Get the Latest Releases music scene.
In the early 2000's Twilight Mail Order was a great site to buy the newest releases from the European Alternative / Independent |Crossover / Nu Metal | Electro / Industrial | Gothic / Dark / EBM | Hard Rock / Stoner Rock | Heavy / Power Metal | Doom Metal | Hardcore / Metalcore | Black Metal | Pagan / Folk | Thrash Metal |Death Metal | Grindcore music scene.
Content is from the site's 2004 - 2007 archived pages providing a glimpse of what this site offered its visitors.
Twilight Mail Order - We Sure Needed You in 2020!
Covid 19 certainly knock life off kilter. Locked down in New York City at the start of the pandemic was scarey with abulance sirens on 24/7., long lines at the grocery stores, everyone wearing masks, and dire news about the overwhelmed ICU at all the hospitals, and the death tolls sky rocketing. It was enough to make me want to play slots for real money all the time, except that in New York State online casino gambling is not allowed to NYS residents. I packed my bags and computer, programmed my favorite European Hard, Power, Doom, Death music on my MP3 Player and hit the road on my 8 BMW R1250GS tour bike, heading out to Utah where my brother lives. I can work from anywhere so that wasn't a problem, but I did need to find free digs in a state which allows online gambling. Utah was chill. I checked Online-Casino-Party.co, an affiliate site that posts weekly promos each Thursday for the casinos they feature. Based on the promos I would choose my games. Covid 19 was far away. I escaped. I am now considering whether I will return to NYC when it opens back up.
highlights
 Endstille Dominanz - CD Nordic Black Metal RockHard 8.5/10 Legacy 13/14 Metal Hammer 5/7 |
 Kragens Dying in a desert - CD Power / Thrash Metal RockHard 8/10 Hammer 5/7 |
 Disparaged Overlust - CD Death Metal attack Legacy 14/15 RockHard 8,5/10 Heavy oder was? 10/12 |
 Xasthur Telepathic with the deceased - CD Funeral Black Metal Hymns |
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 Midwinter Astral Mirrors - CD Epic Black Heavy Metal Heavy oder was? 10/12 Legacy 11/15 |
 Sinners Bleed from womb to tomb - CD Death Metal monster Legacy 13/15 RockHard 8/10 Hammer 6/7 |
 Hear the voice - CD Mystic Folk Music Legacy 12/15 Orkus 8/10 |
 Sworn enemey: Heaven - CD-Digi Death Metal RockHard 9/10 Legacy 11/15 Orkus 8/10 |
V/A - Breaking the silence - Vol.1 - CD - Benefit-Sampler: 1 € for music-therapy of autistic-children - only 5,99 €
Endstille - Dominanz - CD - Nordic Black Metal - RockHard 8.5/10, Legacy 13/14, Metal Hammer 5/7
Kragens - Dying in a desert - CD - Power / Thrash Metal - RockHard 8/10 -Hammer 5/7
Mayhem - De Mysteriis dom Sathanas - CD - Cult Black Metal!!!
Nocte Obducta - Nektar - Teil I: Zwölf Monde, eine Handvoll Träume - CD - Melodic Black / Death Metal - RockHard 8/10 - Legacy 13/15 - Metal Heart 8/10
Superbutt - The unbeatable Eleven - CD - Hammer a la System of a Down mit Monster Magnet
Cirith Gorgor - Firestorm Apocalypse - CD - Black Metal veterans from the Netherlands
Disparaged - Overlust - CD - Death Metal attack - Legacy 14/15, RockHard 8,5/10, Heavy oder was? 10/12
Xasthur - Telepathic with the deceased - CD - Funeral Black Metal Hymns
Sinners Bleed - from womb to tomb - CD - Death Metal Monster - Legacy 13/15, RockHard 8/10, Hammer 6/7
Nocte Obducta - Schwarzmetall - Doppel-LP - as CD sold out - now on vinyl!!!
Dark Sanctuary - Les Mémoires Blessées - Digibook - Gothic masterpiece! - Legacy 14/15
Astarte - Sirens - CD - Female Black Metal Band
Midwinter - Astral Mirrors - CD - Epic Black Heavy Metal - Heavy oder was? 10/12 - Legacy 11/15
Swallow the Sun - The morning never came - CD - Doomy Death Metal granade- gloomy!
