TESTAMENT

[thefyn]

Why in the hell would anyone be happy about that? I mean, shouldn't you want to get better at production/engineering, rather than settle for less, because you think it could make you some quick money? If some band's and their respective labels are settling for sub-par production these days, that's no reason for everyone with an MBox to go swooping in on the scene like a bunch of Vultures.

IMO you are 100% WRONG.

There is EVERY REASON for everyone with an MBox to flood the scene. So the best rise to the top. HUGE production has limited the bands that we get to hear. Quick HONEST production will allow us to have a bigger pool to choose from.

Instead of these bands agonizing over every nuance of the production they can concentrate more on the music.

How many musicians on these boards have got so deep into the recording process that it has engulfed/eclipsed their recording and SLOWED DOWN their creativity?

Nearly every clip on here comes with an "It isn't finished yet" disclaimer.

Now how many people on these boards could get a better production than the Gama Bomb CD?

A LOT! So pat yourselves on the backs for the hard work, and start recording and producing. AND (gasp) FINISHING ALBUMS.

It no longer has to be a polished monolyth of perfection to be accepted, in fact a lot of us are TIRED of it and want some grit.

 

[Genius Gone Insane]

IMO you are 100% WRONG.

There is EVERY REASON for everyone with an MBox to flood the scene. So the best rise to the top. HUGE production has limited the bands that we get to hear. Quick HONEST production will allow us to have a bigger pool to choose from.

Instead of these bands agonizing over every nuance of the production they can concentrate more on the music.

How many musicians on these boards have got so deep into the recording process that it has engulfed/eclipsed their recording and SLOWED DOWN their creativity?

Nearly every clip on here comes with an "It isn't finished yet" disclaimer.

Now how many people on these boards could get a better production than the Gama Bomb CD?

A LOT! So pat yourselves on the backs for the hard work, and start recording and producing. AND (gasp) FINISHING ALBUMS.

It no longer has to be a polished monolyth of perfection to be accepted, in fact a lot of us are TIRED of it and want some grit.

Wow didn't realize your stock could sink further! I think you just bankrupted yourself. See JP22 for new identity and "Junior Member" status so you can start reposting again!

 

[Tommy Gun]

IMO you are 100% WRONG.
There is EVERY REASON for everyone with an MBox to flood the scene. So the best rise to the top. HUGE production has limited the bands that we get to hear. Quick HONEST production will allow us to have a bigger pool to choose from.

What?! NOTHING has limited the amount of bands you can listen to/check out, regardless of label support or where they record. It's called Myspace. Look into it. There are ridiculous amounts of bands there, who are now able to track their stuff however they want, and provide you with the convenience of listening to it whenever you like.

Instead of these bands agonizing over every nuance of the production they can concentrate more on the music.

Bands are NOT supposed to agonize over production. That is a PRODUCER'S job.

How many musicians on these boards have got so deep into the recording process that it has engulfed/eclipsed their recording and SLOWED DOWN their creativity?

Maybe, they don't have their priorities in order and are not sure yet whether they want to be musician's or engineers. That would be their problem to solve.

It no longer has to be a polished monolyth of perfection to be accepted, in fact a lot of us are TIRED of it and want some grit.

Grit, huh? You gonna tell me that the last couple of EXODUS records didn't have any grit?!

In conclusion:
Maybe I'm wrong here, but it seems to me that you might just be in the wrong forum with these opinions... AND most likely the wrong line of work, if you are an engineer. The only time I've seen your philosophies apply in the studio is when recording a Crust Punk or Grindcore band...
This thread is clearly titled TESTAMENT!

 

[LSD-Studio]

This thread is clearly titled TESTAMENT!

and it's the band, the producer and sometimes the label that decides how the album has to sound....they made their decision!
Live with it or listen to productions you like better.
tastes differ, you've written a heap of posts to tell us about your taste (or rather convince us of it being the only correct one), everyone has gotten your point!
why not just shut it now? what are you expecting by continuing this nonsense?

 

[Andy Sneap]

how has huge production limited the amount of bands we get to hear? There's always been that DIY underground mentality in most forms of music, which guess what, has always stayed underground and small for a reason. Maybe a few crusty punks and several hundred stoners convinced themselves it was really cool (and vinyl sounded better). I'm all for quality in the music business, 15 years ago there would be an average of 15 metal albums a month released, we are now past 40 and guess what, most of it is shit and recorded on a budget with a label thats not putting anything into the bands.

