MERCENARY - The Hours That Remain.. Holy fuck? (Late to the party)

[Melb_shredder]

Holy shit.. My brother just randomly showed me this album the other week, how did I miss this band entirely?
Not only the music being fucking awesome, but the MIX! Jacob Hansen at peak IMO. This has immediately become a reference mix for me, it's fucking awesome! The space, the depth, I'm pretty much in love here!

Thought on the guitar tone guys? EMG's/ 6505? I'm hunting a similar tone for some stuff coming up actually

 

[JeffTD]

Pretty sure it's passives and a blend of Uberschall, JVM, and something else. Hansen or one of the guitarists was quoted in a post a while back on it, I'll see if I can dig it up.

Ah I was wrong, this was in reference to Architect of Lies; http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/8387831-post21.html

 

[B36arin]

It's easily the best Mercenary album, and one of my absolute favourites. The mix is great as well. Lost Reality is AMAZING.

 

[TheWinterSnow]

It is Mercenary's best album by far. I used to spin it non stop 08-09 for about a year.

My only gripe with the production is that I wish the guitars were a little less harsh and a little more intelligible. Those guitars are definitely not a 5150/6505. Sounds kind of Uberschall or Marshall to me. I know the Ubershall was used on Architect of Lies and the JVM410H was used for leads.

 

[Melb_shredder]

The low end girth and mid grind make me believe it can't be a Marshall from why I know Marshall's to sound like. I'd guess the Uberschall otherwise but I've never heard one in person etc. still... I fucking love that guitar tone! God damn...

 

[B36arin]

I've not really been listening "critically" to the album for a year or two, but from what I remember I LOVE the production. Jacob Hansen at his best, not too compressed... Sounds a lot better than Architect Of Lies, but most of all the songwriting is phenomenal.

 

[MonochromaticStains]

there was a studio diary of the recording as a bonus dvd with the album, might see if it is on YT. If I remember right it is a blend of Uber, Krank, and Marshall, has been quite a while since I have watched the dvd. And yes definitely the shining moment in their catalog, great guys to, their set at PPUSA in '06 was great.

 

[Nebulous]

I went crazy for this album a few years ago. It's pretty rad, especially the second half where the vibe seems to pick up and become a bit more energetic/ positive within the music.
I've finally picked up 11 Dreams which is meant to be great too.

 

[Damian B]

Thank you for reminding me how incredible this album is.

 

[fatalforce]

Thank you for reminding me how incredible this album is.

+1

the drums on this are ridiculous!

 

[Plankis]

It's amazing that even though that YT-vid has 1080 available it sounds like crap compared to Spotify.
Here is link to the album on Spotify:
http://open.spotify.com/album/7kAYvtBjxmywkfT4kclJZr

Thank you, I have also managed to miss this gem.

 

[thefalloftheheretic]

This album is phenomenal.

 

[Melb_shredder]

... And I'll repeat seeing as it's been said.. what a KICK ASS album! XD

 

[Virgil.]

Love Mercenary!

 

[fatalforce]

What did everyone think of Metamorphosis? I hated that Mikkel left but thought that Rene did a kick ass job himself!

 

[Melb_shredder]

Might I ask while we are looking over this beast... DEM DRUMS! I mean, that snare / verb... Sounds like there's a lot of room, or fake room anyway, on those drums! Any one cluey enough to explain what the go is, because I can NEVER achieve that kind of space/ depth without it sounding fake as fuck :\

 

[Melb_shredder]

So watched the DVD pretty insightful to a degree!

Drums had an XY for overheads, that was surprising!
Guitars are quad tracked, Uberschall and Krank rev1 I think it was through ubercab.
Ibanez and Passives if I saw correctly!

 

[Terminus]

Yea the DVD is awesome

 

[Mago]

What did everyone think of Metamorphosis? I hated that Mikkel left but thought that Rene did a kick ass job himself!

I think it's a better album than THTR by the avarage awesomeness of the songs, but THTR has 1 or 2 highlights that are just incredible to me.
For me every Mercenary album is awesome in it's own unique way, Metamorphosis beeing no exeption obviously. Rene slays so much it's not even funny anymore
That guy is a beast, and a really really nice guy too btw.

Mixwise I also like THTR best I think. The only guitarssound that I also really dig, normally the guitars leave me kinda "it's ok", but on this album they also sound as great as the drums always do

I once did a cover of a song from the new album, which Greg kindly reamped with his (back then) new Natas, but I never got around to record the vocals and finish that thing...through that experience I recognized, that I think that a lot of the snare comes from overheads and/or blended in samples of overheads. At least that way I got a bit closer to the Hansenish snare sound, or at least, I think I did