Very nice concept and package design here. The whole package looks very good except for the red vinyl. In my opinion black vinyl would have fitted the concept a lot better. The concept is to feel like having old briefs of files and data to yourself. The cd comes in the vinyl look with black surface on both sides and "vinyl grooves" on top, inside a neat slimcase. Black vinyl would have been so fitting! I might have to buy black vinyl version to replace the red ones. Too bad for the bonus song on the red vinyl. The song can fortunately be found on the cd, too. Each song has their own song art printed on to 12"x12" sheet with lyrics on the other side and they look good. Worthy of purchase if you like the album or even just the art by the Polish master.

The pictures seen up there show a black color tape. Mine is white. Anybody have any infos about a white tape? cheers

Yes, I forgot to add that mine did come from S.O.M. U.S.A.

I own two of the white tapes. They came straight from Season of Mist.

True! Europe had 50 black and 50 gold. I got a golden one. Actually didnt know there are also white tapes!

mine is white as well... i feel that the white tape is standard, and the black one in the picture is just like a "stock" photo or something. i could be wrong though.

hi, the white tape is the USA version, limited to 200 copies. the european version got 50 black and 50 golden tapes.

I do not own this album, however Season of the Mist's page for this album, it says the clear with red splatter is limited to 450. http://www.season-of-mist.com/bands/mayhem

For those that don't "get it" - this Album, Esoteric Warfare, is written for ONE GUITAR !! It is written for live shows! - and not for some hyper produced twin guitar iPod earphone experience for the dumb generation totally accustomed and attuned to the "LOUDNESS WARS". I am sure Esoteric Warfare sounds fantastic on Vinyl for those with a good quality turntable and sound system, and I'd like to say, to the 'smart kids' I have seen buying Vinyl again - Good on Ya's!! : ) This album is horrifying and beautiful. I managed to hear it twice today on a 1500watt sound system and 3 times on my headphones (Sennheiser - average studio pair). The sound through the sound system was unreal. Like a live band. Like Black Metal is supposed to sound. (If you didn't know). It is written for one guitar but YES, there are some overdubs here and there, but this is essentially now one guitar band (bass, drums, and vox included of course) and is written as such. But, the guitar overdubs I speak of are very few. Teloch manages very well to span the decades long Mayhem sound with great mini soundscapes within each song with SINGLE guitar work by exiting various tones deftly with quick switches of pedal tapping. The guitar sound switches from muddy single guitar mono sounds to expansive echoed half distorted guitarscapes in a heartbeat. And to my surprise Teloch sounds pleasantly like Blasphemer. I do now wonder did Blasphemer write any of this material? - and if not - WOW again! Teloch did well to capture Mayhem's sound! This album is not so confusingly trippy as Ordo ad Chao - but certainly manages to capture the newer half-psychedelic metal sound with clever production that people expect of Modern intelligent black metal.This album is not over produced at all. There's a sense in the sound that you KNOW Mayhem can pull off almost all parts of this in a live performance in a club or other live venue, theatre, or Festival. There's no clever twin 'call and answer' guitars or excessive studio gimmicks. A couple tracks feature some cool, clever, but still "TRUE" Mayhem sounds. Sounds that have always existed within Mayhem, like an echo/strong reverb, a sample or two, and a clever but realistically possible (with live performance pedals) phasing effect. I can't pick a favourite moment yet. I have listened to this Album 5 times today. Certainly Watcher, Psywar, Trinity and Pandaemon all roll together so perfectly it's a delight. What an EP those 4 tracks would have been!! The rest of the Album is still working pleasant surprises on me. Sometimes I think a new song has started yet it's an outro of the last song. The album's sound is full of incredibly deft, tasteful and punctuated drumming by Hellhammer. Strange croaky vocals and odd reverb-drenched twanging guitars abound, with Atilla even singing at some points in some songs, once again, just done in that Mayhem "sound" that is at once horrifying and beautiful. I am sure some smaller tours of Europe will only feature Teloch on Guitar - and I truly envy my Finnish Cousins who will experience this band in afternoon Summer festivals at full volume - where in the summer the sun never sets really - and in small club venues where the TRUE sheer guitar volume and rich undertones by new replacement Teloch work will really throb. From the MP3 or CD this volume of sound isn't apparent. But, again, those that get to hear these songs live will make me truly green with envy. I think if Mayhem ever tour again "Down Under" or the USA again there will be two guitarists (including Charles Hedger) to cover the various older songs that do feature stronger twin guitar sounds. The truth is, Necrobutcher and Hellhammer are the core of this band, and THEY have always defined this band's sound. They have again shaped and approved a wonderful album in the form of Esoteric Warfare. I believe regardless of the vocalist or guitarist, this band will always have a certain undeniable sound, of which fans which always look forward to. Again I need to say Wow. Esoteric Warfare rocks. Wow.I expected less, and received more. Thank You Mayhem.