 

[Genius Gone Insane]

most of it is shit and recorded on a budget with a label thats not putting anything into the bands.

That's a little harsh, even for a bitter Red coat! C'mon, these guys may not be virtuosos, but at least they are able to put stuff out.

 

[Andy Sneap]

no its not harsh, there is alot of rubbish out there, the whole industry has become very watered down and it seems like everyone and their dog are releasing home recorded albums.

 

[JBroll]

IMO you are 100% WRONG.

There is EVERY REASON for everyone with an MBox to flood the scene. So the best rise to the top. HUGE production has limited the bands that we get to hear. Quick HONEST production will allow us to have a bigger pool to choose from.

Instead of these bands agonizing over every nuance of the production they can concentrate more on the music.

How many musicians on these boards have got so deep into the recording process that it has engulfed/eclipsed their recording and SLOWED DOWN their creativity?

Nearly every clip on here comes with an "It isn't finished yet" disclaimer.

Now how many people on these boards could get a better production than the Gama Bomb CD?

A LOT! So pat yourselves on the backs for the hard work, and start recording and producing. AND (gasp) FINISHING ALBUMS.

It no longer has to be a polished monolyth of perfection to be accepted, in fact a lot of us are TIRED of it and want some grit.

You've just wasted entirely too much of everyone's time. If you think that many people would rather have a shit- sorry, 'gritty' production, start DOING THEM and stop trying to convince people who know much better than you what they're doing and what their customers want that your way is supreme.

Do you really think most 'true thrash metal' bands wouldn't just think you're a total twat who needed to shut the fuck up if they read this crusading bullshit of yours? You clearly don't have Megadeth, Testament, Exodus, Kreator, or (big surprise) Sabbat on your side. In fact, I'd like to find out exactly who DOES agree with you... so that I can avoid them and not run into this bullshit elitist 'better is worse because... it is' mentality.

Finally, your posts have NOTHING to do with the actual production on the Testament albums, as they're just bitching about how you, in your infinite thrash wisdom, would have done it better by not having a fucking clue what you're doing. If you're going to humiliate yourself like this, at least have the decency to do it in another thread that people can avoid if they don't want to put up with this.

Remember that this thread is about Testament. Not thefyn's ego, not clippings from Kerrang, Testament - a true thrash metal band that thinks that you're wrong.

Jeff

 

[Skyweaver]

no its not harsh, there is alot of rubbish out there, the whole industry has become very watered down and it seems like everyone and their dog are releasing home recorded albums.

The real danger with home release is the lack of a "Producer" the quality and accessibility of the tools to record has improved so much, but so has the fuckwit factor....

Any tool and spend $ on a setup, but will they have experience, understand acoustics, engineering, mixing, song structure.......

The role of the Producer I think is really important - more than ever

 

[TravisW]

how has huge production limited the amount of bands we get to hear? There's always been that DIY underground mentality in most forms of music, which guess what, has always stayed underground and small for a reason. Maybe a few crusty punks and several hundred stoners convinced themselves it was really cool (and vinyl sounded better). I'm all for quality in the music business, 15 years ago there would be an average of 15 metal albums a month released, we are now past 40 and guess what, most of it is shit and recorded on a budget with a label thats not putting anything into the bands.

Interstingly enough, my buddy's previous band (sort of a bizarre blend of indie punk, pop, and metal) was considered "not indie enough" because apparently one of their guitarists did too good a job of recording them. Huge is terribly relative. http://www.myspace.com/thediversionscene (first song is completely live--I was there when it was recorded. Singer is....well....ok)

Killing is My Business (and Business is Good!!!) was somewhat successful largely because Dave Mustaine had written half of Kill 'Em All and everybody knew it. The album sounds like crap. It sounded like crap compared to its contemporaries. Dave remixed it. It sounds somewhat better, but the production is still crap. I would absolutely love to hear those songs re-recorded, along the lines of First Strike, Still Deadly. But, that's an aside.

