Vacant Stare's original demo (produced by Andy Sneap)

[Killing Angels]

Hi guys,

I would post this in the Sneap Produced Albums section except it's not about an album, it's about a Sneap produced demo from maybe about 2000!

Have any of you Andy fans ever heard an underground(ish) UK nu-metal band called Vacant Stare? They had a three track demo before their album came out produced by the one and only Andy Sneap!!!

I think the productions sounds absolutely fantastic, was wondering if anyone had any insight into its recording, namely the guitar amp used and/or the snare? It was when I was first getting into heavy music and I heard their track "Come Face Up" on a Metal Hammer CD, and I was TOTALLY blown away by the guitar sound, has this sweet spot buzz to it that I really dug, this razor quality to it that I can't quite explain.. it's a bit similar to the tone on Kill 2 This' album Deviate... also produced by Mr. Sneap... any insights Andy?



-
-J-

www.myspace.com/crydebris

 

[dill_the_devil]

I had the Vindication album, always really liked that band. Never heard the demo though, was the production on the album radically different?

 

[Killing Angels]

Yeah big time, my friend bought Vindication and the album sounded totally different to my ears, mostly cuz of drums. I remember hearing the album, and everything suddenly sounded heavy but "blunt"... it's like the demo was slick barbed wire and the album was like an anvil.

They had a really fat weighty snare sound on the album tracks, whereas on the demo it had a really killer crack, maybe a smaller snare? To me the demo's production style sounded to me how I would imagine Andy would mix deftones, it had that in-your-face kick with that snare with a really nice pop to it.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Vacant Stare's music is like deftones, the demo was nu-metal through and through with the "shut your fucking mouth, you're nothing" teen-angst style lyrics and rapping, but very groovy with badass production nonetheless.

Demo drums were VERY punchy, more dry and right in-your-face, whereas the Vindication album's drums sound a bit like the drums on earthtone9's arc'tan'gent with lots of space and smooth lashings of lush reverb... make any sense?

 

[dill_the_devil]

Yeah, I see what you're saying about Vindication's sound - it always struck me as a very polished, smooth, rounded-sounding album - not a lot of bite and crack, more spacey and ethereal - which I thought worked really nicely. Wonder if there's anywhere you can get hold of that demo now, I'm interested in hearing it!

 

[PhilR]

Hah, yeah I remember that demo. Even have a Hi-8 casette with footage of them from those early days before their singer learned to sing. Supporting earthtone9 in Aston-Under-Lyne. Fun times. Don't have a copy though.

 

[xchrisloungex]

i played with those guys three times at the witchwood man good times indeed!!! not sure if it was used on the demo but everytime we played with them the guitarist was using a 5150 mkII with the matching cab with a ibanez rg 550 with (the one with the maple neck). Hope that helps a little.

Chris

 

[Killing Angels]

Hellz yeah, that's awesome, I thought it sounded like a 5150... didn't know it was a MkII though. I remember hearing them live once at the Highbury Garage and the tone sounded just like on the demo.

I have the demo and have it ripped to mp3, if there's no copyright issues or anything I could upload into the FTP.