Dead Can Dance – Within The Realm Of A Dying Sun

I only have this reissue so I can’t compare to any originals but the matte reverse-board jacket and printing looks gorgeous and fits the tone of the album perfectly- the grey inner sleeve while being of rougher stock (fair warning) also looks and feels very cool in-hand, despite leaving dust and scuffs on the disc itself upon removal. The disc itself had a few scuffs and light scratches on both sides (chalking it up to the rougher inner sleeve and GZ quality control), some were mildly audible through both headphones and my loudspeakers at higher volumes. Intermittent light surface noise throughout both sides, more noticeable on the less lush/more sparse tracks and especially on the beginning of the A and B sides, but subsides a bit as each side progresses, however not too distracting. The audio quality itself is stellar, really deep, punchy bass, excellent expansive layered soundstage and overall a very crisp and rich sound. Through both my headphones and loudspeakers it’s a fully immersive experience. It’s just a shame that this reissue suffers a bit from the less than optimal GZ treatment.