Eminence - Humanology - CD - Brutal & Aggressive Metal like SOULFLY
Carved in Stone - Hear the voice - CD - Mystic Folk Music - Legacy 12/15, Orkus 8/10
Thirdmoon - Sworn enemey: Heaven - CD-Digi - Death Metal - RockHard 9/10 - Legacy 11/15 -
Orkus 8/10
mirror of deception - foregone - CD - melodic Doom Metal - Rockhard 8,5/10 & No.9 Soundcheck, Legacy 11/15
Karkadan - Utmost Schizophrenia - CD - Death / Black / Heavy Metal - Legacy 13/15 - Orkus 8/10 - RockHard 7/10
Mor Dagor - Necropedophilia - CD - Brutal Fast Black Metal feat. Belphegor / The Beast
ARTISTS/ BANDS
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Hexenhammer
Divine New Horrors - CD
running time: 35:55 min
release date: February, 7th 2005
label: twilight-Vertrieb
Death Metal
Hammer 6 / 7
RockHard 7,5 / 10
SOD [US] 9/10
| 1. | Hell Force One |
| 2. | Blasting Composition |
| 3. | Litany of Curses |
| 4. | Less than nothing |
| 5. | Devouring Embryos |
| 6. | Exhumed & Consumed |
| 7. | Bloodkicked |
| 8. | Rebel Amok Suicide |
| 9. | Enter my Tomb |
| 10. | Self |
| 11. | Tortured Existence |
| 12. | Devils Breath (Inst) |
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Koldbrann
Nekrotisk Inkvisition - CD
order no. 784-326
label: wilight-Vertrieb
release date: November, 29th 2004
running time: 48:21 min
Black Metal from Norway
Legacy 14/15
Transcending the Mundane [US] 9,8/10
| 1. | Fortapelse i Svovel og Helvetesild |
| 2. | Kaosmanifest |
| 3. | Koldbrann |
| 4. | Liturgi i Dissonans |
| 5. | Fra Allfars Veg |
| 6. | Korpus Sepsis |
| 7. | Den Endelige |
| 8. | Phlegetons Bredder |
| 9. | Inkvisitor Renegat |
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Kragens
Dying in a desert - CD
order no. 784-326
label: Thundering Records
release date: July, 12th 2004
running time: 51:58 min
Power / Thrash Metal with balls!!!
| 1. | Dying in a Desert |
| 2. | Carnivore Ritual |
| 3. | Kragens |
| 4. | Fear |
| 5. | Lord of Chaos |
| 6. | Metal Hunter |
| 7. | Satan The Killer |
| 8. | Nightmare |
| 9. | Road warrior |
| 10. | World made of heroes |
| 11. | Rise up your fist to fight |
| 12. | Destroyin the Temple |
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Sworn
The Alleviation - CD
Running time: 34:03 min
release date: July, 20th 2007
label: twilight-Vertrieb
order no. 784-1091
With the vocalist from Myrkgrav, Sworn from Norway plays fierce black metal with a genuine melodic atmosphere. 'The Alleviation' is truly the essence of northern extreme metal!
Legacy 13/15
RockHard 8/10
Heavy! 9/12
Aardschok [NL] 70/100
Rock Hard [FR] 8/10
Grindzone [ITA] 7,5/10
| 1. | Alleviation |
| 2. | Heart of Decay |
| 3. | Silhouettes of a Broken World |
| 4. | Derived |
| 5. | Crow of Passage |
| 6. | Vivid Visions |
| 7. | The Beauty of My Funeral |
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Xasthur
Telepathic with the deceased - CD
order no. 784-353
running time: 57:37 min
release date: July, 19th 2004
label: Moribund Records
For the last year Xasthur have been tormented by the dead. Malefic now brings these horrific visions to you with his 3rd full-length. Beware! you may already be Telepathic...
