Mnemic - Sons of the system

[Erkan]

I googled for the thread that was created for the preview track "Diesel Uterus" but couldn't find it (I admit I only spent 30 seconds looking for it and if it doesn't come up in top 20 hits.. screw that!) If there already is a thread discussing the production of this album, just let this one die and point me to that one instead.

I just wanted to start a discussion about this album because its production is, err.. rather different. The song "Diesel Uterus" is one of the heaviest tracks I've heard and I can easily compare it to Gojira's heavy-hitter "Backbone". But the sound is just weeeiiiird. The bass frequencies are all over the place, constant rumble, the highs are squished and cymbals are pumping. There's not much clarity in the mix but I somehow "like it" anyway. Maybe just because it's different than every other modern metal mix. Some songs have a drastically different sound than others and overall it just seems not so coherent. Maybe I'm still too much of a newbie to understand what's going on here but something is different about it, no doubt about that.

So let's hear your opinions about this!

 

[GarethSE]

i see the production as being like a curvy girl, not perfect and size 0 with a supremely tight low end and a pert high end, but fucking sexy none the less

 

[Erkan]

Man... I should start trying to see "sound" as girls too! Imagine the porn-factor from good productions *drool*

 

[~BURNY~]

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/andy-sneap/546573-new-mnemic-song.html


I need to give this another chance.

 

[Z3R0]

I was hoping the DVD i got with the preorder of this disc was going to have some tracking video, but sigh, no... They just talked about how they were trying to make an original sound. From what i got out of the dvd and what i remember: They used their own gear, bass was TC Electronics gear, guitars ended up being some kind of Randall head, and drums were a Tama Starclassic.

But i agree with the production, it's definitely different but i dig it!

 

[::XeS::]

Album was tracked in their own studio. Tama starclassis (sm57 on snare and toms, e602 etc...), guitars were 5150, tubescreamer and Marshall 1960 (and other amps for different parts), bass was TC RH350 with TC cabs and vocals are recorded at Antfarm with a neumann Tlm103.
The mix/master seems to be done in 10minutes... bass extremelly loud and cymbals that suffer an extreme master compression. I like it, but it's too much extreme...and the vocals are many times out of tune.....

 

[Erkan]

Yeah it's very raw but not in the "not-so-produced"-way but rather in the way every element has been "handled". It's like they were in a rush or something and just set everything up quick and dirty. Very strange... the vocal dubs in the verse of Diesel Uterus really slay though. It's so fucking heavy, I've got to try that in my own music.

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

I kinda dig the production. It's raw and honest, definitely not your everyday mix for this genre. The kick is pretty distracting at times, though, but otherwise I'm enjoying it.

 

[::XeS::]

Yeah it's very raw but it seems that everything goes out of control in the mix

 

[Sickan]

It's really heavy, but I can imagine it beeing fatiguing on headphones (crazy pumping : C).

 

[ATLA]

i love tue's vocal productions! overheads pump like a mofo! the outro riff of diesel is fucking awesome!

 

[~BURNY~]

Ok, I listened to it again.
Raw... I don't know.
People sometimes seem to use this word as an excuse for shit sounding productions/mastering.
Albini makes things sound raw in my book.
Now that Mnemic album sounds distorded. Badly distorded and pumping. I don't like it.

 

[guitaristenrage]

Do you know what is the vocal effect on the diesel uterus's verses?
Guillaume is my favorite singer, and i really like this new album...

 

[jarenare]

I cant stand these overheads pumping I like the rest of the mix, but these cymbals... argg

 

[Erkan]

Ok, I listened to it again.
Raw... I don't know.
People sometimes seem to use this word as an excuse for shit sounding productions/mastering.
Albini makes things sound raw in my book.
Now that Mnemic album sounds distorded. Badly distorded and pumping. I don't like it.

I agree but I can still listen to it for some reason. There's something strange about it that separates it from the real shitty productions. Sure, I wouldn't call it a good production but it seems that it's not even relevant in this case... man I don't know, this is weird.

Do you know what is the vocal effect on the diesel uterus's verses?
Guillaume is my favorite singer, and i really like this new album...

Sounds like a lot of dubbing and perhaps pitch shifted vocals and shit. I don't think it's just one VST doing all that hugeness

 

[guitaristenrage]

Of course! but it sounds very synthetic, and there's a kind of "water sound"... I don't know what it could be!

 

[acappa]

For what I know, vocals were not recorded at antfarm, were recorded by Guillaume in it´s own studio with his gear (TLM103, Mindprint Tubepre and DBX high end comp)
For the mix, I bet all drums are acoustic, I mean, no sample replacement. Some hits of the kick dessapear in some parts as well as there´s some out of tempo in some double pedal parts...I´d only say that MAY BE the snare is blended with some sample, but the rest...all acoustic.
Anyway, I´m now reading his rider as I´m going to record them in next april for the Sons of the System Spanish premiere and....holy crap!!!....



cheers

 

[::XeS::]

For what I know, vocals were not recorded at antfarm, were recorded by Guillaume in it´s own studio with his gear (TLM103, Mindprint Tubepre and DBX high end comp)

 

[Uladyne]

I cant stand these overheads pumping I like the rest of the mix, but these cymbals... argg

+1

 

[ConspiracyBass]

I agree with what some have said. The mix isn't perfect by any means, but damn do I like it for some odd reason. Some really good songs on this one too.