One of the coolest progressive instrumentals I ever mixed

[Ermz]

This one came out last year. It's the closing track from Knightmare's 'In Death's Shadow'. I remember spending an entire day just mixing the cinematic intro. The session track count topped out just over 220 for this song.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/285689/Music/Knightmare - Judgment.mp3

I think it's a cool bit of music. Hope you guys like.

 

[MetalMiller]

Wow, don´t tell me these are sampled strings (beginning part), they sound awesome. First blastbeat is a tad to static for my taste, don´t you automate the vloume of the snare? What i like most about your mixes are the smooth transients. I struggle a lot with hard peaks on snare. Nice track!

 

[Ermz]

The lead cello and guitars are real, everything else is Omnisphere. Programmed drums on this, so they do suffer from a bit of ye old rat-tat-tat effect.

 

[Keregioz]

The intro is really cool but when the drums kick in I think the whole thing goes a bit overboard. They try to cram in too much stuff together. Sometimes you just have to make sacrifices and choose to lose some parts but in the end it will benefit the music. I know this from experience because I too like layering when I'm writing music and I know that there comes a point where it has the opposite of the desired effect. This has nothing to do with the quality of the mix btw, I thought it was pretty good considering the number of tracks you had to work with.

 

[LeSedna]

If the whole music were like the cinematic intro, it would be killer. To me the magic stops when all the instruments come in even though then the instrumental is cool, still. I don't think the drums are overkill, I think it's more the contrast between the airy orchestral/electronic instrumental vs clustered distorted metal band sound which create this feeling. It would maybe be more natural listening to the whole album though, where the arranged part would be a pause and the actual band playing the normal sound you're expecting in the first place.

 

[Keregioz]

I don't think the drums are overkill, I think it's more the contrast between the airy orchestral/electronic instrumental vs clustered distorted metal band sound which create this feeling

That is what I meant...when I said "they go overboard" I meant the band not the drums, sorry I guess I didn't express it correctly.

 

[Ermz]

The album has a pretty consistent mixture of soundscape vs heavy metal stuff throughout, but I think the intro to this song is probably the most epic and serene part on the record.

Another song from the record, for context:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt_bLjABFQ8

 

[Nuno Filipe]

220 tracks? That´s insane. Apart from the intro, I cant hear multiples instruments playing different things. As Keregioz said, they put too much stuff in the track and the funny thing is when guitars/bass/drums are playing all I hear is strings supporting the guitars but not doing something that makes a big difference. The strings have too much low end, and to cut more in the mix they probably could be played an octave higher.

 

[Vicioushead]

Interesting stuff, that's for sure.

 

[Bay Studio]

Man, i´m listening to the intro right now (for the 4th time) and it´s KILLER! Same here...i think its a loudness-war/too much when the drums,gtrs etc come in.
Ermz, i´m fascinated by the massive sustain the lead gtr has in the intro. Got any info on that? Those notes just stand and sing for ever!!! Great stuff!

 

[Arkhamusic]

Insane progressive moving music!

even there's so much difference betweet intro and full band, i never get bored listen to this 10 minutes song.
Now i'm listening for the 7 times, Epic it's Epic both music and production!