Lets Talk Metal - Page 553

Quote:

Originally Posted by krtzer 

 

Anyway, can someone explain to me why the bass is almost always mixed into oblivion in modern records? 

My personal guess is that they assume people use their own bass boosts at home. Chicken and egg -thing. Another one might be that they want the kick, snare and guitars so in front that something must be sacrificed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by macrocheesium 

Shrine of New Generation Slaves impressions. As you may have heard, the album was intended to be more progressive rock than metal, and that's very true. I'm a huge Anno Domini fan, so even though I like prog rock I was expecting to be somewhat disappointed... not so. It was pleasantly surprising, and though quite a departure from their past work it was still unmistakably Riverside. The album seems to go back and forth between two different places; a slightly-less-heavy version of older Riverside material and a much lighter prog atmosphere (where it stays most of the time). So if you're used to hearing the other albums, it will ease you into the new style. And I have to say, I wasn't too fond of the heavy portions of this album. Mainly this was just because of their severe overuse of pentatonic riffs. It's a cool sound, but there's only so much you can do with it before everything starts sounding the same from using it so much. The rest of the had some really cool rhythms with great drumming, though.

 

Vocals and bass playing were at an all-time high, by far. Duda puts down some serious groove with the drums on Deprived, which is something that can't really be accomplished with metal. And the singing is just fantastic. Guitar work was on par with previous albums, as was the keyboard work. The only times I was impressed with the keyboardist were his organ parts during the metal sections, and I really wish he would have used organ sounds throughout. The rest of the keyboard parts are good, but he only truly shines in metal. Production was also the best I have heard from them yet. Clipping was present as expected, but the record maintains a clear sound for its entire length. I don't have the vinyl yet so no comments there.

 

 

Overall it's a great listen that takes you from exciting heavy prog metal sections to fascinating gentle melodic parts and everywhere in between. If you listen to Duda's side project, Lunatic Soul, you already have a good idea of what some of this album sounds like. 8.7/10

I really enjoyed it, much more so than ADHD. I feel like OSI does the heavier prog stuff better than Riverside, but the more mellow prog rock of Shrine I thought was excellent.

Just in case anyone missed it: http://www.metal-fi.com/riverside-shrine-of-new-generation-slaves/

I like this album very much.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveBSC 

 

I really enjoyed it, much more so than ADHD. I feel like OSI does the heavier prog stuff better than Riverside, but the more mellow prog rock of Shrine I thought was excellent.

 

Just in case anyone missed it: http://www.metal-fi.com/riverside-shrine-of-new-generation-slaves/

 

Really looking forward to Riverside's new album. ADHD is the ho' for the friday nights alone.

OSI is a curious case. Blood was imo very mediocre, not really cohesive as an album either. The new one, after a slow start, has really grown on me. Although some of the tracks still feel like they're using a rubber sledgehammer to hammer the rhytm in, they don't quite always flow. Recommended+

Quote:

Originally Posted by krtzer 

 

Duly noted, trogdor (I think i'm guilty of half of those :P). 

 

Anyway, can someone explain to me why the bass is almost always mixed into oblivion in modern records? 

From experience I think it's just because it's so difficult. With a full mix, you basically have two options: turn the mids way up and create an annoying whiny bass sound, or turn the mids down and the volume up until it's an undefined rumble. It takes a good engineer to be able to work the entire sound so that the bass comes out well in a heavy mix. It's no problem with funk, for example, but when you throw in downtuned power chords and a double bass drum things get tricky.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveBSC 

 

I really enjoyed it, much more so than ADHD. I feel like OSI does the heavier prog stuff better than Riverside, but the more mellow prog rock of Shrine I thought was excellent.

 

Just in case anyone missed it: http://www.metal-fi.com/riverside-shrine-of-new-generation-slaves/

It hasn't topped ADHD for me yet, which remains one of the best prog metal albums I've heard. But I did really enjoy it too, and some more listens might bring it there. I keep forgetting to listen to OSI.

Quote:

Originally Posted by macrocheesium 

From experience I think it's just because it's so difficult. With a full mix, you basically have two options: turn the mids way up and create an annoying whiny bass sound, or turn the mids down and the volume up until it's an undefined rumble. It takes a good engineer to be able to work the entire sound so that the bass comes out well in a heavy mix. It's no problem with funk, for example, but when you throw in downtuned power chords and a double bass drum things get tricky.

 

The bass is generally at least fairly audible on a good vinyl mix. A major part of the problem is hyper compression, when you slam everything to DR5 or DR6, there's no room left for the kick drum, let alone the bass. Everything just becomes a mash of guitars.

Yeah, that too. Compression never helps anything.

I think it's kind of funny how most people stereotype metalheads as guys that listen to screeching noise with no thought to musicality or good sound, when in reality this community is pickier about sound quality than any other I've ever seen.

It's very rare that I give an album a 10/10, but this one is almost perfect if not completely.

I loved it from start to finish. Clear vocals, great guitar solos, and a unique blend of technical and melodic playing. I'm aware that it has been posted sometime in the past, but it deserves at AT LEAST one more mention.

This one also may have been posted. Not sure since "Worship" pulled up so many search results. So allow me to introduce Worship, an excellent German doom band.

Man I loved this. Amazing band name, amazing album name. Some people are bitching about the vocals but I like the way it's mixed, too. Might have to throw some money at Metal Blade for this one.

Would you link that again, please?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trogdor 


Where is SoupRKnowa when you need him? Seriously. Unfortunately macro, this discovery goes to Soup but thanks for reminding us. Their follow up I thought was not as good as Fragments.

I liked both of them very much. I think both albums complemented each other very well.

where do you guys get your heavy metal CDs from?