I just gave Clayman another listen..

[The Unavoidable]

And holy shit does it sound good. I remember it as a great sounding album, but this is just insanse. It completely floors almost everything else out there.

But now for some actual thread content:

Why does Nordströms stuff these days sounds so mediocre? My main complaint is the new Arch Enemy, Rise Of The Tyrant. I just got this album a while ago cause I just love the songs on it (The best thing AE has done since Wages IMO.) But the production.. It's kinda hard to put my finger on it, but there is just something wrong with it. Not to mention the clipping, but one can hardly blame Nordström for that. Same thing with alot of other albums I've heard coming from there in recent times.

So I guess my topic for discussion would be: How does one go from producing one of the absolutely best sounding metal records out there to just being "meh" ? I know I've heard alot of other people talking about this around here, but it just baffels me. Any thoughts?

 

[abyssofdreams]

Tell you what, you reply to my PM and I'll reply to this thread

 

[Ermz]

Great sounding record, no doubt. There are some strange things, like some pretty harsh overheads and the kick really pumping hard on double-bass parts, but apart from that it's all very fat.

I think Nordstrom's issue is that he went ITB. His productions started sounding sterile and lost all of that interesting character they had. He seems to have been a person who really relied on the outboard to pull tones, so the change really impacted his work negatively, IMO.

He also seems to advocate brickwalling mixes prior to sending them out to mastering, which would be one possible cause of that horrible, 2d, squashed sound.

 

[Machinated]

I think his "strange sounding" albums were due to the fact that he moved studios and changed to doing everything ITB, so his workflow changed a bit and he probably wasn't 100% comfortable with his new environment.

 

[Metaltastic]

I haven't heard Rise of the Tyrant cuz I'm not the biggest AE fan, but I still love the production on In Sorte Diaboli, even though people bitch about it so much!

 

[Metaltastic]

Tell you what, you reply to my PM and I'll reply to this thread

He (and I) would have an easier time if you'd delete some of your old PM's to make room!

 

[abyssofdreams]

haha, done

 

[plague_rider]

In my opinion, the drums in Rise of the Tyrant don't equal the drums on Doomsday or the previous albums, which for me makes the album a bit of a let down...

love the guitar tones though...

 

[Proggm]

Listen to latest Bring me the horizon, kicks ass.

 

[KeithTidd]

I think Nordstrom's issue is that he went ITB. His productions started sounding sterile and lost all of that interesting character they had. He seems to have been a person who really relied on the outboard to pull tones, so the change really impacted his work negatively, IMO.

That's about right. He used to mix on an amek angela i believe. Also i think he did alot of his old work on tape (although i don't have alot of proof of that.) IT just sounds tapey.

 

[Metaltastic]

IT?

 

[Ermz]

It's Nordstrom's older stuff that made me realize the sound I'm after is not to be found ITB. That and all the big US radio hits with telltale signs of outboard all over the place.

 

[Sinister Mephisto]

You don't like Andy's stuff?

 

[KeithTidd]

IT?

it. I accidentally capitalized the t.

 

[Metaltastic]

AH, ok, I thought it might've been an abbreviation

 

[Torniojaws]

Incredible Titties. Fredrik needed a great rack, but he ditched 'em and look what happened.

 

[blackcom]

I know a singer who di'd the three last albums with his band at studiofredman and he told me he's never going to work with Fredrik again as he "don't take his work seriously anymore and hardly is present in the studio".

That is the reason, not the ITB vs. OTB crap.

 

[Metaltastic]

Yeah, I had heard that (that he's rarely there, I mean)

 

[-J-]

look at flemming raussmen (spelling?) - lightning and MOP rock, but I didn't care for the production of Artillery's By Inheritance that much (no balls), and I thought the mix of Evile was messed up myself (guitars too loud, too middy, bass guitar too low). guess no one's perfect.