Why is the production so terrible for early black metal albums

[Episteme]

Well, as people would have said. If you give black metal good production, it would take away the atmosphere or "tr00ness"... I've had arguements about this with people on this board who've called me a poser for wanting good production in black metal. I grew used to the bad production, I really like Burzum, Darkthrone and I love ITNE.

I still don't understand the need of deliberate underproduction...as sometimes it can really ruin the enjoyment. I sometimes spend 15 minutes just fucking around with the graphic EQ on my computer or Stereo just to get a good sound out of the music. Oh well, I guess I'll never fully understand it. All I can do is have my own opinion regarding the shit production not caring about what other people say and just try to enjoy the music.

 

[Chopstick up the Peehole]

I think my bands self financed cd we payed $200 bucks for everything sounds better than that entire album. But of course its just an opinion.

Did you record it in the early 90's too? :Smug:

Fool.




As far as ItNE goes, I put forward the notion that if you can't hear what's going on there you should just forget about black metal and go back to the nu-metal/"metalcore" you were listening to 6 months ago. The atmosphere created on that album is unmatchable.

 

[Slayed Necros]

Try Nokturnal Mortum's Goat Horns; Moonblood's Blut Und Krieg; Burzum's Hvis Lyset Tar Oss or Filosofem for something far more atmospheric(There are countless others)

 

[Warlord Of Death]

Did you record it in the early 90's too? :Smug:

Fool.




As far as ItNE goes, I put forward the notion that if you can't hear what's going on there you should just forget about black metal and go back to the nu-metal/"metalcore" you were listening to 6 months ago. The atmosphere created on that album is unmatchable.

I despise, Nu Metal and Metalcore both. I am a big Bay Area Thrash fan, and like the old style of DM before this gothenburg influenced bullshit came out. So i don't exactly like polished production, and if you wanna pick me out of the bundle of people who agree with me as far as the production goes on the most overrated BM cd ever, thats fine just don't impose your opinion on me that i should quit listening to something because, I think it is horrible and overrated.

I'm sorry i'm not gonna fall in line and play stupid and act like another Emperor fanboy like i've seen on this board. :Smug:

 

[crimsonfloyd]

Then why do modern BM bands prefer a more polished sound? The only bands today I can think of that sabotage their music on purpose are 1349 and Darkthrone.

Your not searching very hard...

 

[[0hr]Sunlapse]

i usually despise horrendus production, as it usually creates no atmosphere for me except crap. then everyone tells me how it cant be overproduced, etc.... but notice how i say horrendous and not "bad".... sub par production is good for black metal, but good production work can work as well, although i prefer in-between. i just don't like it when bands take the horrendous thing too far. personally i feel the most perfect production in black metal is on Dissection's Sotrm of the Lights Bane. Its raw yet clear and perfect at the same time, very atmospheric at all, it actually sounds like a blizzard. if you ask me, Transilvanian Hunger would be 10x more powerful with the SOTLB sound

 

[HardSide]

What are you saying? They intentionally do this to create atmosphere? I dont see the point there. Can't you still create atmosphere with decent production?

Yes, some do it intentionally, but you also have to remember some of these bands are signed to bad record labels that when cd's were introduced they never remastered the tape version of a song to cd. it sucks really.

 

[lord667]

Then why do modern BM bands prefer a more polished sound? The only bands today I can think of that sabotage their music on purpose are 1349 and Darkthrone.

You do have to look for it. Some bands, such as latter-day Mayhem or Aborym, are admittedly making music that wouldn't sound as good with an obscure production. Sympho-BM bands generally want you to be able to hear every nuance of their pretentious, tiresome rubbish (or majestic, tenebrous splendour, whichever side of the fence you're on). But otherwise, for me at least, it's frosty, obscure, now-is-that-a-bass-guitar-or-am-I-just-hearing-things kvltness all the way.

 

[anonymousnick2001]

You do have to look for it. Some bands, such as latter-day Mayhem or Aborym, are admittedly making music that wouldn't sound as good with an obscure production. Sympho-BM bands generally want you to be able to hear every nuance of their pretentious, tiresome rubbish (or majestic, tenebrous splendour, whichever side of the fence you're on). But otherwise, for me at least, it's frosty, obscure, now-is-that-a-bass-guitar-or-am-I-just-hearing-things kvltness all the way.

It is a preference thing.

For instance, when I listen to Emperor or Dimmu Borgir, I WANT to hear every nook and cranny in the music, so decent production is a must. That's why ITNE's production sucks. However, comparing newer Darkthrone to ABITNS or TH is the exact opposite. The sound is slightly cleaner, and the simplistic punky riffs assault my eardrums. I prefer the distortion-drenched older Darkthrone because it hides the simplicity and adds, dare I say it, atmosphere.

The purpose of black metal, IMO, is to sound cold. I say an album lacks atmosphere if the room's temperature doesn't feel like it dropped ten degrees when I put the song on. ITNE would have benefitted from a decent production, because the album is already cold-sounding enough. The vague-sounding mix hides some of the riff=keyboard interlacing that adds to that frigid mood. ABITNS works, because the riffs are generally tame punk/thrash riffs with a blastbeat over them, and the fuzziness over top makes it sound chaotic. When the music slows down and a wickedly slow riff drops in, the mix creates the illusion of chaos subsiding, and for some reason, this creates the cold effect.

Dissection's SOTLB is a mixture of both techniques, but the production adds to it instead of taking away like with Emperor.

 

[Chopstick up the Peehole]

if you wanna pick me out of the bundle of people who agree with me as far as the production goes on the most overrated BM cd ever, thats fine just don't impose your opinion on me that i should quit listening to something because, I think it is horrible and overrated.

Actually, I was making a general statement directed towards everyone who said they don't like it.

I say as long as you can actually hear the snare drum, the production's just fine.

 

[Warlord Of Death]

Ok, i understand but the production doesn't do ITNE justice even though i really don't like the album itself. I can listen to about anything with crappy to shoddy production it's just the fact that the guitars on ITNE are too trebly, and the keyboards seem to dominate a whole song most of the time unless its Inno A Satana. I'm not a fan of the keyboard driven bs unless it is Limbonic Art thats as far as my symphonic BM tastes go.

 

[no country for old wainds]

I'm not a fan of early Emperor either.

 

[SculptedCold]

I'm not a fan of early Emperor either.

Of course you're not. You're not allowed to be.

 

[Slayed Necros]

ITNE is generally an over-rated album. The production is muddy and pretty damn bad, but some of the songs aren't too bad. I Am The Black Wizards is very decent. Everything else is merely mediocre.

 

[no country for old wainds]

Of course you're not. You're not allowed to be.

I was going to let this pass, but no, I feel like reading an explanation.

 

[LordFireworm]

I was going to let this pass, but no, I feel like reading an explanation.

He's saying you were conceived on a slaveship.

Here you are argueing with Oscar Jacobs, the wealthy town aristocrat and public Emperor denouncer.


"No Emperor for you, GoD! Get back on your mini map of Africa!"

 

[no country for old wainds]

 

[anonymousnick2001]

I think he thinks you dislike early Emperor for a reason other than just plain not liking it.

You should remind SculptedCold that you're GoD, not Demiurge.

 

[SculptedCold]

All posts above are very valid. =)

 

[Ginja_Ninja]

fvck atmosphere, any band utilizing shit-production on purpose should kill themselves in a blood ritual

music is everything, atmosphere can suck my nuts like its oxygen