bland, over-produced sound in modern metal

Agreed, and it's interesting that you highlight recent Accept.

These two new records have really strong songs, but arguably the driest, 'deadest' production I've heard. The 80s Accept albums, meanwhile, sound so fresh and "airy", the atmosphere is deep with room to breath.
The "Sneap sound" is a negative and I'd love to see bands walk away from it. Hard to believe his work is in such "in demand".

Another great example is the new Saxon album. The sound/production just doesn't "fit" a band of their sound/style.....it does them no favors. Give me their 1981 sound any day over this over-produced "wall of thick distortion", pease.
 
Another band that I can't stand how 'modern' they sound now is Helstar. Glory of Chaos would sound so much better if it weren't made to sound so clean and if the guitars weren't downtuned to sound heavier.

Nosferatu is 1000x the album that heap of crap is.
 
Another band that I can't stand how 'modern' they sound now is Helstar. Glory of Chaos would sound so much better if it weren't made to sound so clean and if the guitars weren't downtuned to sound heavier.

Nosferatu is 1000x the album that heap of crap is.

Yes, Helstar is another example. The bass drum is so overloud and distorted I simply cant listen to the record. It "hurts" to listen to it which is a shame since the songs are pretty cool.
 
Does Glory of Chaos contain songs that actually come close to Nosferatu or A Distant Thunder in song-writing? I vaguely remember hearing a couple tracks when it first came out so maybe I'm mistaken, but I'm pretty sure a change in production would do very little for them. I recall something closer to chug-heavy thrash-y power metal ala 2000's Agent Steel.

EDIT: I'm listening to 'Deathtrap' right now and this sounds like Sneap-era Exodus, even production aside. Everything aside the singing sounds like "modern" thrash. 80's production would do jack shit. Now playing 'Monarch of Bloodshed', which sounds more like Nevermore. You hipsters are hilarious. Production makes the shit black metal you listen to when poor enough, and then breaks songs that would supposedly be good otherwise. I bet you all think that Let There Be Blood's version of And Then There Were None was groove metal as well just because of the production and slightly slower tempo. You silly billies listen to guitar tones, not songs.