Opeth's music has fallen victim to the Loudness War

Now that I think about that, there is buch of CD:s that I just can't listen to for a long time. It has nothing to with music being shitty but it just being recorded too damn loud. In most cases I've heard that the old CD:s have been mentioned to sound bad because of the master been made to vinyl or something... So there´s not proper master for Compact Discs. Is it true?

I quote this from my 1986 Chicago disc: "The music on this compact digital disc was originally recorded on analog equipment. We have attempted to preserve, as closely as possible, the sound of the original recording because of its high resolutuion, however, the compact disc can reveal limitations of the source tape."
 
Because people are more likely to be listening to modern music on their iPods on the way to work, or in the car with fairly loud background traffic/engine noise.

It makes commercial sense. They are catering towards the lowest common denominator. The majority of people aren't audiophiles, nor do they have great sound reproduction systems.

I mean you seem to be throwing these questions at me as if I should be stumped, but I think you already understand *why* it happens. The sole reason that Opeth's, or any artist's music is available worldwide in hard copy format is because of the management/marketing etc. people involved in getting us to first know about the band, and then providing us relatively easy access to the records. Their goal is to reach as broad a market as possible, and that goal is reached by making the album hotter.

Alright, well I suppose I don't mean to be throwing questions at you specifically, just ranting a little maybe. I appreciate your responses.

About the Sneap forum thread, I've forgotten what it was called. I think it was featured on the main forum section (there's a ton of sub-forums now). You may have some luck searching strings like 'loudness war, mastering, squashing'.
I'll look, thanks.

I really think this entire topic is a bit of an exaggeration.

As much as there is the occasional blatant offender in the loudness war, Opeth, IMO, isn't one of them.

As far as I can tell and understand, yes Opeth is definitely far from the worst, but they're still offenders. You can say it's Sneap's style on Deliverance, or point out the soft sections of Opeth songs on GR, but the characteristics are still present.

When you say you feel the modern metal sound includes some compression and limiting, I have a hard time thinking this sound didn't solely derive from the effects of the loudness crusade, and I have a hard time acknowledging it as a metal sound at all, since obviously every kind of modern music (save for classical, I assume) is being effected by the same compression/limiting.
 
seance = wrong
moonlapse = write.

thread/end

:err:

that isn't even relevant. I want discussion, not to "win", but it doesn't seem like this thread will go any further, at least here. thanks to those who responded.

except you Kenneth. I HATE YOU
 
:err:

that isn't even relevant. I want discussion, not to "win", but it doesn't seem like this thread will go any further, at least here. thanks to those who responded.

If it makes you feel any better, I 100% agree with you. I suppose people would rather damage their hearing with distorted treble and clipped wavforms than hear what is actually occurring in the studio. Metal is NOT pop; it should not sound like shit. Again, Opeth are very MINOR offenders in the grand scheme of things, but they are, nevertheless. Let's face it, it's not like their albums are mastered by Steve Hoffman or Doug Sax or Alan Parsons. That is not taking away from Opeth, but the issue still needs to be addressed. Just because we have hit a wall with 16 bit volume, it does not mean that should be "oh well, at least it does not suck even more." Opeth writes music that is much better than almost anything ever released by MFSL, DCC, or Sony Mastersound; I just wish their music received the same treatment.

I would love it if Opeth would tone down then overall volume in the digital domain, and we, as consumers, can get off our asses and turn up the volume with our amps.
 
I appreciate that, as well as your first post. You said a lot of what I wanted to say, only about 100x better. :oops:
 
I totally understand teh argument here...and agree with Seance on some points and with moonlapse with some too..>!!!!......i personally donot think opeth is severly affected by this....as many have said it .......but yeah this trend def....is a mood killer.....u cannot really enjoy teh whole atmosphere of teh sound with teh frequencies missing and meshed up sound......it jsut isnt right.....!!!!!!.....heck the reason I dont haev ipod and dont buy stuff from itunes is coz...im not a fan of teh 128K mp3......it takes away alot of the sound....and with this loudness war some of that is alreayd happening..and by teh tome u d/l ure mp3...teh soudn has goen through 2 grades of meshing .....so its relaly not pleasnt to listen to.....agna Opeth is nota big offender...but this trned is affecting every band ....adn it needs to die off....and only teh music buying public can change that by rioting and burning record execx effiges in teh street..!!!!....PEAC EOUT
 
Are the vinyl version of Opeth releases as equally distorted as the CD versions in terms of the breadth of sound being reduced for this loudness war?

Probably just a cutting from the digital master, so they will probably sound almost the same... but I could be wrong.
 
I totally understand teh argument here...and agree with Seance on some points and with moonlapse with some too..>!!!!......i personally donot think opeth is severly affected by this....as many have said it .......but yeah this trend def....is a mood killer.....u cannot really enjoy teh whole atmosphere of teh sound with teh frequencies missing and meshed up sound......it jsut isnt right.....!!!!!!.....heck the reason I dont haev ipod and dont buy stuff from itunes is coz...im not a fan of teh 128K mp3......it takes away alot of the sound....and with this loudness war some of that is alreayd happening..and by teh tome u d/l ure mp3...teh soudn has goen through 2 grades of meshing .....so its relaly not pleasnt to listen to.....agna Opeth is nota big offender...but this trned is affecting every band ....adn it needs to die off....and only teh music buying public can change that by rioting and burning record execx effiges in teh street..!!!!....PEAC EOUT


Could you do me a lil favour plz? Just a little tiny one. NEVER EVER COME BACK TO THIS FORUM IF YOU'RE GONNA TYPE LIKE THAT.

I mean, you don't really think anyones reading anything that you say when you type like that don't you? It's pure spam with some incripted hidden message behind it. QUIT IT.

**end of outragous outburst**
 
Could you do me a lil favour plz? Just a little tiny one. NEVER EVER COME BACK TO THIS FORUM IF YOU'RE GONNA TYPE LIKE THAT.

I mean, you don't really think anyones reading anything that you say when you type like that don't you? It's pure spam with some incripted hidden message behind it. QUIT IT.

**end of outragous outburst**

wow.....someone has sand in thier vagina.....:rolleyes: alright...hahha....just kiddin....im sorry u had to read my post...but come on...u dont haev to u know...u can always put me on ignore...many have...adn are leading stress free lives.....!!!!!...PEAC EOUT
 
has anyone ever talked to waz outside of the forum. Does he still type like a paint ridden child?
 
has anyone ever talked to waz outside of the forum. Does he still type like a paint ridden child?

I still ahev mail correspondence with a few friends....Mail as in regular...write with a pen and paper mail....and they always prasie my hand writing...i guess its a give and take situation...i haev excellent hand wriritng but poor typing skills....o well....u cant always get what u want.......alright....i know someones gonna quote teh next line....so Ill save u the trouble...but if u try someteims...u jsut might find...u get what u need.....o well.....but yeah.....sorry for the bad typing......!!!!...PEAC EOUT
 
I still ahev mail correspondence with a few friends....Mail as in regular...write with a pen and paper mail....and they always prasie my hand writing...i guess its a give and take situation...i haev excellent hand wriritng but poor typing skills....o well....u cant always get what u want.......alright....i know someones gonna quote teh next line....so Ill save u the trouble...but if u try someteims...u jsut might find...u get what u need.....o well.....but yeah.....sorry for the bad typing......!!!!...PEAC EOUT

lol poor typing skills? try poor grammar, poor structure and poor punctuation.