The Beginning of Times

CD releases

Nuclear Blast, NB 2674-0 / 27361 26740, digibook

- barcode, as printed: 7 27361 26740 7

- matrix: CAP01583 NB2674-0CDR1 01 OMM Technicolor

- SID codes: IFPI LR79, IFPI UGAB

- glass mastered and pressed by Technicolor probably in Poland

- 13 songs (Heart's Song as bonus track)

- digibook with merchant ad, the booklet is glued on to the digibook, originally released as sealed with sticker on shrinkwrap

Vinyl releases

Nuclear Blast, NB 2674-1 / 27361 26741, two 180g grey/beige vinyl, limited to 250 numbered copies

- BARCODE, as printed on the back cover: 7 27361 76741 4

- BARCODE, as printed on the barcode sticker: 727361767490

- RUNOUTS: side A, full runouts: BB36330-01 A1 MK NB 2674-1

side B, full runouts: BB36330-01 B1 MK NB 2674-1

side C, full runouts: BB36330-02 C1 MK NB 2674-1

side D, full runouts: BB36330-02 D1 MK NB 2674-1

side A, etched: NB 2674-1

side B, etched: NB 2674-1

side C, etched: NB 2674-1

side D, etched: NB 2674-1

side A, stamped: BB36330-01 A1 MK

side B, stamped: BB36330-01 B1 MK

side C, stamped: BB36330-02 C1 MK

side D, stamped: BB36330-02 D1 MK

- NUMBER OF SONGS: 13 (3/3+4/3)

- VINYL: cut by MK and pressed by OM in 2011 based on the runouts

- CENTER LABELS: picture labels without tracklist

- COVER: gatefold cover,

- INNERSLEEVES: black polylined paper innersleeves, die-cut to show the center labels (the original innersleeves)

- RELEASED: Released on 27th of May 2011.

- OTHER: Originally released sealed with two stickers on shrinkwrap (numbered infosticker on the front and barcode sticker on the back).

Sold exclusively at the Nuclear Blast webshop.

The cover is identical to the dark blue vinyl edition.

- NOTE: Based on the opened copy I have these were pressed AFTER the dark blue edition since my opened copy has dark blue streaks on it.

Nuclear Blast, NB 2674-1 / 27361 26741, two 180g dark blue vinyl

- BARCODE, as printed on the back cover: 7 27361 76741 4

- BARCODE, as printed on the barcode sticker: 727361767414

- RUNOUTS: side A, full runouts: BB36330-01 A1 MK NB 2674-1

side B, full runouts: BB36330-01 B1 MK NB 2674-1

side C, full runouts: BB36330-02 C1 MK NB 2674-1

side D, full runouts: BB36330-02 D1 MK NB 2674-1

side A, etched: NB 2674-1

side B, etched: NB 2674-1

side C, etched: NB 2674-1

side D, etched: NB 2674-1

side A, stamped: BB36330-01 A1 MK

side B, stamped: BB36330-01 B1 MK

side C, stamped: BB36330-02 C1 MK

side D, stamped: BB36330-02 D1 MK

- NUMBER OF SONGS: 13 (3/3+4/3)

- VINYL: cut by MK and pressed by OM in 2011 based on the runouts

- CENTER LABELS: picture labels without tracklist

- COVER: gatefold cover,

- INNERSLEEVES: black printed polylined paper innersleeves, die-cut to show the center labels (the original innersleeves)

- RELEASED: Released on 25th of May in Finland and 27th of May 2011 in most of Europe.

- OTHER: Originally released sealed with barcode sticker on the back.

The cover is identical to the grey/beige vinyl edition.

- NOTE 1: This was probably one of the last "standard colour" OM made vinyl for NB that did not include poster or infosticker on the front on shrinkwrap,

the grey/beige edition already had numbered infosticker on the front and the different barcode sticker was used to ID these two editions from each other.

- NOTE 2: This is also probably one of the last excellent quality OM made vinyl, since around 2012-2013 the quality of OM made vinyl has dropped dramatically

(I've opened several copies of this blue LP and NONE of them contain ANY manufacturing errors).

- NOTE 3: This is of the older OM dark blue vinyl formula: the vinyl are barely transparent if looked against a VERY bright light and look VERY dark blue in normal lighting.

The newer OM dark vinyl formula is much more transparent but looks almost like black vinyl in normal lighting.

Back On Black, BOBV551LPLTD, two blue/white/black splatter vinyl, reissue

- BARCODE, as printed on the back cover: 803343197891

- BARCODE, as printed on the barcode sticker: 803343197891

- RUNOUTS: side A, full runouts, stamped: 181007E1/A

side B, full runouts, stamped: 181007E2/A

side C, full runouts, stamped: 181007E3/A

side D, full runouts, stamped: 181007E4/A

- NUMBER OF SONGS: 13 (3/3+4/3)

- VINYL: pressed by GZ

- CENTER LABELS: picture labels without tracklist

- COVER: matt-surfaced gatefold cover,

Back On Black. Avtech House, Hithercroft Road, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 9DA. UK backonblack.com

spine: BOBV551LPLTD

- INNERSLEEVES: black paper innersleeves, die-cut to show the center labels and all corners clipped (the original innersleeves)

- RELEASED: Reissue released on 28th of December 2018 (source: Nuclear Blast webshop when this was on preorder stage)

though also claimed to have been released on 21st of December 2018 (source: Napalm Records webshop)

and 15th of February 2019 (source: Finnish EMP webshop).

- OTHER: Originally released sealed with barcode sticker on the back on shrinkwrap.

