Top production albums everyone should have?

[silvermaples]

What do you guys feel are the top production albums that everyone should have in their collection. Not MP3's but actual cd's, and I mean production as in just amazing sounding, everything seems to fit where it should, that kind of thing.

Like maybe the Black album (Metallica) or Silence (Sonata Arctica) or Megadeth... or Johnny Cash, It doesn't have to be metal I don't guess, just albums that you listen to and are like "damn how did they get that guitar sound" or "mother of god those drums are huge"

Cheers
-Cory

 

[Lasse Lammert]

DEFINITELY Kings X - Dogman!!!!!!!
RHCP-Blood Sugar....
Metallica - Metallica

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

DEFINITELY Kings X - Dogman!!!!!!!
RHCP-Blood Sugar....
Metallica - Metallica

These absolutely! To add a couple:

Paramore - Riot
Nickelback - All the right reasons
Tool - 10.000 Days

And personally I absolutely love Audioslave - Revelations.

 

[Toxic_Lord]

Megadeth - Youthanasia (1994)
Judas Priest - Turbo (1986)
Metal Church - The Dark (1986)
Metallica Ride the Lightning (1984)
Ozzy Osbourne - Bark at the Moon (1983)
Sacred Reich - Ignorance (1987)
Sepultura - Beneath The Remains (1989)
Venom - Black metal ( 1982)
Annihilator - Alice in Hell ( 1989)

Some examples... All are refereces for me! I love the sound of these albums!!

I have to say that the sound is something very subjective!!

 

[Mattayus]

DEFINITELY Kings X - Dogman!!!!!!!

Fuck yes Lasse! I threw this album on in the car last week and it still blows my mind to this day! So so so so heavy for the era, and, to a degree, for the style!

 

[Lionwing]

From what I've gathered, around here these are considered god tier:

In Flames - Clayman
Soilwork - Stabbing the Drama
Nevermore - This Godless Endeavor
maybe Killswitch Engage - End of Heartache

Personally I love Adam D's production style:

AILD - The Powerless Rise
ADTR - Homesick

And anything by SYL/Devin Townsend

EDIT: Forgot to add my personal favourite: Ghost Reveries by Opeth

 

[dcb]

nickelback - dark horse
limp bizkit - csathfw
gojira - the way of all flesh
deftones - diamond eyes (mainly the cla mix)
peter gabriel - scratch my back
paramore - riot
breaking benjamin - dear agony

 

[Ermz]

Nickelback - All the Right Reasons (everything)
Alice in Chains - Black Gives Way to Blue (everything + best snare sound ever)
Soilwork - Stabbing the Drama (low-end, mix clarity)
Nightrage - Sweet Vengeance (analogue, vibe, huge guitars)
In Flames - Clayman (same as above)
In Flames - Come Clarity (bass/drum interaction)
Breaking Benjamin - Dear Agony (how to not edit, ever)
Paramore - Brand New Eyes (vocals)
Behemoth - Demigod (vocal production/layering)
TRON - Legacy OST (analogue, analogue, analogue)
Korn - Untouchables (pump)
Gojira - The Way of All Flesh (mix clarity)
Killswitch Engage - The End of Heartache (guitars)

 

[[UEAK]Clowd]

The Cab - Whisper War... I am OBSESSED with this right now, both because of the songs and the production

I Am Abomination - To Our Forefathers (I don't care what anyone here says. if you don't understand the genius of this record then you have problems)

Breaking Benjamin - pretty much any of them, or anything by Bendeth for that matter(especially red jumpsuit apparatus)

Killswitch - End of Heartache... don't think anyone can deny this one

Sevendust - Seasons, even though it kinda sounds like ass, it sounds like ass in a good way.

Dead By April - Self Titled(i think) ... awesome backstreet boys metal record

 

[[UEAK]Clowd]

Nickelback - All the Right Reasons (everything)

big +1 to that!!

