Your very *favourite* metal production?

[Ermz]

I want to know what all y'all's very fave metal production sounds are. The catch is you can only pick *one* album. No runner up, no 2nd place, no ties... just ONE each.

Also, if you can give a reason as to why.

Mine:

In Flames - Clayman

Reason: Never heard bass mixed like this on a metal record. It ends up being oriented primarily around the subs, rather than the mid-bass as most albums are these days. Fuck the people running computer speakers I say.. put the bass where it belongs.

Also, the album is just one of the most solid sounding. The guitars sound great in context of the mix (not so great alone, as you can hear at the start of 'Suburban Me'). The drums sound relatively natural and you can pick a bit of that room ambiance. The snare is particularly bouncy like the latest Scar Symmetry, which I love about rock/metal snares. Overall it just doesn't have that too-polished sound that every sample-heavy bedroom producer does these days. It's almost at that perfect point between technical precision and still maintaining some rawness and semblance of the band's identity.

Your turn!

 

[Razvan]

Intresting but tough one.

Mine lies somewhere between Karnivool - Themata, Mercenary - The Hours that remain, Katatonia - The great cold distance and Megadeth - United abominations, but in the end I guess I'll stick only on two: Megadeth and Karnivool with Megadeth as the winner.

Reasons: both are tight but without loss in balance, and both are clear and distinctive, the guitar tone and bass for megadeth and drums for Karnivool.
(i guess you really sholud check this band out)

 

[Meisterjäger]

My favourite is probably Stabbing The Drama by Soilwork.

Similar to your arguement for Clayman, the bass production is just immense, and it really does make the subs in my car work hard. It also doesn't seem like the general consensus, especially here, but I really like the albums songwriting etc, also, it has a real groove that I really dig. I do prefer Speed's vocals (production wise) on Sworn To A Great Divide, but everything else on STD is just perfect to me.

 

[JoshSylosis]

Big fat edit:

Testament - First Strike Still Deadly

Reason: Guitars are soooo thick, bass tone is amazing and the drums sound massive.
Snare has so much snap.

....I duno why I'm doing this as I just edited this cus I ignored the finer details of the first post but my cheeky little runner up here - but it doesn't fully count!! is some of the stuff on the RR united album. I really love the guitar tone on 'Constitution Down'

 

[jhrv]

Exodus - Tempo of the Damned

Reason: Andy Sneap mixed it.

 

[cobhc]

Arch Enemy - Anthems Of Rebellion

Reason: Really thick, and dark but still cutting guitars. The lead tone is very raw and in your face as well (most prominent on the lead in Silent Wars). The drums are really upfront, without sounding overpowering IMO (drums get buried so often in Metal mixes these days, and I love the fact that these aren't). The overheads have a really nice presence to them, the ride stands out as being one of the best parts of the overheads here.

Overall the drums are so punchy and thick, but also very "wet" sounding, with the amount of reverb on them, but I still really like them. The toms are just stunning (see Dehumanization) as I've mentioned here in the past. And I find myself trying to recreate this drum sound more than any other album I own. I'm also surprised at the really nice midrange the guitars have on this album as Andy used a stock Marshall cab with 75's for this, and I don't think I've heard such a nice smooth tone from those speakers as I have on this album. Certainly gives me hope that I can achieve something as great sounding as this album, with my Triple XXX and Marshall cab loaded with 75's.

And I think song writing wise I prefer this album to both Wages Of Sin, and Doomsday Machine.

Hope I didn't sound too amateur with my explanations there.

Thanks!

 

[cobhc]

I see two people have already broken the rules that Ermin set for this thread lol. Razvan mentioned two albums, and Josh didn't really explain why he liked either of the TWO albums he mentioned.

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

That's pretty much an impossible question to answer, but if I had to pick one, I'd probably say The Haunted - rEVOLVEr. It's incredibly clear and sterile, yet aggressive. One of my all-time favourite albums overall.