Funeral Black Metal Hymns from the other side!!!
| 1. | Entrance into nothingness |
| 2. | Slaughtered useless beings in a ... |
| 3. | Abysmal depths are flooded |
| 4. | May your void become as deep ... |
| 5. | Telepathic with the deceased |
| 6. | A walk beyond utter darkness |
| 7. | Cursed revelations |
| 8. | Drown into eternal twilight |
| 9. | Murdered echoes of the mind |
| 10. | Exit |
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Endstille
Dominanz - CD
order no.784-270
label: twilight-Vertrieb
release date: May, 17th 2004
running time: 46:00 min
3. album of this North Garman Black Metal Band
| 1. | Dominanz |
| 2. | Instinct |
| 3. | Conquest is atheism |
| 4. | Monotonus III |
| 5. | Bleed for me |
| 6. | Monotonus |
| 7. | Witch |
| 8. | Worldabscess |
| 9. | Crucified |
| 10. | Endstille (Feindfahrt) |
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Master
Slaves to Society - CD
order no. 784-1012
label: twilight-Vertrieb
release date: May, 11th 2007
running time: 45:38 min
Faster and harder than all previous albums. Master's best album yet. Extreme!!! No other words necessary - buy or die!
RockHard 8/10 Soundcheck #13
Legacy 12/15
Aardschok [NL] 75/100
| 1. | The final skull |
| 2. | In control |
| 3. | Beaten for the possibility |
| 4. | Slaves to society |
| 5. | The darkest age |
| 6. | Cheater |
| 7. | Anarchy nearly lost |
| 8. | The room with views |
| 9. | Remnants of hate |
| 10. | The last chapter |
| 11. | World Police |
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Carved in Stone
Hear the voice - CD
order no. 784-258
release date: April, 19th 2004
label: Schwarzdorn Production
Carved in Stone
MAIL ORDER INFO
For mailorder shipment inside Germany see the terms on the german version of this side.
Mailorder-shipment outside Germany:
Shipment outside Germany:
shipping costs europe ≤ 500g ≤ 1000g ≤ 1500g ≤ 2000g ≤ 5000g airmail (1-2 weeks) + 6,50 € + 10,50 € + 13,50 € + 13,50 € - airmail registered + 8,50 € + 12,50 € + 16,50 € + 18,50 € + 27,00 € landmail (2-6 weeks) - + 8,50 € + 8,50 € + 8,50 € - landmail registered - - - - + 20,00 €
shipping costs world ≤ 500g ≤ 1000g ≤ 1500g ≤ 2000g ≤ 5000g airmail (1-2 weeks) + 12,50 € + 20,50 € + 25,00 € + 25,00 € - airmail registered + 14,50 € + 22,50 € + 31,00 € + 38,00 € + 50,00 € landmail (2-6 weeks) + 7,50 € + 10,50 € + 13,00 € + 13,00 € - landmail registered + 9,50 € + 12,50 € + 16,00 € + 20,00 € + 30,00 €
500g are nearly 4 CDs
Please don't forget that with delivery per truck the package maybe need a few weeks!
We can not be held responsible for any mistakes and modification – Delivery only with corresponding postage charges!!
Payment outside Germany:
additional to shipment
pay mode europe ≤ 5000g advance payment + 0,00 € advance payment via PayPal + 4 %
pay mode world ≤ 5000g advance payment + 0,00 € advance payment via PayPal + 4 %
You 've to pay ALL costs of bank transfer (wiring)!!! (ask your bank for the complete costs about wiring to an IBAN account in Germany before order).
Payment via PayPal will incur +4% transfer fees to total amount - get your money request from paypal@twilight-distribution.com
Outside Germany we only accept advance payment - the delivery will only be effected after receipt of payment!
General:
The minimum order value outside Germany is 25,- EUR (without postage)
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repurchase guarantee: We only take back undamaged data carriers with seal or plastic-weld. Revocation right within 14 days. |
Please, take care, that you accept an undamaged shipment of the carrier!!
The customer must be of legal age according to respective laws of residence.
First orders without valid eMail address or phone number won't be shipped.
pictures and information about products:
The pictures may differ from delivered products. The information is based on manufacturer's indication, we take no liability for this information. The actual product may vary but we will do our best to actualize pictures and informations.
effectiveness:
Should any single terms of this information become ineffective the rest will remain untouched. We take no liability for misprints. Changes reserved.
data protection:
Your data is stored for handling of the order and will not be passed on to third parties.
place of jurisdiction:
Place of fulfilment and court of jurisdiction are situated at the location of twilight-Vertrieb GbR.
