Rhino’s Rocktober returns this year with a staggering blast of 43 exclusive, limited-edition vinyl releases.
Kicking off Oct. 3, new titles will be released each Friday this month and are available exclusively atselect brick-and-mortar retail stores while supplies last.
Regionally, the titles can be found at Rock and Roll Knife Fight and Vinyl Revival, both in Lansdowne,Upper Darby’s Relapse Records, Greatest Hits Records and Books in Media, The Rock Shop in King ofPrussia and Plymouth Meeting, Hop Fidelity in West Chester, Stan’s Record Bar in Lancaster,RecordSmith of Pennsylvania in Mechanicsburg, and many more spots.
For a full list of participating locations, head to recordstoreday.com/stores.
Rocktober 2025 features releases by iconic Warner Music artists such as Black Sabbath, The Doors, Ministry, New York Dolls, Fleetwood Mac, Warren Zevon, Type O Negative and many more.
At 43 of them, though, it can be a bit daunting, so Rock Music Menu has selected 10 of which to be on the lookout for as the month progresses.
Deep Purple: ‘Made in Japan (Steven Wilson Remix)’
Earlier this year, Deep Purple released a 10-LP set of the legendary live album “Made in Japan,” whichwas released by Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree.
Here, the box of the legendary concert recorded in 1972 has been distilled down to a single record on 180gram black vinyl. (Oct. 3)
Black Sabbath: ‘We Sold Our Soul for Rock ‘N’ Roll’
Following the passing of Ozzy Osbourne over the summer, there are a lot of people looking to dig into themusical history of the Prince of Darkness, including his groundbreaking work with Black Sabbath.
There’s no better place to start than with the 1976 compilation “We Sold Our Soul for Rock ‘N’ Roll,” featuring the classics “Iron Man,” “Paranoid,” “War Pigs” and deeper cuts like “Wicked World” and “Faires Wear Boots.”
Pressed on translucent green vinyl, this is a two-LP set. (Oct. 17)
David Lee Roth: “The Warner Recordings (1985-1994)”
Post Van Halen, David Lee Roth had an up and down solo career, which included some hits, somestumbles, and a bunch of later material that has aged quite nicely.
The decade he spent on Warner Bros. is represented in this 5LP set pressed on black vinyl. (Oct. 17)
The Doors: ‘Greatest Hits (Rhino Reserve)’
One of the best-selling greatest hits albums of all time, this is the record that launched a million new Doors fans as a new generation discovered the band at the beginning of the ’80s.
Featuring 10 tracks, including “Riders on the Storm,” “People Are Strange,” “Roadhouse Blues,” and more, it’s pressed on 180-gram premium-quality vinyl at Fidelity Record Pressing as part of the Rhino Reserve line. (Oct. 17)
New York Dolls: ‘ Cause I Sez So’
American standard-bearers for glam rock and important precursors to punk rock, The New York Dollsreunited nearly three decades after their early ’70s heyday with all the sass and swagger of their prime.
Todd Rundgren had helmed the band’s debut and returned in the same capacity. Pressed on red vinyl,“ ’Cause I Sez So” shows the Dolls could wear any style and make it look great. (Oct. 17)
Type O Negative: ‘The Least Worst Of’
The quintessential compilation from The Drab Four, “The Least Worst Of” includes rare remixes, edits,and several unreleased tracks from Brooklyn’s finest.
The two-LP collection is a solid introduction to the band’s unique blend of gothic and doom metal and comes at the perfect time of year for a unit that treated every day like Halloween. (Oct. 17)
Stone Temple Pilots: ‘Stone Temple Pilots’
Probably the most overlooked record in the STP catalog, this self-titled 2010 effort marked the final LP bythe group with its original lineup.
Though it was well-received for the most part, the eventual dismissal of Scott Weiland a few years later — followed by the singer’s death — and the addition of Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington, tends to overshadow its rightful place as one of the stronger works the group put out.
It’s pressed here on red vinyl. (Oct. 24)
Bad Company: ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy: The Very Best of Bad Company”
Across two LPs on silver vinyl, “Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy: The Very Best of Bad Company” captures all theimportant songs to come out from the English rock act.
Included are classics like “Shooting Star,” “Ready for Love,” the title track, and, of course, the band’s Western-tinged, eponymous song, which declared to the world, “Bad company … till the day I die.” (Oct. 31)
The Stooges: ‘Alternative Fun House’
The proto-punk 1970 classic and second release by The Stooges gets viewed through a lens of analternate universe where various takes and edits of songs like “TV Eye,” “Dirt” and “Down on the Street”are used to create a different album.
