old school thrash productions

[Gnash]

Yeah it's been termed as "Nasally" sounding. The perfect description, really.

 

[Gnash]

People always ask me why I've got "Zakkitus" all the time. And I just want to fucking smack em. I've heard Zakk reference Sykes for the pick squeal. Man, I've been doin that shit since day one. The first Muther fucker to fuck that shit up was BILLY GIBBONS. When I hear Blue Murder or Whitesnake it sounds as if the guitar was dipped in fucking GOLD. Alway stellar production. This is what Metallica were striving for with the Black album, then they got Buttfucked by Bob Cock when they weren't looking. There's two sides to good production. That's the sacrifice that came with rad metal bands who DID NOT LET THE PRODUCER/LABEL CHANGE THERE STYLE TO FIT INTO THE EARS OF LAME PEOPLE!

 

[metalkingdom]

I think the Souls of Black Album has a phasing guitar sound to it, like the typical sm57 up front, condenser backed up a few feet sound, no track lining up digitally afterwards. Practice what you preach doesn't have that sound at all, and that was done before the internet era.

Dude - you're joking about the "no track lining up digitally afterwards" thing, right?

Souls of Black came out in like 1990 or 1991. That was also well before the "internet era".

 

[cobhc]

Just come from listening to some Favulous Disaster era Exodus, so I know exactly what you mean here. Some older stuff still sounds fresh as fuck production wise, to quote the obvious, Metallica's Master of Puppets, for going into it's 21 year anniversary, still sounds fucking mint even now. Metal Church's first album, had a great tone, and still does. Slayer's Reign In Blood, another fucking awesome sounding album, and the afformentioned Fabulous Disaster by Exodus, A very fucking nice sounding album. And don't get me started on Anthrax's Among The Living, that guitar tone today is still fucking awesome. It's weird how as much as I really dig the clinicalness (is that a real word?) of albums these days and that's what I go for when mixing my own stuff, I'd still kill to produce an album that sounds like those I've mentioned. Going back to Oz mentioning British Steel, I remember KK talking about the sirens on Breaking The Law and how in those days they had to create all those sounds themselves, it wasn't as easy as just downloading a sample. I mean come on everyone knows about the trays of knifes and forks on this album? That's what old school production was about, using the limited tools, and because of this the engineers in those days were the absolute dogs bollocks (no offence to Andy, Colin and other present day producers).

 

[Keessi]

What about carcass' symphonies of sickness? Pretty badly played, but still pretty crushing production. I think it was recorded in 88 and released 89. Downtuned guitars and attacky drums. I like how that album sounds. Terrorizer - world downfall OMG. 89 and I think all miced drums and it sound pretty fucking pounding! Everything is superclear and brutal.

 

[Frayed ends of sanity]

Dude - you're joking about the "no track lining up digitally afterwards" thing, right?

Souls of Black came out in like 1990 or 1991. That was also well before the "internet era".

No joke, I'm totally incorrect, thanks for pointing that out. I just looked in the sleeve, says 90. I assumed it was before New Order, because it reminds me of the same guitar sound, but the songs sound less developed. Even though I don't like the production that much, I often put in Souls of Black just to hear Scholnik wail! Practice was 89, but was produced, recorded, and mixed by someone else. Much better sound, IMO, and that just goes to show, it's not the gear, it's the man behind the desk.

 

[Frayed ends of sanity]

Yeah, those bands that were lucky enough to get Alex Perialis, have albums that still sound great. Overkill's album "Horrorscope" is a fucking masterpiece production. Check it out. Or, Wrathchild America's "Climbing the Walls" Analog recording back then was a nightmare, and still is . Interesting though, pop or semi rock bands (LA hairmetal to Duran Duran), with big budgets have amazing sounding analog productions. Most real metal bands that weren't accepted by the mainstream, but were actually AMAZING, get the dirty tape heads, and the stupid reverb drenched snare and vocals . It's sad, but metal really got fucked on production early on.

I missed this post somehow. Yeah Alex Perialis did Testament's Practice what you preach, nice sound. Looks like he did everything too, tracking and mixing. Hit Factory mastering.

 

[sparkyness]

Listened to Souls of Black yesterday for the first time this century and couldn't believe how badly they'd dropped in Skolnicks solos and the add-libs at the end of solos . They obviously weren't going for any "seemlessness" with that one and you just get these random bursts of notes screaming out in between Chuck's end choruses. Pretty nasty even though the playing is exceptional. They were good days

 

[metalkingdom]

I'm the worlds #1 Testament fan. They're the only band whose whole catalog I own. Started listening to them when Legacy dropped. SOB, although I love it, is the least played of their old school records for me - probably because of the mix. Definitely some great playing (lead and rhythm) though.

