Your 3 favorite Metal productions of all time!

[Ermz]

I notice a lot of guys here are going for some older productions, maybe out of nostalgia or for whatever reason, but I'm inclined to agree with you Ermz, that using productions with such a high level of technical perfection are a better way to go than say, the Black Album or Jester's Race.

Yes, it's very important to divide subjective musical opinions from production tastes or distastes. It's very difficult to do, as the two are so entwined. Looking at these productions on a purely technical basis will unveil something entirely different to seeing the entire picture, music and all.

STD, for instance, is absolutely atrocious musically. One of the worst metal records I have in my collection. Just coincidentally happens to have what I consider to be the tightest production job in the genre (that I've heard thus far anyhow).

I admit that Clayman is probably in there partially due to nostalgic reasons. The production may not stand to the most modern records, but there is something endearing and 'real' about it. I love that analogue feel, and it's a vibe that is largely missing from newer metal records. There is a sweet middle ground there which hasn't been thoroughly explored IMO.

 

[Torniojaws]

Is there some language barrier issue here, where "3" means something else then the number three?

Turn it 90 degrees to the left

 

[xmortumx]

Mine

Megadeth - Rust in Peace
Iron Maiden- Powerslave
Exodus - Tempo Of The Damned

 

[zvish]

1. Beauty and the breakdown - Bury your dead
2. Heat - American Me
3. The Dead Walk - Acacia strain


they may not sound the best, but i fucking love em

good choice, this American Me album sounds amazing for me...

 

[Terminus]

Cathedral - Caravan Beyond Redemption
Carcass - Heartwork
My Dying Bride - For Lies I Sire
Katatonia- Great Cold Distance

 

[EerieVon]

Carcass-Heartwork
Bullet for my Valentine-The Poison
Metallica-Black
Machine Head-The Blackening

 

[sprack]

Bloodbath - Nightmares Made Flesh
Suffocation - Pierced From Within, and somehow they sound still better live
Dimmu Borgir - Death Cult Armageddon

 

[SimonSez]

My three favorite productions, taking into account songwriting and sound:

Machinehead - Burn My Eyes
Moonspell - Irreligious
Manowar - Kings of Metal (also I think it was the metal album recorded in digital)

Also, Metallica's "Master of Puppets"

 

[Adzz]

Carcass - Heartwork
At the Gates - Slaughter of the Soul
Fear Factory - Demanufacture

 

[paladin shredder]

Amon Amarth - With Oden on Our Side
Testament - Formation of Damnation
Necrophagist - Epitaph

 

[coreysMonster]

Strapping Young Lad: The New Black

The New Black has, IMO, the absolutely perfect sound. thick drums, crystal clear vocals, heavy guitar and etheric synths. If this album's sound were a woman, I'd marry her. It's an unbelievably thick, heavy sound that not for one second sacrifices in clarity.

Creed: Full Circle

I never was a huge fan of Creed, mostly because of their religious undertones, but you CANNOT deny that their newest record sounds insanely awesome. ATM, they have the perfect drum tone that I'm searching for and trying to emulate, not to mention that the vocals sound fantastic.

Meshuggah: Catch 33

Being an 8-string player myself, this album just has the darkest, deepest guitar tone I've ever heard out of them. ObZen is a close second, but for some reason I can't shake the feeling that the guitar actually sounds thinner at times in ObZen. Catch 33 definately has the best 8-string guitar tone I've ever heard.

other honorable mentions:

Tool: 10,000 days

perfect bass tone, period. nothing else to say

Michael Jackson: Thriller

do I really have to say why?

 

[lolzgreg]

I always thought Operation Mindcrime sounded pretty sweet

Overall, I think Operation: Mindcrime is the most balanced and cohesive album I have ever heard, not to mention the INCREDIBLE talent to make a record of that caliber.

 

[Lasse Lammert]

King's X - Dogman

 

[The-Zeronaut]

TOP 3
Behemoth - evangelion
arch enemy - doomsday machine (best lead tone EVER)
septic flesh - communion (EPIC sounding. there's no other way to describe it)

other ones that didnt got into the top 3 but are really close:

Machine head - the blackening
Behemoth - demigod (best vocal production ever.PERIOD.)
Opeth - watershed
Powerwolf - bible of the beast (epic sounding vocals and awesome keyboards/organ)
kreator - enemy of god
everything by sascha paeth and miro (the gods of power metal : rhapsody, rhapsody of fire ,luca turilli ,kamelot....)

 

[CatharsisStudios]

good choice, this American Me album sounds amazing for me...

best friend for ever?

 

[NoSoup4you22]

Tad Morose - Modus Vivendi. Damn that's a bassy production.
In Flames - Clayman. One of my first metal albums and kind of a production benchmark for me (and apparently others.)
Godgory - Resurrection. Not really a great production per se, but an interesting one. Love the guitar tone and atmosphere.

 

[Windie]

Hmm.
Alpha Drone's Alpha Drone
Aspid's Extravasation
Excoriate's On Pestilent Winds

 

[NoSoup4you22]

Actually, fuck Godgory, I'm going with Guardians of Time - Machines of Mental Design.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPapRAQGHvM&fmt=18[/ame]

 

[bluie3]

Cant really just choose 3, but my favourites are;

Despised Icon - Day of Mourning
Chimaira - The Impossibility Of Reason
Behemoth - Evangelion
Dimmu Borgir - Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia
Heaven Shall Burn - Deaf to Our Prayers. (love the drums)
The Agony Scene - The Darkest Red (love the snare)
Suicide Silence - The Cleansing (this snare too)

 

[Wackner]

Difficult - but on the top of my head right now:

The Haunted - Revolver
As I Lay Dying - An Ocean Between Us
Opeth - Blackwater Park