Good ears=good sounds. Most of the local studios here still don't get tones as good as the first freakin' Boston album, which was recorded in a basement in 1976, and I guarantee that the equipment is a hell of a lot better than Tom Scholz had. "Huge Production" isn't the province of people with jillions of dollars behind them---to be honest, it never really was. Bands need to have their own quality control. In most cases, that QC means producers who care enough to make a band sound as good as possible rather than just boosting egos. It's remarkable how many horrible guitar tones are still out there when you consider how much guidance there is today. When I was first starting on guitar (late 80s), my main concern was whether I could get enough distortion to play Van Halen songs (seriously). Everybody and their son was scooping what midrange their amps had. It turns out that those amp-designer-guys knew that the guitar actually only reallyexists in the midrange. That apparently esoteric knowledge apparently never made it into the realm of "And Justice For All" or "Souls of Black", because both had horrible tones across the entire tonal spectrum. Sonically, "Long Live Rock and Roll" by Rainbow is better than a LOT of thrash albums.

Shit, I'm halfway into a bottle of Bushmills and I'm running out of valid points. I listened to Kreator's "Violent Revolution" all day. Needless to say, I'm a Sneap fan, largely because he makes bands that I like sound good. If there are a jillion Sneap clones, it just means that I can hire one for cheaper.

 

[thefyn]

Wow didn't realize your stock could sink further! I think you just bankrupted yourself. See JP22 for new identity and "Junior Member" status so you can start reposting again!

I'd love to answer however "Genius Gone Runnin' To The Mods" and I don't want to get reported again. uke:

 

[JBroll]

Okay, vocal chain - I'm going to guess the SM7-Distressor thing. How far off am I?

Jeff

 

[smy1]

Okay, vocal chain - I'm going to guess the SM7-Distressor thing. How far off am I?

Jeff

Quite off.

It didn't look like an SM7 to me on the video. I don't know what mic it is though ...

 

[LSD-Studio]

I'd love to answer however "Genius Gone Runnin' To The Mods" and I don't want to get reported again. uke:

there are only two mods here...one is Brett (starter of this thread) and one is Andy (guess you've heard of him).

both are definitely following this thread and can read themselves, no need to report anyone.

 

[thefyn]

there are only two mods here...one is Brett (starter of this thread) and one is Andy (guess you've heard of him).

both are definitely following this thread and can read themselves, no need to report anyone.

I was reported. It was an Ultimate Metal admin.



Haha. I am an annoying twat sometimes. But I seemed to have to constantly define what everyone was calling crappy production. My whole point was I think there is a difference between capturing the essence of a band (like Masterdon did) to hearing JFAC who could never recreate that vibe live that they had on their album.

As it is Andy is showcasing HIS skills and not the bands. OBVIOUSLY this is to great benefit to the band. My gripe is Testament related. How Bostaphs drums are lost in a sea of clones because of triggers etc etc. I respect Bostaph and Nevermore etc because they can do it WITHOUT the studio steroids. Their hits don't have to be adjusted and squashed to match, their double bass does not have to be moused in place etc etc etc.

I am pissed off that hack drummers can drumagog themselves into sounding like they can play as good as the Bostaphs of this world.

I soweee.

I am fed up of bands that can not do what it says on the tin live.

 

[Tommy Gun]

As it is Andy is showcasing HIS skills and not the bands. OBVIOUSLY this is to great benefit to the band. My gripe is Testament related. How Bostaphs drums are lost in a sea of clones because of triggers etc etc. I respect Bostaph and Nevermore etc because they can do it WITHOUT the studio steroids. Their hits don't have to be adjusted and squashed to match, their double bass does not have to be moused in place etc etc etc.

I am pissed off that hack drummers can drumagog themselves into sounding like they can play as good as the Bostaphs of this world.

I soweee.

I am fed up of bands that can not do what it says on the tin live.

WRONG! Andy, Zeuss, Colin Richardson, and the rest of the "Heavy-Hitters" are NOT showcasing their own skills. They are USING their skills to showcase the bands that employ them to do EXACTLY THAT! And I still don't see a point in you complaining about the Testament record. From what I've heard, the only drum replacement was on the kick. EVEN PUNK BANDS DO THAT MUCH!

Furthermore... I see your statement above as an attack on Andy's morals and production philosophies. That is WAY out of line, considering this forum bares his name.

 

[MetalAges]

I'm stepping in as owner of Ultimate Metal (which part of the responsibility is watching over ALL forums for too much user fighting/troublemaking/trolling/my-opinion-rules-everyone-else-is-wrong attitudes.

That said, fyn, as I said in private which you chose to make public, chill out and move on. Others, let's get back on topic.

 

[Altitudes]

Congrats Andy! The new album sounds great!

 

[Jaymz]

How many tracks of guitar on this album?

 

[Andy Sneap]

4 mainly, 2 on the faster one tho