I first got this album on CD when it came out in 1997, courtesy of Victory Records and Bull Moose Music in Lewiston, ME. I must have listened to it a million times; Integrity was then and still is very much one of my favorite bands ever.
Recently, it was remixed - almost needless to say, in '97, the powers that be at Victory Records didn't produce the record very well - and while I loved it at the time, I'm sure the band didn't - so this was perhaps another attempt at issuing a sound they wished they had. Or perhaps it's just a money grab... I think Integrity has remastered most of their early records at least once - but even if it is a money grab, Victory was notorious for stiffing their label roster, so they deserve to get something 26 years later.
This version is remastered by Arthur Rizk of War Hungry / Sumerlands / Eternal Champion fame - the result is a much more dynamic, layered sound. In fact, you can hear much more in the mix, which makes it sound like a re-recording at times - guitar sounds, vocal inflections, details that my 1997 sony discman and crappy headphones could never have picked up on that original version. The snare doesn't sound as tight and Snapcase-y anymore, it's got more oomph and reverb. It includes Divinity In Exile, which I can tell you with certainty was not on the CD I had. Maybe it was an LP exclusive? I'm pretty sure the arrangement is different than the CD too - songs are in a different order. The artwork is also reworked, a lot more evil looking than before - with a barely visible integrity skull in glossy on the front, and track listing on the back. This copy is on a grey smoky vinyl.
Musically, Integrity is straight up metalcore at this point; paving the way for millions of terrible bands to follow. The Motörhead influence is only vaguely there under the surface, and Japanese worship of GISM and Zouo are all but gone. Whatever, this record is still a classic to me, if not just for nostalgia. At the time, though, I imagine it was hard to follow up their impressive run of Those Who Fear Tomorrow, Systems Overload and Humanity Is The Devil, and this record definitely is lower in profile than some of their others as a result. I think this may be the last record with the Melnick brothers and Frank Novinec.
Overall I like this record but habit and nostalgia mean I like the original version more.