Supplier:
| Supplier identification after german telecommunications service law (§ 6 TDG) | ||
| ceo & owner: owner: VAT-IdNr. DE 813 789 989 |
Thomas Tretow Tobias Fasel |
Deutsche Bank / Germany BIC (Swift code): DEUTDE DB237 IBAN: DE45 2307 0700 0423 2278 00 |
| twilight-Vertrieb GbR Am Rosengarten 9 D-23701 Eutin Germany |
office hours [ UTC+1h ]: Mon - Thu 9.00 - 17.00 h Fri 9.00 - 16.00 h |
Tel. ++49 (0) 45 21 - 77 623 0 Tel. ++49 (0) 45 21 - 77 623 1 Fax ++49 (0) 45 21 - 77 623 2 |
| info@twilight-vertrieb.de | webmaster@twilight-vertrieb.de | |
More Background On Twilight-MailOrder.com
Twilight-MailOrder.com was a German-based mail-order retailer operated by twilight-Vertrieb GbR, managed by Thomas Tretow and Tobias Fasel. Established in Eutin, Schleswig-Holstein, this business was strategically set near Germany’s major cultural and music centers like Hamburg and Berlin. The leadership as well as the location gave it both credibility and access within the European metal, gothic, and alternative scenes.
The Shop’s Unique Model and Operations
Operating at the height of Europe’s underground music scene in the early 2000s, Twilight-MailOrder.com provided a mail-order service for fans seeking both the latest and most obscure releases. Its business model prioritized both diversity and curation. The store’s catalog was not only massive but deeply specialized, intentionally selecting records that would appeal to the passionate international communities of alternative, industrial, and metal genres.
Orders were placed online using a user-friendly shopping cart system—advanced for its era—and the site supported direct bank transfers and PayPal, which was rare at a time when cross-border payment solutions were limited. All prices and shipping policies were clearly displayed, with worldwide shipping options (airmail, landmail, and registered shipments), returns accepted for sealed products, and strict adherence to consumer protection.
International accessibility was core to the business: Twilight deliberately fostered a global client base, with clear instructions for payments from abroad and an emphasis on transparent customer service. The service’s professionalism made it possible for collectors from North America, Asia, and beyond to rely on a small German business for access to Europe’s thriving underground.
A Menu for the Underground
What truly set Twilight-MailOrder.com apart was its catalog. It catered to an audience starved for releases that mainstream retailers ignored. Genres ranged wildly:
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Black metal, doom metal, pagan/folk, thrash, death, and grindcore
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Industrial, EBM, electro, goth, and alternative rock
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Hardcore, metalcore, power metal, stoner, hard rock, and experimental hybrids
Products included new-release CDs, LPs, themed compilations, reissues, vinyl, and limited edition journal boxes. This was not a passive catalogue: Twilight continuously sought new and rare material—including records from obscure underground bands and debut releases by acts that would later become genre staples.
Their catalog reflected trends in the scene: a surge in Nordic black metal, the growing interest in female-fronted and pagan/folk projects, the crossover appeal of nu metal, and legacy releases from classic acts. The store routinely stocked benefit compilations—for example, albums raising funds for children’s music therapy—further connecting the business to social action within the scene.
Shipping and Customer Experience
Shipping was central to Twilight-MailOrder’s appeal. The company offered numerous options and prices—by weight and speed—to accommodate the serious collector as well as the casual fan. All international orders required advance payment, with a four percent surcharge for PayPal payments, mirroring the reality of cross-border commerce at the time.
Customer support was diligent, with strict policies about valid contact information and order handling to ensure reliability even when facing long shipping times or product returns. Complaints about damaged shipments or order errors were handled professionally, extending trust between the retailer and its audience.
Audience, Popularity, and Community
Twilight-MailOrder.com’s audience included, but was not limited to, die-hard fans of extreme metal and alternative genres, collectors, event promoters, musicians, and record store owners. While German and European buyers were the foundation, the brand also saw consistent ordering from the U.S., Canada, Scandinavia, Japan, and Australia.