 

[Gnash]

You're probably like me. I have boxes full of my old casettes out in the garage. Every Testament album up to and including Souls on casette. Souls of Black was one of my first cds. Like I was sayin, those bands have made a mint from me buying both formats. I discovered Testament at "The New Order" stage. I get chills thinking about that record. Fuck I'm gonna play it right now! And "Fabulous Disaster"!! I fill like tearing the fucking room apart, just thinking about that record!! These are the bands that stand the test of time!

 

[sparkyness]

I remember hearing PWYP in '88 or '89 for the first time thinking "wow, I can actually hear the bass when everyone else is playing". Greg Christian had that big "honking" tone that I'll never forget. It's not great, but at least you could hear it!

 

[Dan Swanö]

Really cool sounding stuff from that era, to my ears....
The hi-fi:
Death - Spiritual Healing
Forbidden - Forbidden Evil
Hobbs Angel of Death - s/t
Carcass - Heartwork
Bolt Thrower - the album with "Cenotaph" on it..
and probably more that I forgot..

The lifechanging one:

Death-Leprosy...

Gosh, what didn´t I do to try to emulate that kick and snare sound...
never quite got the fact that it was a trigger pumping out the those sounds of death!! Those were the days...

 

[~BURNY~]

-OT: Wow Dan! Nice to have you here! -

 

[KnifeVariable]

I listen to old thrash records as much as I listen to other stuff - 50/50 I'd say... The difference between those and modern productions is very noticable indeed, but - call me whatever - it really doesn't matter to me. That's right, I don't care if it sounds "thin" or "cheesy" or whatever - if the vibe's there and I can feel it, then it's awesome. Fabulous Disaster, Blood Fire Death, Handle With Care, Eternal Nightmare, Spreading the Disease - these records still make me want to break stuff!
And while a great guitar sound is cool and all, for me it's not a prerequisite for a powerful metal record. Could it be that's what (flame alert) "generation metalcore" can't understand? I mean, how can someone NOT go apeshit when listening to Speak English or Die? Yeah I don't know! But these kids can listen to it and get bored and comment about how shitty that record sounds, I wonder - is it feet they're using to listen with? That record is a great example because it's packed full with asbolutely insane mosh riffs.

Sorry for the derail there, anyway - I remember totally loving the way Artillery's "Terror Squad" sounded! I downloaded it just last week to hear it again after uhh 18 years - well, it sounds different now!


EDIT:
Oh hello Dan!

 

[sparkyness]

SOD? hah!.....I want some milk, my coffee grows cold. I had that on vinyl....Billy Milano....where art thou?

I agree that "vibe" overrides production. Rust in Peace is still my favourite metal record ever. It did make me "break stuff". Although that production is stellar. Same with Slayer's Reign/South/Seasons which are all 15-20 years old and absolutely brutal. Sadly, I dunno if I can sit through Flotsam & Jetsam's NPFD anymore.....although I love some of those songs.

At the recent Slayer gig here in Dublin, I was sat next to a couple of "generation metalcore" heads talk shit about the production on those albums. I couldn't do anything but laugh.

 

[WeeFace]

Really cool sounding stuff from that era, to my ears....
The hi-fi:
Death - Spiritual Healing
Forbidden - Forbidden Evil
Hobbs Angel of Death - s/t
Carcass - Heartwork
Bolt Thrower - the album with "Cenotaph" on it..
and probably more that I forgot..

The lifechanging one:

Death-Leprosy...

Gosh, what didn´t I do to try to emulate that kick and snare sound...
never quite got the fact that it was a trigger pumping out the those sounds of death!! Those were the days...

Funny that, my favourite sounding albums of recent years - Resurrection Through Carnage and Nightmares Made Flesh

 

[chaosmonger]

2 pre-internet-era albums that IMHO sound awesome, even for today's standards:

Queensryche's "Empire" ..... man, it was released in 1990 and to this day it still sounds so fuckin huge and clear .... it's just amazing.

"South of Heaven" also sounds phenomenal.

Just my 0.002 cents

 

[sparkyness]

Eddie Jackson's bass tone on Empire is one of my favourites. Makes me want to buy an old Spector NS-2 just because of that.

 

[metalkingdom]

I agree that "vibe" overrides production.

It's actually one in the same. Mixing isn't really about sonics, it's about the music. Sonics can definitely play a part in that, but a great artist/performance/song will rise over a mediocre mix every time.

This concept doesn't apply to EOR.

Empire sounds awesome. Jimbo!!!

South Of Heaven is truly one of the greatest metal productions ever. To this day it sounds incredible. No gimmicks, tricks, or blatant fx.

 

[Gnash]

SOD? ....Billy Milano....where art thou?

RIGHT HERE!!

Do a forum jump, and look under B.