In August Zavvi are bringing us a pair of new CD-sized steelbooks featuring the superb soundtracks for the Guardians of The Galaxy movies.

Awesome Mix Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 will be available on the 3rd and 31st of August respectively, and ahead of the release Zavvi were kind enough to provide us with a copy of Vol. 1 to take a look at.

This review is in relation to the steelbook packaging itself, rather the soundtrack, upon which enough praise has already been heaped.

When these steelbooks were first announced, I’ll be honest and say I was pretty skeptical, but having gotten my hands on the finished product I was pleasantly surprised.

The steelbook format feels really well-suited to this size of box, and it naturally feels very sturdy compared to a traditional CD jewel case.

The artwork is VERY nice, with a deep, bright and bold colour scheme, while the finish on the steelbook really makes the whole thing pop – something that the photos can’t quite capture.

The logo on the front is embossed, while the track listing is printed on the back, rather than being on a separate j-card, which is normally used on movie steelbooks. A totally clean back cover may be some peoples’ preference, but for the CD format I think in this case the printing doesn’t look too out of place.

Inside we get a small booklet with some movie stills, production credits and another copy of the track listing.

If Marvel/Disney decide carry on with future MCU OST releases, then providing the standard of artwork and finish are kept this high, they could turn into a very nice collection indeed.

Pre-order: Awesome Mix Vol. 1

Pre-order: Awesome Mix Vol. 2