New NEVERMORE album!

I've just listened to DHIDW again yesterday (really thoroughly..never noticed the stick-noises during the cymbal-rings in the end etc before ;) )...
I'm LOVING that album for it's openess/rawness, you can tell that there's quite some roomsound on the drums and no extreme editing etc, definitely one of my favorite sounding albums of all time.
then there's TGE...another milestone, more polished/modern sound, just perfect for that particular record.
now this album....I really LOVE how Andy went back to a more natural approach again, the kickdrum isn't fully replaced, the drums sound big and organic, so do the guitars etc, for me this album has the perfect balance between natural/raw and fat/modern.
Whenever Andy's mixing a Nevermore record I know it'll be another milestone and a fucking masterpiece, it always shows that he's doing what's best for the music.

About Warrel's performance....well, this has NOTHING to do with Andy's job (on the contrary, I'm sure that his job would have been way easier with a more consistent performance), but I also like Warrels work on the last records better, it's too much of the depeche mode/gothic think on this one for me....and I HATE depeche mode ;)...and with all the delay in the recording process we can only assume that not everything about the vocal recordings went as it should have.

I still really like this album and still am the biggest nevermore fan, I'm just hoping that Warrel still takes the band seriously and puts some more effort into the next record again.
Nonetheless there're some killer chorusses again on this record, I just don't like that the chorusses are the only sung bits (more or less) and the verses are all speak-sing dep.mode.-style.
I'm not really complaining, cause even if it's 80% for nevermore it'd still be 120% for any other band.

I agree with absolutely EVERYTHING here man.

I prefer TGE or DHIADW but I still think this is a fantastic album. They can't just keep getting better and better can they? TGE is an immense album to have to live up to. I think everyone has done a great job and I particularly like how clean the rhythm tone/playing is, as well as how tasty some of JEff's leads are. I know the lead approach is different to some of his other stuff but it sounds kind of ...matured? to me.

Either way...I'm a huge Nevermore fan and I doubt they could ever do anything I wouldn't like.
 
I definitely agree with Lasse on the mix at least. Definitely sounds a bit like TGE with more room to breathe.
I'm not a dedicated Nevermore fan so it didn't really 'let me down' or anything musically. I will say that I wasn't totally impressed when I first listened to it, but on repeated listens it really started growing on me. I particularly like the song 'Moonrise'.
 
I have to blow through the same horn like Lasse :kickass:

I really did not expect a TGE part 2. This record is not topable! I knew this - and all other evolution would have been not possible. TGE is a milestone in Heavy Metal production in general. Something like that happens once in a lifetime! Please guys be fair about the new Nevermore. This album is very good imo! Warrel did not ruin it for me. When I´m hearing him, singing this chorus...

I feel the moonrise
Inside my head
I feel the consequence
Of everything you left unsaid

And now you're dead...


I got goosebumps. Some of the songs needed time to unfold, but under the line it´s a high class record.
 
To be serious, it´s really all elements who come together with 100% quality on this record. Do you have another opinion about that record, Ermz?

Edit: I´m really passionate about the sound in TGE, I simply wouldn´t understand, if any AE would seriously think, it´s not that good. When I listen to this record, I know..at least my ears know, here went something really, really fucking well :)
 
I'm really digging this record, but I echo the sentiments on the vocal production not being quite as good as it good have been.
Song writing wise, I give it a solid 8/10, which isn't bad, but means it's not gonna be my album of the year. Still much preferring Enditol's and Periphery's releases this year.

As for TGE, musically, it's just STUNNING. Quite easily in my top 10 albums of the 00s, regardless of genre. I've never been able to get sick of that album no matter how many times I listen to it (and I've heard it many hundreds of times easily). It's one of those albums that just makes me want to quit bothering with playing guitar and trying to write music.
The production is obviously quite good and I could only dream of anything I do sounding that great, but I agree with Ermz in that doesn't quite reach the top tier stuff.
For me personally, for heavy productions, Hybrid Theory (Linkin Park), Stabbing the Drama (Soilwork) and The Way of All Flesh are the tightest, most massive sounding stuff around.
As much as I hate saying this on Andy's own forum, because I do greatly respect his talents, but none of his mixes/productions never seem to really be able to compete with the biggest, most massive and tight mixes in heavy music.
 
For me "The way of all flesh" and "TGE" is on one quality level. I dunno, if it´s appropriate to call it perfection. But when we talk about perfection in audio engineering, both albums are near reaching it. Of course there are two different production styles, by comparing it...under the line also personal taste is a matter. For example I like the cymbal sound of "The way of all flesh" a bit more, but this in turn I prefer the guitar sound on TGE. We could compare each single elements on productions haha..this is crazy.
 
To be serious, it´s really all elements who come together with 100% quality on this record. Do you have another opinion about that record, Ermz?