 

[Razvan]

I see two people have already broken the rules that Ermin set for this thread lol. Razvan mentioned two albums, and Josh didn't really explain why he liked either of the TWO albums he mentioned.

haha, I said in the end that megadeth is the winner, but I explained why I had those two in the "semifinals" haha.. so no breaking here... cheers

 

[JoshSylosis]

God what a n00b, im guna have to edit the shit out of my post for not paying any attention..

 

[Fredrik-Ablaze]

The Haunted -rEVOLVEr

 

[Rupturemetal]

It's between Carcass- "Necrotism" or Zyklon- "Aeon" Both are close to perfect to me

 

[dan weapon]

Dear oh dear!

Testament - First Strike Still Deadly has always been my fave...but KSE Alive Or Just Breathing has THE snare sound!

Natural Born Chaos is awesome too...

haha, they're all in my top list. Wicked bass tone on AoJB and love Devin's production on Natural Born Chaos.

Ocean Machine for all out beauty/epicness will always be a definite favourite of mine... possibly my number one in terms of PRODUCTION.

In terms of actual sonics; the black album, demanufacture, heartwork and Wages Of Sin all blew my away when they came out.

I'm gonna go with Ocean Machine though due to the ambiguity of the 'production' in the context of this thread.

 

[broken81]

Caliban- The Undying Darkness

Soilwork- Stabbing The Drama

Killswitch Engage- The End OF Heartache

Sorry these 3 are tied for my number 1 spot....

 

[Exocaster]

Grip Inc.- Solidify

 

[Skinny Viking]

I'm gonna go with Ocean Machine though due to the ambiguity of the 'production' in the context of this thread.

You Motherfucker!!!!!!!!

That was actually gonna be my pick because even though its not technically perfect, somehow the density and the chaos of that disc is musical. Its heavy, with some obese rhythms (those fuckers are more than just "fat") and yet all of the washy sounds and wetness settle in perfect balance and you can hear pretty much every nuance.

Cheers!

 

[deanbailey]

I'm bored so I'll list a few categories.

Super Polished:
Opeth - Ghost Reveries
Daylight Dies - Dismantling Devotion
Despised Icon - Ills Of Modern Man

Drum sounds:
Behemoth - Apostasy
Mastodon - Blood Mountain

Vocals:
Opeth - Watershed
Bloodbath - Unblessing the Purity
Daylight Dies - Dismantling Devotion, Lost to the Living
Killswitch Engage - Alive or Just Breathing

Overall:
Killswitch Engage - Alive or Just Breathing
Opeth - Watershed
Daylight Dies - Lost to the living
Gojira - From Mars to Sirius

 

[-J-]

Dokken - Back for the Attack. It's super clear and huge, in-your-face (just enough), and the guitars are godly sounding.

 

[Morgan C]

Hmm..theres a few that I love. Nightwish's Dark Passion Play is amazing - every instrument is 'perfect' sounding to my ears even with so many elements in the mix, love the high bass too.

If I had to pick one, it'd be Opeth's Blackwater Park. Sure the sounds are a little dated and every instrument isn't absolutely perfect to my ears (as Nightwish's) but the songs are communicated SO well...far better than say on the Roundhouse Tapes many years later with better quality (although Roundhouse Tapes was live..).

As a side note.. I don't really understand people liking the production of say Ghost Reveries, or Great Cold Distance.. everything sounds way too controlled and in fact the mix of Ghost Reveries put me off listening to the album (even though I had it) for about 6 months until I finally forced myself to get over the mix and into the songs. I much prefer a mix like Watershed, or From Mars to Sirius, where it sounds like you're in the room with the band, standing next to the drumkit. Much more immersing.

 

[cobhc]

As a side note.. I don't really understand people liking the production of say Ghost Reveries, or Great Cold Distance.. everything sounds way too controlled and in fact the mix of Ghost Reveries put me off listening to the album (even though I had it) for about 6 months until I finally forced myself to get over the mix and into the songs. I much prefer a mix like Watershed, or From Mars to Sirius, where it sounds like you're in the room with the band, standing next to the drumkit. Much more immersing.

It surprises me seeing you say that. I always thought Ghost Reveries was quite a natural sounding mix to my ears, especially when compared to Deliverence.

OT:- Woo 2,900 posts