I burrowed an early Emperor one and I can barely hear anything. The production was like an old weathered cassete. Maybe I can actually like it if I can hear it.
Why is the production so terrible for early black metal albums
- Thread starter MURAI
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Warlord Of Death
Death to Gothenburg Metal
If the production was so pristine and crystal clear, then the album(s) would lose the atmosphere as far as BM goes.
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?
Warlord Of Death
Death to Gothenburg Metal
MURAI said:
Some bands do it intentionally i don't doubt, but theres always the fact that there little money involved in the making of the cd. Most early BM all the way back to Bathory had shitty production, i always thought it enhanced the music it is an acquired taste i guess.
Also Emperor drenches their music ridiculously in keyboards to the point where you can't hear the guitars so that may also be a problem.
no country for old wainds
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Emperor is an awful example of using 'raw' production to enhance the atmosphere of an album. Early Emperor has terrible production.
I like the production on early Emperor albums.
If you can hear all the elements of a composition, it doesn't matter what the production sounds like. Musical quality transcends aesthetic.
If you can hear all the elements of a composition, it doesn't matter what the production sounds like. Musical quality transcends aesthetic.
Warlord Of Death
Death to Gothenburg Metal
Guardian of Darkness said:
True, the stuff on ITNE is horrible. Maybe Bathory or Graveland maybe a better example?? Darkthrone?
You burrowed it? No wonder you can't hear anything. OK maybe that one was a bit lame....
Anyway. The production is bad compared to what? Power metal? Indeed, but it's the way it should be. Black metal with crystal clear production would be a disaster.
Anyway. The production is bad compared to what? Power metal? Indeed, but it's the way it should be. Black metal with crystal clear production would be a disaster.
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But when it's tinny, trebly, thin and indistinct, it takes away from the composition's quality significantly.polarity said:
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crimsonfloyd
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I can hear everything on ItNSE, actually even the first time I heard that album it made perfect sense to me. I think the production damn near perfect on that album. I love the way the vocals are put back in the distance puts a layer of speration into the music that works very well (this was done to an even more effective degree on Anthems...). The keyboards don't overpower everything all the time, only every once in a while, which does an excellent job to emphise a certain aura only the keyboards can convey. But for the most part there is a good equalibrium between the guiatars and keyboards, both get their moments in the spotlight, but for the most part it is shared. There is absolutly nothing I would want to change about the production of the first two Emperor albums. Now the Wrath of the Tyrant demo, theres exessive under production.
Warlord Of Death
Death to Gothenburg Metal
crimsonfloyd said:
I couldn't stand the horrible production on ITNE it was a few years ago before i actually got into the genre of BM. But I still remember, the fuzzy guitars on some tracks, the vocals are intolerable and the keyboards were the dominant instrument, thats what i find Emperor at fault with when it comes to that album. 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.
well if the production was crystal clear like any mainstream metal or power metal bands it would really suck. The way it's all so distant also mixes the sound together more so no instrument is overpowering another instrument to the point you can't hear it at all 
MFJ
Active Member
Nightside is pristine to me, I don't have a problem with production at all. I listen to the Emperor demo, and I enjoy every bit of it. It's definetly an atmosphere thing, but not all bands do it intentionally. For example, I wouldn't mind having a slightly increased production for the songs we've done in my band, but its a budget thing. Perhaps this is how it was for early BM bands? Maybe they couldn't find studios with the best equipment etc. I mean, a lot of BM stuff was done in someone's basement with a four track and a few microphones (as we did).
Guardian of Darkness said:
Ah, okay, I didn't realize that's what you meant. I know that the album suffers a great deal from the discrepancy in relative volume between instruments, but, on my stereo at least, I can still hear everything (except the bass, but I don't think that's too detrimental.) Regardless, not being able to hear everything perfectly, if the work is still good regardless, isn't totally damning. I don't think a better production would have really improved the quality of the work that much.
lord667
=UM=Heartburn
The much-maligned production style is actually one of the main reasons I prefer Black Metal to Death Metal. AFAIC a piece of music is about the whole, not the individual instruments, and BM production makes the style sound good.
hibernal_dream
A Mind Forever Voyaging
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.
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Life Sucks
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The production can indeed add to the atmosphere. But as others said, on In the Nightside Eclipse, the production is just horrid and adds nothing, especially since you often can't even make out the guitar riffs because of it.
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