit of this. I’m aware that D wanted the vocals buried but the track itself is very heavy on the analog saturation and I’m also aware that was the sound they were going for. With that said, this record is a definite improvement over the digital and CD version and the LP pressing is flat and virtually silent. No pops or clicks and pretty much no surface noise. Inner-groove distortion is pretty nonexistent. This is one of the better modern LPs I have. I say without hesitation, buy this record.

My C/D vinyl came with its labels swapped (the side labelled C is actually D and viceversa). A superb edition aside from this.

2022 and this is still a vital recording.This pressing is great . rich detailing, and thumping bass, overall it’s a project that reveals more and more of itself with repeated listens. I believe Black Messiah needs to be judged on its own merits as it’s different than Voodoo, which was different from Brown Sugar. This is a band record and the musicality is impressive even with its density. Memorable hooks emerge throughout from deep within the grooves and before you know they are insinuated into your consciousness. I enjoyed it from start to finish from day one and I continue to be enthralled by what’s here. This comes alive on vinyl.