Observation about BRT's 'Altered Genesis'

[Ermz]

ahoy death metal fans.

Just something I've been observing for a while, but was too insecure to speak up out of fear that the problem was due to my (then) inferior equipment.

I've thought for a while that Blood Red Throne's 'Altered Genesis' was run too hot and actually clips quite frequently throughout the course of the album. I thought the clipping effect was just due to my shitty $50 computer speakers.

Since, I've invested in a pair of studio monitors in which that clipping is still present. At first I thought my monitors were faulty because I thought they'd never clip a commercial release!

Have any of you noticed this? I mean I know it's cool that they ran the album so loud... but for god's sake, cut it off before it hits 0db!

Most notably this is audible at 2:57 and 5:20 of the title track.

I know this is indicative of an industry-wide push to just pump as much volume as we can into our recordings, but jeez... I think it's sad that it's gone so far. I understand that it's a death metal band, where compression is very crucial to the overall sound of the mix, but even extreme music wouldn't want to have 'non-musical' elements in their mixes... especially so present. Clipping isn't musical... hell, I don't even know if its inter-modular...it's just shit and doesn't contribute to anything. So I find it really strange that their mastering engineer overlooked this huge blunder.

Actually I'm surprised everyone overlooked it even after it hit the publishing plant.

Footnote: To all those unfamiliar with the term, 'clipping' implies that a recording has hit over the threshold of 0 dBFS. This causes a nasty crackling effect. Let's call it 'bad distortion'.

 

[NFU]

Blood Red Throne just might be the last/best pure old school death metal band in the scene right now...(yes, far better than bloodbath people)...

however, it never once occured to me that they cared about making anything but intense, extreme, loud death metal at any cost....that also being breaking sound barriers. it doesnt bother me, and since its on the disc...i imagine it doesnt bother them.

blood red throne > any current dm

 

[JoeVice]

i don't know what you are talking about, since i have never heard it...so i guess this is pretty pointless. *blank stare*

 

[deliverance]

I actually had just listened to this album yesterday (before this thread's creation). It was only about my 3rd or 4th listen, and it's a good album. But everyone saying they're an incredible..hmm, I dunno about that. I must need to listen to it on cd, while driving or something, when i can pay attention to it more. As of now, I don't see what stands out, to make such a statement (Joey, your statement, I suppose).

 

[Ermz]

It's a great album, they just cranked it too hard.

 

[NFU]

its outstanding as far as current deathmetal is concerned. thats all i meant...not in a broad musical sense.

 

[Dreadful]

Some of you people here need to observe the current death metal scene...the old death metal scene...and also, the previous Blood Red Throne records. Listen to the first two albums from the band...listen to the some severed savior, pyaemia, psycroptic, devourment, wormed, gorgasm, vile...then some cancer - death shall rise, malevolent creation - retribution, pestilence - consuming impulse, obituary - slowly we rot...and you'll notice (if you haven't already) the pure ode to the thrashy old school, (and an improvement from previous BLR) "Altered Genesis" is. With also a more modern sound. Perhaps...if you're just kinda new to death metal only listening to Decapitated, Dying Fetus, Death, Nile...then maybe you won't be blown away as you're still stuck on those bands. I'm not bashing anyone's "Death metalness" here...but if you fail to understand how superior "Altered Genesis" is, then you suck!

 

[NFU]

Some of you people here need to observe the current death metal scene...the old death metal scene...and also, the previous Blood Red Throne records. Listen to the first two albums from the band...listen to the some severed savior, pyaemia, psycroptic, devourment, wormed, gorgasm, vile...then some cancer - death shall rise, malevolent creation - retribution, pestilence - consuming impulse, obituary - slowly we rot...and you'll notice (if you haven't already) the pure ode to the thrashy old school, (and an improvement from previous BLR) "Altered Genesis" is. With also a more modern sound. Perhaps...if you're just kinda new to death metal only listening to Decapitated, Dying Fetus, Death, Nile...then maybe you won't be blown away as you're still stuck on those bands. I'm not bashing anyone's "Death metalness" here...but if you fail to understand how superior "Altered Genesis" is, then you suck!

good call chris.