In the early 2000s, being known in the international metal community was an endorsement in itself. Bands whose music was available through Twilight often cited it in interviews or liner notes as a source for their fans. Likewise, fans on international forums and early social media platforms posted about “Twilight arrivals,” and even traded or sold harder-to-find Twilight MailOrder releases secondhand, amplifying the brand’s reputation.
Mission, Values, and Cultural Impact
The purpose behind Twilight-MailOrder.com was more than profit. Its explicit mission was to democratize access to Europe’s most innovative and extreme music and to foster a global community around genres that were, at the time, culturally marginalized. This extended to benefiting social causes, as the shop occasionally released compilation albums for charity.
The store played a pedagogical role, acting as a gateway through which fans could expand their tastes and knowledge. Its catalog and recommendations, further validated by magazine reviews, helped break down genre silos—introducing black metal devotees to gothic rock, or death metal purists to pagan and folk crossovers.
Press, Industry Reviews, and Influence
Twilight-MailOrder.com’s stock was closely watched by major print magazines in Germany and across Europe. Publications such as Legacy, Metal Hammer, RockHard, Orkus, and Aardschok would often review albums, provide ratings, and even feature interviews or advertisements that referenced Twilight as a reliable distributor.
Critical praise for bands’ Twilight-supplied releases was common, and new arrivals were often promoted in various print and web zines, elevating both the individual releases and the store’s own cachet. In this way, Twilight exerted an outsized influence on what was considered must-have in the genres it specialized in.
Notable Artists and Releases
A number of influential bands and rare releases define the store’s musical legacy:
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Endstille’s “Dominanz”—a benchmark for Nordic black metal, praised for its rawness and production quality.
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Xasthur’s “Telepathic with the Deceased”—which became a cult favorite in funeral black metal circles.
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Sinners Bleed’s “From Womb to Tomb”—a celebrated release among death metal fans.
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Kragens’ “Dying in a Desert”—a power/thrash album that drew international critical attention.
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Mayhem’s “De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas”—a legendary black metal album, offered in limited reissues.
Benefit compilations, like “Breaking the Silence” to support music therapy for autistic children, are emblematic of a social consciousness rare in the industry.
Achievements and Endorsements
Although formal awards from the business community or government were not part of Twilight’s history, the lasting endorsement by fans, respected magazines, and musical acts remains its most significant achievement. The company’s reputation was built on consistent reliability, a uniquely curated catalog, and a willingness to serve scenes ignored by the mainstream.
Cultural Significance and the Twilight Legacy
Twilight-MailOrder.com’s story captures both the promise and challenges of underground music commerce before the streaming economy. Its influence reached far beyond Germany; it helped create a new generation of cross-border music enthusiasts and forged a wider market for niche genres. The period between 2000 and 2007 was pivotal in music distribution—a time when sites like Twilight acted as lifelines for scenes that might have faltered without such dedicated infrastructure.
Even after the site’s closure, the “Twilight legend” persists in nostalgia posts, collector markets, and fans who credit the shop with expanding their musical horizons. Its business model foreshadowed the growth of digital niche e-commerce and serves as a blueprint for later projects championing similarly specialized cultures.
Details, Insights, and Examples from Fan Experience
The stories of fans tracking and trading Twilight-sourced records became lore within the international community. Unboxing new arrivals, hunting for rare first-pressings, and sharing recommendations via zines or web forums gave Twilight-MailOrder.com a grassroots cultural energy that major online retailers have rarely achieved since. The store’s influence is still keenly felt in metal and alternative circles, where the pursuit of musical rarity and quality remains a badge of honor.
Press and Media Remembrance
Recent retrospectives in music magazines and specialty blogs recall Twilight as a pioneer that set benchmarks for catalog curation, customer service, and subcultural networking. The press often points to Twilight’s role in popularizing artists who went on to international prominence, and in keeping physical music culture alive in a digitalizing world.
The Twilight-MailOrder.com Blueprint for Future Generations
In summary, Twilight-MailOrder.com epitomized the best of focused, community-oriented niche retail: a shop by and for fans, run with transparency, social mission, and curatorial zeal. It supported not just commerce but culture, gave lifelines to marginalized artists, and shaped tastes across continents. Its physical and social footprint remains a reference for anyone seeking to blend passion, professionalism, and long-term cultural impact in the music world.