Looking for death metal mix/song writing feedback

[Dtabs85]

Hey guys, so I recently wrapped up recording, mixing, and mastering the debut EP for a local death metal band named Iscariot. The name of the EP is "Reign Undivine". Over the course of recording them, they actually offered me an opportunity to be their new bassist and I took it!

I'm always looking to improve my mixing/mastering so any feedback or questions you have regarding my mixes I'd love to hear. Seeing as I'm a new member of the band, I'm also curious what you guys think of the song writing as well.

Any feedback would be appreciated!

https://iscariotny.bandcamp.com/album/reign-undivine

 

[inertia]

I am listening to the EP now and i think it's pretty good. Really dig the cover artwork too , actually. Who did that?

As for the mix, i am on office speakers so cannot really judge. It's a little thin and boxy sounding but I think it works. I can hear all the instruments even if they don't sound their potential best.

The songs seem good. It's a little too much single note chugging for my taste but plenty of other style riffs too.

 

[Dtabs85]

Thanks for the feedback. The band picked out the artwork prior to me being in the band. I'll see them all later tonight and will get that info for you. With regards to the mix, I hope the critiques are mostly due to the speakers you are listening on but the "boxy" comment you bring up I do find interesting. I've noticed a trend in my mixes over the past year to be increasingly more mid heavy. Nothing is overtly wrong with it, as you've noted everything is still clear and has its place, but I do feel it takes away from the overall 3D sound of the mix and makes the guitars sound a little cheap. I'm recording a band in May and was planning on focusing on reducing my mids throughout the recording and mixing process. You pointing out the boxiness confirmed that's the right decision.

Thanks again for the feedback!

 

[inertia]

I will listen properly on the monitors tonight. While the office speakers aren't exactly neutral I am familiar with how music sounds on them in general.

 

[inertia]

Ok, I now have the EP on the monitors in the mixing room. The mix is very good but the stream seems to be very poorly compressed (lossy compression, I mean). Our EP is up on BC and does not sound like this.

Actually, the sound is much better than I expected but you have little low end, seems way too clean under 100hz under the mix lacks balls. It's really screaming for some heavy low end. The thing that stands out most in the mix is the snare. I think it's the snare that gives the boxy impression. The guitars are actually not bad. When i apply a low cut filter to your mix I don't start to notice any lack in bass up until I get to 68hz.

I gave your bottom end a little boost and think it made a world of difference

 

[Dtabs85]

Thanks again for giving such a thorough listen. I've noticed that bandcamp tends to compress the mix when you stream it. If you download it (which you can for free by just naming a price of $0), the downloaded versions don't have that nasty compression. The drummer used a piccolo snare which had a fundamental frequency around 330 hz or so, so I can see how the snare might sound a bit boxy. With regards to the thinness you are referring to, you are right about there not being too much subs and very lows in there. Since the mixes were very busy with blast beats and double kicks, I high passed much higher than I normally do to avoid anything getting muddy. I think I high passed the bass guitar up to almost 60hz and the entire mix at around 30-40hz to avoid any subs muddying the mix. Perhaps I went a bit too far. Im at work right now so I am unable to check out your version, but will later.

Thanks again man. I really appreciate the feedback!!!

 

[inertia]

I didn't upload anything but just did a quick test with Fabfilte Pro MB and Pro Q2.

If you haven't pressed to CD or anything I would recommend sorting it out and reuplaoding to BC.

 

[Dtabs85]

Here is the link to the artist that the band used for the album art. http://chriscold.deviantart.com