Breaking Benjamin - Dear Agony (how to not edit, ever)

what's wrong with the editing on it?

 

[iamdunker]

karnivool-sound awake

 

[LeSedna]

Type O Negative - October Rust and Bloody Kisses (groove / organic sounds / good old dry analogue sounds / creativity)

 

[paladin shredder]

I think BB's Phobia absolutely KILLS Dear Agony in every area of the mixing/mastering.

 

[Morgan C]

Sevendust - Animosity (dat bass).
Decapitated - Organic Hallucinosis (guitars)
Reign of Kindo - Rhythm Chord & Melody (everything, but totally not metal)

Anything else I'd just be listing favourite mixes, and that comes down to taste.

big +1 to that!!

what's wrong with the editing on it?

The guitars sound like MIDI.

EDIT: Forgot to add my personal favourite: Ghost Reveries by Opeth

Nickelback - All the Right Reasons (everything)

I'm actually not really a fan of the mix. I find the guitars too bright, and everything is placed a little weirdly. However, it's alive. Really dynamic mix.

Alice in Chains - Black Gives Way to Blue (everything + best snare sound ever)

+1
Also the kick is pretty incredible.

 

[[UEAK]Clowd]

The guitars sound like MIDI.

they do? I've seen that around here before but honestly I don't think they sound any more fake than any other production at that level.. what am I missing?

edit: upon re-read i realized this sounded kind of dicky. i really didn't mean it like that lol

 

[aramism]

pearl jam - ten - most amazing usage of ambient effects and automation

dream theater - awake - very refreshing sound very bright and very airy

a perfect circle - 13th step - amazing. i can imagine this being the hardest thing to mix.

metallica - load and garage inc - beefier black albums

steely dan - aja - so pleasant to listen to. every frequency is absolutely perfect.

guns n roses - use your illusions - love the depth and space and drum size

the prodigy - fat of the land - my fav electronic album

daft punk - homework - my 2nd fav electronic album

linkin park - meteora - so huge and so fat and so good

rammstein - reise reise - best "wall of sound" guitars ever (second is lp meteora)



there's probably a lot more but these are a good start

 

[Ermz]

Sevendust - Animosity (dat bass).
Decapitated - Organic Hallucinosis (guitars)
Reign of Kindo - Rhythm Chord & Melody (everything, but totally not metal)

+1 to those. Should have listed them.

With OH for me it's everything. Rarely does a production capture the essence of a band so amazingly well. The thing just sounds like a giant gnawing machine, and when the drone/ambient sections come in.... just fantastic.

Also should have listed:

Porcupine Tree - In Absentia (depth, ambiance and analogue)

Plus it was done at Avatar so the room tone is amazing.

 

[P-E]

Ion Dissonance - Minus The Herd for brutality and original, spatial sonic signature.
System of a Down - Mezmerize for amazing vocal production and great vibe.

dream theater - awake - very refreshing sound very bright and very airy

Weird, I love that album but IMO it's really, really 80's sounding and somewhat dated (sounds amazingly wide though, especially in cars for some reason haha).

 

[Acesulfame]

Reign of Kindo - Rhythm Chord & Melody
Michael Jackson - Bad
Michael Buble - Call Me Irresponsible
Opeth - Ghost Reveries (drums sound thin as far as a normal metal productions go but everything is so clear and polished - beautiful)

 

[Adari]

Rush - Fly By Night (awesome clarity, punchy bass and drums)
Opeth - Ghost Reveries (the most crisp and refined production I've ever heard)
Blue Oyster Cult - Fire of Unknown Origin (great bass tone; all the instruments seem to fit together really well)
Dream Theater - Train of Thought (that snare on As I Am...)
Meshuggah - Destroy Erase Improve (all aspects - vocals, clean guitars, distorted guitars, bass, drums, mix)
System of a Down - System of a Down (the fattest guitar tone in history)

Those are the first ones that come to mind.