*the voice of reason flies in like the caped crusader*

 

[Testamentt]

I'm glad this thread was brought up. Amazing album and easily surpasses their previous albums in creative output and my god, the vocals are easily some of the best I have heard in terms of sustained tempo and range. I've been practicing singing 'Smite' and 'Mephitication' ever since I heard the songs.

Look up the video for Smite and, man, will you be banging your head.

 

[NFU]

I'm glad this thread was brought up. Amazing album and easily surpasses their previous albums in creative output and my god, the vocals are easily some of the best I have heard in terms of sustained tempo and range. I've been practicing singing 'Smite' and 'Mephitication' ever since I heard the songs.

Look up the video for Smite and, man, will you be banging your head.

id love to see it. where would i look it up/find it?

 

[Birkenau]

Perhaps...if you're just kinda new to death metal only listening to Decapitated, Dying Fetus, Death, Nile...then maybe you won't be blown away as you're still stuck on those bands. I'm not bashing anyone's "Death metalness" here...but if you fail to understand how superior "Altered Genesis" is, then you suck!

Sounds like me.

Most of that other Death Metal sounds so generic it's hard to tell one band from another.

 

[Ermz]

Cool, good to see there's 0 on-topic posts . Oh well, a discussion about its musical qualities is good enough I guess.

 

[NFU]

Cool, good to see there's 0 on-topic posts . Oh well, a discussion about its musical qualities is good enough I guess.

i just dont frankly care enough about the blips in the sound. i already stated this in my first post...which i guess you didnt read.

 

[Ermz]

i just dont frankly care enough about the blips in the sound. i already stated this in my first post...which i guess you didnt read.

I did, but the fact that it was accompanied by your customary arrogant manner, I felt it better to restrain myself and ignore it lest I turn my own thread into a flame-war.

Anyway, all is well, continue on the conversation about the album itself. I have the discussion I was after on Andy Sneap's forum.

 

[Skaldir]

Intersting Moonlapse. I don't know the album, but I know that in theory you can go to 0 db, but some CD players have mechanical problems with it, so it's better to master to -0.2 db. When you read out some tracks and look at the waveforms you'll mention that some CD's stop at -0.3 or -0.1.
Maybe when you use another player he can handle this. Or maybe it's just like you said, they are just over.

 

[Ermz]

Yeah, you're absolutely right. Some players can't handle 0 or even points just below 0. I actually checked the waveform of the track in a wave editor and sure enough, the waveform itself peaks at 0db, and I'm presuming that it was pumped further but obviously since 0db is the cutoff point it got stopped cold right there. Hence the clipping... their waveform is physically squared off at the roof.

 

[Skaldir]

Fuck, they are insane.
I'm not a fan of this extreme mastering. To my ears, it's getting exhausting pretty fast. Ok, first when you insert the CD you think "Fat sound" but then I miss the dynamics.
I'd like to know when this phenomenon regresses.
We should start a petition for more dynamics in metal.

 

[Ermz]

Definately. I hope there's a big revolution in the industry where consumers just say 'enough pumping, my ears can't take it anymore!'. Not that most consumers are that smart, but anyway... it's just not natural for our ears to be hearing all those elements that are brought out with compression. Sure it brings out the illusion of volume and fatness... but man.. the love is gone.

But yeah, as you said, it actually starts to wear on your ears after a while. It gets physically straining to listen to over-pumped albums. It's so much more pleasant to chill to the old tape stuff that they didn't press into oblivion.

 

[NFU]

I did, but the fact that it was accompanied by your customary arrogant manner, I felt it better to restrain myself and ignore it lest I turn my own thread into a flame-war.

Anyway, all is well, continue on the conversation about the album itself. I have the discussion I was after on Andy Sneap's forum.

customary arrogance?


i just dont feel answering questions or making statments with no sense of confidence or in the form that a 7 year old girl would just so you dont get offended is a waste of time.