Back On Black, BOBV551LP, two black vinyl, reissue, repress

- BARCODE, as printed on the back cover: 803343175622

- RUNOUTS: side A, full runouts, stamped: 181007E1/A

side B, full runouts, stamped: 181007E2/A

side C, full runouts, stamped: 181007E3/A

side D, full runouts, stamped: 181007E4/A

- NUMBER OF SONGS: 13 (3/3+4/3)

- VINYL: pressed by GZ

- CENTER LABELS: picture labels without tracklist

- COVER: matt-surfaced gatefold cover,

Back On Black. Avtech House, Hithercroft Road, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 9DA. UK backonblack.com

spine: BOBV551LP

- INNERSLEEVES: black paper innersleeves, die-cut to show the center labels and all corners clipped (the original innersleeves)

- RELEASED: Reissue released on 8th of May 2020 (source: Plastc Head webshop + Levykauppa X + Napalm Records webshop)

though also claimed to have been released on 15th of May 2020 (source: Finnish EMP webshop).

- OTHER: Originally released sealed without any stickers on shrinkwrap.

- NOTE 1: This is the first black vinyl release of this album since The Beginning of Times was originally released only on grey/beige and dark blue vinyl and

reissued about two years ago on splatter vinyl.

- NOTE 2: The cover is exact copy of the original vinyl release with the exception of lower spine and lower back cover, you can clearly see some grey was copied

over the Nuclear Blast logo and cat#.

Nuclear Blast, NB 5710-1 / 27361 57101, two blue vinyl, reissue

- BARCODE: none

- RUNOUTS: side A, full runouts, etched: NBT 5710-1. A¹

side B, full runouts, etched: NBT 5710-1. B¹

side C, full runouts, etched: NBT 5710-1. C¹

side D, full runouts, etched: NBT 5710-1. D¹

- NUMBER OF SONGS: 13 (3/3+4/3)

- VINYL: possibly pressed by The Vinyl Factory in the UK

- CENTER LABELS: picture labels without tracklist,

LC 86254, NB 5710-1-1 (record 1) / NB 5710-1-2 (record 2), GEMA

- COVER: matt-surfaced gatefold cover,

NB 5710-1 • LC 86254 • 33 RPM

spine: amorphis The Beginning of Times 27361 57101

- INNERSLEEVES: black paper innersleeve, die-cut to show the center labels and all corners clipped (the original innersleeves)

- RELEASED: Released on 21st of May 2021 (source: Levykauppa X when this was in preorder stage).

- OTHER: Released as part of the Amorphis Vinyl Collection 2006-2020 box, not sold separately.

- NOTE 1: The Vinyl Collection box was released simultaneously on

* black vinyl (limited to 200 copies, sold at least by Nuclear Blast and Backstage Rock Shop)

* 9 different coloured vinyl (limited to 200 copies, Nuclear Blast exclusive)

* 9 different shades of blue vinyl (limited to 300 copies, Levykauppa X exclusive)

* silver vinyl (limited to 300 copies, EMP exclusive).

- NOTE 2: This is a VERY good quality vinyl with excellent bass and higher frequencies and clearly beats the previous two GZ pressed reissues.

However, between this and the original dark blue vinyl it's a pretty much a coinflip for me. I prefer slightly more of this edition than the dark blue vinyl.

Atomic Fire, AF0015VB, two black vinyl, reissue, repress

- BARCODE, as printed on the back cover: 4 251981 700465

- RUNOUTS: side A, full runouts, etched: NBT 5710-1. A¹

side B, full runouts, etched: NBT 5710-1. B¹

side C, full runouts, etched: NBT 5710-1. C¹

side D, full runouts, etched: NBT 5710-1. D¹

- NUMBER OF SONGS: 13 (3/3+4/3)

- VINYL: possibly pressed by The Vinyl Factory in the UK

- CENTER LABELS: picture labels without tracklist,

AF0015VB

- COVER: gatefold cover,

spine: amorphis The Beginning of Times AF0015VB

- INNERSLEEVES: black polylined paper innersleeves, die-cut to show the center labels and all corners clipped (the original innersleeves)

- RELEASED: Released sometime in the summer of 2022. As far as I know no exact release date was informed by Atomic Fire, these simply popped up for sale.

- OTHER: Originally released sealed without any stickers on shrinkwrap.

- NOTE: This is just a repress of the corresponding vinyl in the Nuclear Blast The Vinyl Collection box above.

Atomic Fire, AF0015VB, two white / powder blue splatter vinyl, reissue, repress, limited to 500 copies

- BARCODE, as printed on the back cover: 4 251981 700465

- BARCODE, as printed on the barcode sticker: 4 251981 700472

- RUNOUTS: side A, full runouts, etched: NBT 5710-1. A¹

side B, full runouts, etched: NBT 5710-1. B¹

side C, full runouts, etched: NBT 5710-1. C¹

side D, full runouts, etched: NBT 5710-1. D¹

- NUMBER OF SONGS: 13 (3/3+4/3)

- VINYL: possibly pressed by The Vinyl Factory in the UK

- CENTER LABELS: picture labels without tracklist,

AF0015VB

- COVER: gatefold cover,

spine: amorphis The Beginning of Times AF0015VB

- INNERSLEEVES: black polylined paper innersleeves, die-cut to show the center labels and all corners clipped (the original innersleeves)

- RELEASED: Released sometime in the summer of 2022. As far as I know no exact release date was informed by Atomic Fire, these simply popped up for sale.

- OTHER: Originally released sealed with two stickers on shrinkwrap (unnumbered infosticker on the front and a barcode sticker on the back).

- NOTE: This is just a repress of the corresponding vinyl in the Nuclear Blast The Vinyl Collection box above.