So I finally checked out Stabbing The Drama today

[GarethSE]

The amount you guys rave about the music the production has forced me to get the album.
Amazing stuff.
I checked these guys out a few years back and I didn't dig it. What the fuck was wrong with me? haha

Seriously, holy fucking shit.

 

[Randyisgod15]

Stabbing the Drama was a great album all around. I remember getting into Soilwork right before Stabbing the Drama came out. Totally blew my mind.....and my speakers because that and Figure Number Five were always rattling the walls of my house.

 

[Uladyne]

I don't dig their post-Natural Born Chaos stuff so much. I mean its good and all, but compared to NBC and Predators Portrait the new stuff seems almost mediocre. Perhaps they raised the bar a bit too high back then.

 

[GarethSE]

I'll check those albums out when I've finished digesting this one.
The production on STD (roflroflroflroflrofl >.>) is truly immense. I'm hearing a hint of In Flames - Soundtrack to your escape in the STD snare aswell. Not a bad thing at all. Probably my favourite snare drum sound ever.
Sweet tunes aswell.

 

[Uladyne]

Yea I thought those drums were sweet as hell at first, but then they started getting on my nerves. It almost sounds like they (I think it was Daniel Bergstrand who produced it) set up a kit for In Flames' Reroute To Remain, and left everything set up for years and used them to record the drums for Soundtrack To Your Escape, Stabbing The Drama, and perhaps Darkane's Expanding Senses and Mercenary's The Hours That Remain, possibly among others. I would just think its a sample set that's been overused, but from what I heard, no samples were used on the STD drums, so i dunno. Maybe Daniel just has a certain formula he sticks with. Hell, I don't even know if he actually produced all those projects or not. It's definitely an awesome drum sound, but after playing the fuck out of all those albums, whenever I hear that snare sound anymore it almost makes me cringe. It's like "aww, c'mon, this one, too?" Maybe because its so unique it just stands out like a sore thumb for me.

But yea, it's still a good album. Enjoy it, man. It's a rare case to stumble upon a sweet record these days. I'm currently exploring Opeth's Watershed. I can't quite say they're my favorite band, but I'm starting to think that perhaps they're the most talented band on Earth.

 

[GarethSE]

Couldn't stand Watershed at first, my opinion of it has improved recently, but it still comes off as extremely self indulgent.
I used to be into bands giving obscure 70's prog a slippery reach around, but recently it's just started pissing me off.
But still, Watershed really is so much better than most music out there at the minute, but in comparison to Opeth's other stuff, it's weak beans indeed.

 

[Ermz]

Watershed, what?

The snare on STD definitely sounds sampled to me. I've never really been a big fan of that drum sound, or the guitar tone on that album. The magic is in the way it all gels into a cohesive mix. The drums just sound like someone is hitting plastic tubs with no weight to them. Yet on the other hand they are very articulate and clear. The bass sits in a wonderful place on this album though - More in the subs than mid-bass.

 

[GarethSE]

Watershed, what?

The snare on STD definitely sounds sampled to me. I've never really been a big fan of that drum sound, or the guitar tone on that album. The magic is in the way it all gels into a cohesive mix. The drums just sound like someone is hitting plastic tubs with no weight to them. Yet on the other hand they are very articulate and clear. The bass sits in a wonderful place on this album though - More in the subs than mid-bass.

I was replying to Uladyne haha.
And aye, aside from the snare, all the elements of the mix wouldn't usually appeal to me on their own, but together it sounds absoloutely fantastic.

 

[LSD-Studio]

while I think the production is good on STD I really don't see how you guy think it's that great....

 

[abyssofdreams]

The things that make STD stand out for me are the ambience drums and the HUGE, tight bass.

 

[Meisterjäger]

OH, the BASS... it's just perfect on that album

 

[Ermz]

It's technically almost perfect (for the current stereo medium we use, with loudspeaker playback limitations). It's one of those mixes where you can say 'I don't like that or that' individually, but when it all comes together, holy crap. Everything 'sits' so very very well.

 

[dan weapon]

There is something very precision and pro-tooled about StD - almost mechanical. But I really like it, song and production-wise.

It's kinda nu-metally in places, but some amazing choruses.

 

[Metaltastic]

Just noticing now that it's not really mastered that loud either, to its credit. And the stereo imaging on the mix (as strange as that sounds) is amazingly defined - I've never heard a "phantom center speaker" with these speakers as much as this album - that snare seriously sounds like it's originating inside my head

 

[Chryst Krispies]

I think I'm going to have to go back and check out this fricken album again seeing as how everyone's pissing their britches over this stuff. I never put much credit to this album in the past....

 

[tobin1]

I'm still not understanding how everyone bashes everything after natural born chaos with Soilwork, STD has the most in your face mix of extreme metal and yet a catchy edge, while accenting their completely amazing singer...but yet you guys praise Scar Symmetry...for doing basically the same exact thing? Of course its going to be a different sound than Predators Portrait/Steelbath/Chainheart (THE perfect albums), who would want to put out the same cd 10 times? I know I wouldn't, and how do you top something that just about cant be topped? I find it very hard to believe that any kind of Soilwork fan cannot listen to STD all the way through and not love it.


Soilwork for LIFE! Wait until Peter starts the new album with them, hopefully we can all forget Sworn to a Great Divide never existed.

 

[Machinated]

I love all of Soilworks stuff. Call me crazy, but I actually think their newer stuff is more unique than the stuff they were churning out in their earlier days.....

 

[Machinated]

Also the synths sound fucking fantastic on STD.

 

[abyssofdreams]

Just noticing now that it's not really mastered that loud either, to its credit. And the stereo imaging on the mix (as strange as that sounds) is amazingly defined - I've never heard a "phantom center speaker" with these speakers as much as this album - that snare seriously sounds like it's originating inside my head

About the mastering:

And about the center image. I've analyzed this album a few times in depth and it's got an unusual amout of (controlled/defined) mids in the guitars and especially the snare track around 1-2k that make them stand out a lot more without clouding the rest.

 

[Aaron Smith]

OH, the BASS... it's just perfect on that album

I've definitely noticed this in my car... Extremely full and equally precise.