Captain Howdy

So yeah, looks like I will be cancelling my Durbin preorder on Amazon UK, just got this apdate email New estimated delivery date: April 04, 2024 - August 23, 2024

I see the lynching party is gathering outside, pitch forks in hand, calling for the head of the one that "gone dun a deal with the devil".

Itch you can't scratch is now getting a reissue with two extra tracks. The Japanese bonus track and one newly recorded track.

From Facebook. Michael Sweet Acousticyzed CD+Blu-ray or DVD Release Date: February 16, 2024 Two disc set containing an audio CD and Blu-ray video. The band's first acoustic album and video recorded and filmed at SpiritHouse Studios in 2021. This is a very limited pressing collector's-edition and features 11 beautifully recorded fan-favorites and hits, including a never before heard version of the spiritual classic "Amazing Grace". This album is not available on streaming services. The video captures an intimate set of Stryper performing the album live in the studio. Includes original members Michael Sweet, Robert Sweet, Oz Fox - along with long-time member Perry Richardson. *Bonus - Get $1.00 off a Stryper Chocolate Bar when you purchase Acousticyzed. That's a pretty SWEET deal! Discount will automatically be applied at checkout https://stores.portmerch.com/stryper/ Unsurprisingly Stryper merch is always over priced (remember the $75 for a face mask during Covid?) $37 for CD/blu ray and $33 for CD/DVD. And I don't even wanna think about the postage. Hell, the chocolate bar you get $1 off is $6.

Serveral albums I am looking forward to already. Durbin, Priest & Mick Mars for starters. There is the new Crazy Lixx too, but obviously its got a lot of old stuff re-recorded on it, but I am still looking forward to picking it up. Also hoping that the recent single by The Warning is a sign of a new album this year. So much stuff these days only gets announced a short time before release, so I for one am not worried that it will be a bad year.

The thing is it's kinda omlettes and eggs. Pricing CDs high to make better profits is always cutting your nose off to spite your face. If you drop the price, make less profit per CD/vinyl, you could actually end up making more money because more units will shift. As I say, some indy labels and artists put out albums for lower prices than Frontiers, and while their overheads may be less, I am sure they will not have the visibility that Frontiers have, meaning tougher to make sales. Love or hate them, for the rock genre, Frontiers is currently the market leader. Many bands will say though that touring is where they really make their money over album sales, but since Covid and the worldwide financial situation, even that has become unsustainable for many bands. Merch sales obviously are good money makers, but how much can a band afford to spend out on stock in advance? I think this is why there has been a recent trend of bands taking preorders on merchandise such as shirts before they are made so they can then decide exactly how many to order. Streaming should be a money spinner for bands, but it is one of the biggest cons out there, with bands making next to nothing while the likes of Spotify pocket most of the money made through adverts and subscriptions.

The problem with Frontiers prices is, probably due to the prices they supply them to Amazon and probably how much they charge to send them. On their Euro website most of their CDs are £12.99 but postage is £8. I don't know if that is due to Italian postage being expensive, much like how bad it is to order from the USA, or if it's just greed. I could send a CD to Italy for half that. On Amazon, when they do have their CDs they are nearly always £14.99 and rarely drop in price over time. Go to independant sellers and they will be £12.99 same as Frontiers website, which is why I think there might be issues with Amazon and Frontiers as you would think Amazon would get a better deal with their buying power. Some might defend their prices saying that it's still and indy label, but I have the upcoming Gun CD on preorder (signed version) and it's only £9.99.

Yeah that is who I have started using thanks to Letard. Just had a look at his site today and see a few sale items on there (something you rarely see with Frontiers albums on Amazon) and even buying multiple CDs, his postage is cheap.

I order from UK site, but as I say, checked out several other international sites (even the Italian site seems to have issues). Not sure how smaller retailers are getting them on time and Amazon can't. As I say, the Cassidy Paris one came out early Dec if I remember correctly, and they still do not have it in stock on any of their European sites, but market place sellers have it.

I have said this before in other topics, but I tend to order most of my CDs from Amazon due to being a prime member and not having to pay shipping, unless I can get the direct from an artist. Over the last year or so, every single Frontiers release that I have preordered has shipped late, which does not happen with any other label, so I just assumed that maybe for some reason there was an issue with getting CDs from Italy. At the end of last year though I preordered the Cassidy Paris CD and like usual they said I would get it on the Tuesday of the next week rather than the Friday release date. Then it was delayed a few more days, then delayed again another week then silence. A month and a half later they cancelled the order as they said they could not get hold of it. I had checked out other international Amazon sites at the end of Dec like Germany and France, and they did not have it either. The only way you could buy it on Amazon was from market place sellers at hiked up prices. Thanks to Letard I ordered it from another retailer for a reasonable price. My next preorder on Amazon is the new Durbin one, which once again was gonna come on the Tuesday after the Friday release. Just got another email saying it has been delayed. I would order direct from Frontiers, but as they are in Italy thats not gonna happen when they charge £8 postage for a single CD. Guess I will be going elsewhere for all my Frontiers albums in future. Just find it ridiculous that the biggest worldwide retailer cannot get their albums.

Yeah it didn't blow me away but it's entirely possible that I love every other song on that CD and already liked them before buying the CD and that possibly smothered any chance it had of being heard with unbiased ears.

Yeah, I haven't even heard it and I am already disappointed with it ... that's how much the hype let me down

It's like Quiet Riot. I don't care who gives their blessing. No Kevin, no QR. And let's not even get started on Autograph.

My only exposure to Candy Harlots is the song Danger. Back in 2001 I was working in a big shopping mall here in Kent, and went into the Virgin Megastore next door and found a compilation CD called "Glam Metal Noize 1983-1990-Leather Boyz With Electic Toyz". It had all the usual suspects, Quiet Riot, Twisted Sister, Warrant, Poison, LA Guns, Crue and unusually Pretty Boy Floyd, whose song name they used in the CD title. But there was one band I had never heard of at all, Candy Harlots. Turned out the CD was an Australian import which kinda tells you why they were on it

I had no idea that Kingdom Come was still a thing but heard today their singer, Keith St. John has left because he can't deal with the death of James. I realise James and Rick were founding members, but surely there is no Kingdom Come without Lenny "I have never heard Led Zeppelin" Wolf on vocals.

My newest addiction and not because the drummer is cute