The Production Of An Album

[MetalManCPA]

The Funeral Portrait - my favorite Opeth album

The new Soilwork album
The new Dimmu Borgir album

...my favorites of those bands.

I've pretty much always known this about my tastes in music (and movies too), but for me to thoroughly enjoy the experience, the production plays an integral and key role in my enjoyment.

Now, for a band like Opeth, their talent alone carries them. But, to my ears, the production of Blackwater Park makes that album seem more complete to me - fuller, richer, more ear candy.

For lesser bands, good production can make a pretty good album, and it would take a live show to expose some musical shortcomings.

I'm like this with movies too. It seems that in many of my "favorite" movies, production plays a key role - for example:
The Matrix
Terminator 2
The Mummy
Independence Day
...all movies where the sights and sounds the production team created added that extra layer to my experience.

I am in no way taking away from the talent of the artists. A good band really has to have talent first - the production is a benefit. But we talk so much about musical talent of bands and individuals, and never really talk about the producers behind the scenes. They are very important to me, and a good band needs to find a good producer in order to complete the vision (IMHO).

 

[requiem]

That's a fair assessment. I love a good production too, especially on the latest Dimmu and Opeth albums.

There are also times that a good old rough production works well too. For instance, early Darkthrone and Mayhem (if you like Black Metal), or early Anathema and My Dying Bride (if you're into Doom).

Emperor's 'Prometheus' is another case of great album, great production, while 'In the Nightside Eclipse' is a case of great album, poor production.

At the end of the day, there's nothing better than a great production, but there's always room for the older stuff.

 

[SentencedToBurn]

yea production does play a key role. i cant stand bad production, with the exeption of a couple things. i cant stand emperor's "wrath of the tyrants" but i love all of emperor's other stuff. but the production on that album is so bad you cant even hear whats going on. I love great production though, its does really add to the music.

 

[MacMoney]

Good production on the new Dimmu Borgir? That overproduced piece of crap? Everything sounds so goddamn artificial. Same with Soilwork.

Production makes an album great yes, but it is supposed to be a fitting production, not "on the cutting edge of technology" production. Comparing lots of death metal bands of today to the death metal bands of the late 80's and early 90's and most of today's bands sound very overproduced.

 

[Fyhed]

I like the early 90's Scott Burns Production sound.....

Focus by Cynic is my favourite album which is produced by Scott Burns....

 

[MadTinus]

Originally posted by MacMoney
Good production on the new Dimmu Borgir? That overproduced piece of crap? Everything sounds so goddamn artificial. Same with Soilwork.

Production makes an album great yes, but it is supposed to be a fitting production, not "on the cutting edge of technology" production. Comparing lots of death metal bands of today to the death metal bands of the late 80's and early 90's and most of today's bands sound very overproduced.

I agree (on Dimmu, not Soilwork), the new Dimmu Borgir album is an example of an album that is OVER produced if you ask me. I pay attention to drums a lot and the drums on that album are WAY overproduced. Triggers can help, but this is just way too much, all of the natural sound of drums has been taken out, it's just plastic. Same thing with the new Arch Enemy, the last Morbid Angel, CoF "Midian", Dispatched "Motherwar" (the perfect example of what sucks about Abyss)...

A good example of succesful triggering is "Black Seeds..." of Nile, it's triggered, but the natural sound is preserved, that's the way it should be. You're hearing a drummer (an incredible one), not a drummachine!

I used to (and still do) favour Fredman over Abyss (which I never thought was a great studio), but Fredman is starting to produce a lot of "plastic" like Abyss now too, shame... Listen to albums like In Flames "The Jester Race", DT "The Gallery" or Embraced "Amorous Anathema", those are the kind of productions I love Fredman for. The new Dark Tranquillity has a great (Fredman) production again though. The new Soilwork has a massive sound too, it's pretty "produced" yes, but the naturality is still there.

I think a production doesn't necessarilly have to be let's say "expensive", it should fit the music. Opeth definitely had a bigger budget for the last albums than for "Morningrise", but I liked that older sound better really. The new sound is too "old" in my opinion, the guitars may be a bit smoother for me.

But to continue on the "production must fit music" thing, f. ex. I really like Emperor's "Emperor" MCD, I actually prefer those versions of "I Am The Black Wizards" and "Cosmic Keys..." over those on "Nightside", both productions aren't very good, but somehow I find that sound on the MCD very listenable and contribute to the atmosphere of the music.

 

[Slayed Necros]

"Good production on the new Dimmu Borgir? That overproduced piece of crap? Everything sounds so goddamn artificial. Same with Soilwork. "

I couldn't agree more...Sometimes bad prodution adds to the atmosphere of the album..Mainly in the case of Black Metal.