Unsurprisingly, it still holds up. (Oct. 31)
ZZ Top: ‘Afterburner (Rhino HiFi)’
Five of ZZ Top’s albums are part of Rhino’s Rocktober, including the 1983 classic “Eliminator.”
When it came time for a follow-up, the band made the astute business decision to give their new fans more of the same: more keyboards, more drum machines, more songs with even more euphemisms for sex.
The result was “Afterburner,” which went five times Platinum in the U.S. alone.
The single LP is part of the high-end, limited-edition vinyl reissue series Rhino HiFi and is pressed on clear and orange splatter vinyl. (Oct. 31)
Vinyl of the Week
Keep an eye on this spot as each week we’ll be looking at new or soon-to-be-released vinyl from a varietyof artists.
It might be a repressing of a landmark recording, special edition, or new collection from a legendary act.
This week, it’s the entire studio output from one of the most impactful bands of the grunge era.
Mother Love Bone: “Shine” EP, “Apple”
Anyone who was of a certain age remembers the pre-Internet whispers of Mother Love Bone just asgrunge was breaking big with bands like Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam,especially Pearl Jam.
Now their entire catalog, which is made up of just a single EP and a full-length, has been reissued to celebrate the legacy of the Seattle group whose influence on the grunge and alternative rock scenes is undeniable, while their music continues to inspire new generations of musicians and fans.
Mother Love Bone’s sound, a unique blend of larger-than-life rock ‘n’ roll and intense, blossomingalternative, was first introduced on the EP “Shine,” released on March 6, 1989.
The four songs — five if you purchased the CD — showcased the interplay between drummer Greg Gilmore, lead guitarist Bruce Fairweather, frontman Andrew Wood, and the tandem of guitarist Stone Gossard and bassist Jeff Ament.
Just over a year after the release of “Shine,” Wood died of a heroin overdose at the age of 24, dealing ablow to the tight-knit and burgeoning Seattle scene, one which some say it never quite recovered from.
Before his untimely death, the band had recorded their full-length debut, “Apple,” which was eventuallyreleased in the summer of 1990.
Two things of unique importance would happen in the wake of Wood’s death.
Ament and Gossard would go on to co-found Pearl Jam, while Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell, who was Wood’s close friend and roommate, initiated the launch of a tribute project to the fellow singer in Temple of the Dog.
Both bands brought Wood’s legacy to the forefront at a time when grunge was exploding into pop culture and the mainstream.
Universal Music is marking the legacy of the quietly influential Mother Love Bone by reissuing the “Shine”EP and “Apple.”
The reissues are a testament to the enduring impact of the group, and a must-have for any serious music collector.
Both “Shine” and “Apple” are available in multiple physical configurations, including CD, standard black vinyl, or limited-edition color vinyl variants.
A limited-edition, newly remastered Japan-exclusive Mini-LP/SHM-CD (Super High Material CD) that includes both the “Shine” EP, as well as the debut full-length album “Apple,” will also be available on Oct. 10.
The CD version of the “Shine” EP includes “Capricorn Sister (Album Version)” as a bonus track, notincluded on the record.
The vinyl formats feature a four-song track list repeated on both sides, and is available in three options: a standard black vinyl, a limited-edition “Purple Haze” vinyl, and a limited-edition “Skyblue” vinyl.
Fully remastered for the 35th anniversary, “Apple” is officially being released for the first time since 1990.
The CD version includes two bonus tracks not included on the vinyl format in “Gentle Groove” and “Mr.Danny Boy.”
At the same time, the vinyl formats will be available in standard black vinyl, a limited-edition “Red Alert” color vinyl, or a limited-edition “Apple Habanero” color vinyl.
Despite the tragic loss of Wood, the 13 tracks on “Apple” stood as a testament to both the frontman’soutsized talent and the once-in-a-lifetime chemistry shared by his bandmates.
The album yielded favorites such as “Crown of Thorns” and “This Is Shangrila,” among many others, which contributed to generating tens of millions of streams.
Pearl Jam has also covered “Crown of Thorns” in concert over the years, raising its profile even higher.
Both the “Shine” EP and “Apple” can be found online and from all respectable retailers who carry vinyl.
To contact music columnist Michael Christopher, send an email to rockmusicmenu@gmail.com. Also, check out his website at thechroniclesofmc.com.
Source: Berkshire mont
Be First to Comment