I do, but it's beside the point. I was genuinely curious what you guys found to be landmark about this record, from a production point of view. Great songs, no doubt. I've spun this record hundreds of times, much like Harry. Loomis influenced my guitaring back in past years very heavily, and to this day I hear elements in his playing and tone I absolutely love. I think the loss of Steve was a big one, because I was very partial to his songs on that record. His absence definitely shows on the new record, IMO, as the tracks have ended up a bit more monotonous.

I don't really want to detract this thread with my opinions on production, because they're irrelevant, but if you guys can get specific on what you love about TGE production it will be educational and very insightful to me.

Just one footnote, to add to Harry's post. As far as Stabbing the Drama goes, it's the ONLY metal record I've ever heard that approached the fidelity and punch of a dance/electro mix.
 
For me TGE, especially compared to this and other NM albums, was a matter of the perfect procution for the band on THAT album. I would be the first to admit that TGE production probably wouldn't have suited TOC as much as it did TGE.
I don't really think there was anything "specific" for me when it came to TGE- it was just a clear and powerful mix, didn't lack lowend, retained clarity across the frequency range and the character of all the elements worked to convey the music really well. Yet at the same time, TGE almost fell appart on some of the faster sections. I know I may be flamed for that comment, but I don't mean it in a negative way, that was it's beauty for me. It was clear in the "slower" parts and still tried to be fat and huge in the fast parts. Had that been pushed more it may have turned into something that didn't work as well.

As a side note, those same comments are transferable to some of my other favourite Sneap mixes. As "safe" as some may consider him, he still know how and when to push.
 
I don't really want to detract this thread with my opinions on production, because they're irrelevant, but if you guys can get specific on what you love about TGE production it will be educational and very insightful to me.

Ermz, your question is appropriate. Though as much as I want to answer you, it´s not easy. For me it´s a matter of feeling...totally! I listen to this record and i´m very touched by it. We may talk about the songs itself and the production seperately . But those songs/arrangements on TGE serves the quality of the production. Additional to that..Is it possible being totally objective about an album´s production, when I love the songs as much as I do it? (This question I ask myself quite critical) And do I really wanna destroy the magic by breaking down the details into their individual parts by analyzing it? I could do and I could learn from it for sure....but anyhow, I don´t wanna do it with that record!
 
So would it be fair to say that your intense emotional attachment to the music on the record is having an impact on your perception of the production?

I cannot say "yes" and I cannot say "no". I´m not really an analytically person, when we talk about recording technique. Although I record music and mix it - I rate music with the eyes/ears of a musician (rather than with the ears of an AE) and with my heart..sorry for that pathos :) Of course, to define a "Milestone" needs more than my modest opinion, but I´m sure, I´m not alone.
 
I cannot say "yes" and I cannot say "no". I´m not really an analytically person, when we talk about recording technique. Although I record music and mix it - I rate music with the eyes/ears of a musician (rather than with the ears of an AE) and with my heart..sorry for that pathos :) Of course, to define a "Milestone" needs more than my modest opinion, but I´m sure, I´m not alone.

I think it's safe to say the answer to Ermz's question is yes. ;)
 
Well my theories on the "lack of (insert your item here)" come down to a few things.

As far as the "production": it wasnt Andy, so the lack of cohesion between parts is to be expected. Listen to Warrels solo CD it has the same thing going on.
As for the "mix": a producer can only work with what hes given. Its unfair to judge this to DHIADW or TGE cause those were 100% Sneap this is Winchers / Sneap
As for the songs: I definitely feel some of the things that went on with Nevermore during the recording of this CD caused a bit of a rushed job. I love the fact that there are more "airy" and open parts for Warrel to do his thing over, but it just seems like there was lack of ideas or lack of being "pushed" to get great performances for whatever reason, blame Pete not Andy ;)

I really feel if Andy had this project from the get go we would have a more "solid" feel of the entire thing. I do really love the guitar tone on this though. much more-so then the previous records. It doesnt sound like the typical Nevermore "Mesa mixed with something" tone. Its very very raw.

I really love the fact that Jeff layed off the Bb djent djent on this too. His leads are amazing, shredy yet very tasteful, ts like classic Loomis :) EOR and TGE had way to much arpeggio / scalular (sp?) work and sounded like big exercises. He really lays back on this one and showed hes got the finesse and feel to be with the best of em :)

I like the CD alot actually, I think moonrise and emptyness unobstructed are my fave tracks so far.
 
I´m absolutely in love with "she comes in colours"...it´s simply beautiful. Jeff shows some quite tasteful leads here.

@guitarguru, I agree "Moonrise" and "Emtyness unobstructed" are great songs, as well. My absolute faves still are "Without Morals" and "Blue Marble".
 
As with almost every Nevermore record, my love grows slowly but heavily. <3

TGE has some übersongs but also some almost-mediocre material (by Nevermore standards, meaning that these songs still trump 90% of everything else out there), which - ironically - are mostly the songs co-written by a certain other guitarist. TOC seems to shape up being a more coherent record.

I can hardly recall a band staying so consistent with a comparable body of work. Testament being one of them, for example.