Just discovered!

[karpsmom]

Wow! I'm sorry if this seems like clutter, but WOW. I just discovered Steve, and I have to say I'm greatly impressed. My history with metal, I've never really considered bass to be all that important, and the least interesting and impressive instrument in every band I listen to, but when I heard his playing on Vintersorg's "The Focusing Blur", I was blown away! Such perfect implementation of bass everywhere! He knows exactly what to play EVERYWHERE! He gives me new hope for the instrument in metal!

 

[Occam's Razor]

Welcome to the club, but what will you say when you hear the really great stuff Steve has done?

 

[Mrs.Mustaine]

Yeah, i wonder that too!

welcome anyway karpsmom!

 

[karpsmom]

What would you folks consider his BEST album?

 

[Erik Tiwaz]

Well, Death - "Individual Thought Patterns" has always been my favorite

 

[The_Human_Abstract]

I'd have to agree with Mr Tiwaz there

 

[Occam's Razor]

And Control Denied, of course - plus, get the Dark Hall Stuff...must be floating around for free somewhere!

 

[4-String Annihilation]

The bass is the most important instrument in the band. It is the foundation, the driving force behind the music. Take away the bass and it is like driving with four flat tires!
Steve Rocks!!

 

[vashts80]

I've always liked Human and ITP for his Death work...For Sadus, I haven't really listened to anything other than Elements of Anger, and I love that; for Testament, I like The Gathering and some of the First Strike Still Deadly album. I love TFAoE too, especially Breaking the Broken and Consumed..What If, I noticed, borrows part of the intro to the Dark Hall song "Changing Weather"

I haven't listened to his stuff with Autopsy or Vintersorg though :\ I listened to the Dragonlord album, James Murphy album, and Quo Vadis's Defiant Imaginaination album all once. From what I rememeber, the stuff on there is good too

 

[Deadpool]

His work with death is superb(but in human album bass isn't audible that much ITP is much more clear) and an actual one, you should definately check Quo Vadis Defiant Imagination album there is a crazy bass work with fast and technical stuff.Control denied stuff has very good bass too.I think His every peace of work could be considerable as the best,all of his work should be listened.That list goes on...

 

[Miguel Suerte]

Now isn't that rewarding? Like you've found a pot of gold or a 750ml bottle of good whisky under the couch! Welcome...

The best Steve showcase album? Tough to say because Steve is always a top notch performer but as a former studio tech I'll have to say, most people don't know how to mix fretless basses into high volume situations well. So, blame lesser Steve performances on that...ahem, Human.

ITP is pretty good although since most of Steve's bass falls in the mid range, the subs and high in my car drown out some of the "interludes". Sounds badass on any equiped deck. Now I have a 7-channel amplifier, no reason ITP should sound less than.?

"Fiend for Blood" the bass was mixed in well there. "The Gathering" also had the bass mixed in well, but again, you had such talent all around on that album that who were you gonna pay attention too? James Murphy is a badass six string axeman. The one released Control Denied album had the bass mixed in possibly the best of any of the aforementioned albums. I can't listen to that album too much though because of Aymar's vocals and my palate. The "Swallowed in Black" and "Vision of Misery" albums have great bass parts too (for example "Last Abide" on the former; short song but killer.)

Oh, and the bass being the foundation of the music? Yeah, I'll agree part ways on that one: I wouldn't want a band without a bassist. You ever had a band without a drummer? Not possible...(drum mach. don't count) If you have a bad drummer a great band becomes mediocre, if your have a mediocre band and a fabulous drummer, then the band becomes good. Another reason Sadus rocks: John Allen. Couldn't imagine them with anyone else.

 

[Bonjournaste]

Yep, and I think I remember seeing that the Human album was not done fretless, but with the fretted Rickenbacker..

Human is one of my favorite albums ever.. If they ever went and remixed the album with a little more bass guitar, it would be untouchable.. I remember a long while back people were talking about drum and bass tapes from the Human recording.. Anyone know if these exist?

The best Steve showcase album? Tough to say because Steve is always a top notch performer but as a former studio tech I'll have to say, most people don't know how to mix fretless basses into high volume situations well. So, blame lesser Steve performances on that...ahem, Human.

 

[Miguel Suerte]

Yep, and I think I remember seeing that the Human album was not done fretless, but with the fretted Rickenbacker..

Doesn't really matter in the end with Ricks. I've owned a 4001 a.k.a the "classic" model for years (maybe decades), and Rick's are great basses but they have that uncanny ability to get washed out in production. The sound is very distant despite the bass's in-you-face tone. Rick used to make a fretless version of the "classic" model popular with some aspiring musicians in the late 80s. It didn't sound that great though; all of the qualities that made the 4001 a hit were taken away by the fretless version. It did sound a little bit like an upright bass, but ultimately was so limiting in what you could use it for I wonder if they even still make that model.

A good album to hear the "classic" Rick on is Deep Purple's "Machine Head". That's one of those that I listen to an I think to myself, "Now that's a Rick."

 

[MaskedJackal]

Rick used to make a fretless version of the "classic" model popular with some aspiring musicians in the late 80s. It didn't sound that great though; all of the qualities that made the 4001 a hit were taken away by the fretless version."

Tis TRUE! I've played Rics in stores many a time, and dug the tone- so when Bass Northwest (WORLD'S BIGGEST BASS STORE!) got a used fretless one, I just HAD to try it out, and well....

It was like going from a full-blown raging boner to completely flaccid, tonally speaking.

You know what do sound good though? Those fretless $300 Deans. Nice growl.

I myself am building a fretless 4'er for a school project that I wil post as soon as it is finished.