[MrQ]

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I'm listening to lossless files that I ripped from the CD I bought, and there is a constant crackling/buzzing going the whole time.  It's driving me crazy haha.  I hate bad recordings so much.  

I'm just having a listen now. Macbook Pro - Aiff (from CD) - Apogee Duet - Beyer T1 black dragon. Listening in particular to Now I Lay Thee Down. Can't hear any crackling or buzzing 

 It sounds really clear.

 

[MrQ]

I am detecting the occasional minute level clipping, but only when they are going all out like at 2:40 into Slanderous. The quieter passages are clean.

 

[VulgarDisplay]

Maybe I need to rerip it because it's present throughout the entire recording of the cd.  But no other CD I have does it.  
 
I just listened to some of The Great Southern Trendkill just now and has anyone else noticed how the volume wars have killed any sense of soundstage in most new metal releases.  This old Pantera CD has more depth and detail than any CD I've listened to in the last 5 years.  

 

[DaveBSC]

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I just listened to some of The Great Southern Trendkill just now and has anyone else noticed how the volume wars have killed any sense of soundstage in most new metal releases.  This old Pantera CD has more depth and detail than any CD I've listened to in the last 5 years.  

Yep. It's not just the soundstage either. The loudness wars ruin everything. The guitars sound thin and lack any punch, and the bass guitar and kick drum are often drowned out completely. You're left with over-boosted vocals, boring guitars, and the snare drum. My DCC copy of Master of Puppets sounds better than most metal albums made after '06 or so.

 

[VulgarDisplay]

I will say that while Avenged Sevenfold is probably not most people's favorite band their newest CD is the best recording I've heard in a long time.  
 
It still is nothing compared to The Great Southern Trendkill.  Listening to Drag The Waters and it just sounds great.  I can actually hear Vinnie Paul stepping on the high hat and the toms just seem to surround you.  

 

[Trogdor]

Quote:

I'm listening to lossless files that I ripped from the CD I bought, and there is a constant crackling/buzzing going the whole time.  It's driving me crazy haha.  I hate bad recordings so much.  

Wait do you hear that on the CD itself? 

 

[VulgarDisplay]

I can hear it in the left channel starting at 6:08 on Clenching the Fists of Dissent even on the CD.  Switching my xfi prelude to audio creation mode makes it much less apparent, but it's still there.  This is the only cd I have that I hear crackling on so I'm almost positive it's the original recording or my imagination.  

 

[MrQ]

Quote:

I can hear it in the left channel starting at 6:08 on Clenching the Fists of Dissent even on the CD.  Switching my xfi prelude to audio creation mode makes it much less apparent, but it's still there.  This is the only cd I have that I hear crackling on so I'm almost positive it's the original recording or my imagination.  

Maybe you got a dodgy CD. I've just payed that segment several times over and over, very quiet to loud. Heck, I even tried it with my 702's. That just made my ears hurt.
 
Right now I've got the original CD and put it in my standalone CD Recorder, listening though it's headphone out. With the T1's.
 
In both cases, nothing, nada, zip. Sorry dude, I tried. 

 

[VulgarDisplay]

Out of curiousity I checked the back of the CD and it looks decent.  Not very many scratches at all.  Who knows, it could be something in my xfi prelude.  I know computer's can introduce noise into audio, but this is the only song I can hear it on.  Maybe upgraditis will set in yet again and I'll finally get an external DAC.  

 

[donunus]

It could simply just be like that because of the loudness wars

 

[Trogdor]

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Hah, yeah that's wrong. All it takes is a minute of watching Megadeth play Tornado of Souls with Marty, Al, Glen, and Chris to see who's better. When they're playing live at least, Marty plays the solo pretty much exactly as it is on the CD. The others, not so much. Megadeth's all time greatest solos are split between Marty and Chris Poland. The guys that came after have done some great work, but it's never been quite as good as what it was.
 
Metallica produced three good albums in their career that still hold up, and only two of the three are actually listenable. Justice cries out for a re-recording, but I honestly don't think they have the chops anymore to actually pull that off. Megadeth managed at least twice that many, and unlike Metallica, they can still play their old songs live without embarrassing themselves. Watching Kirk try to play the solo from One these days (which any of Megadeth's guitarists could do in their sleep) is just sad, and don't even get me started on the butchering that's going on here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBPNebK53hU&feature=related
 
Peace Sells and Rust In Peace are two of the greatest thrash records of all time. Regardless of what you think of Youthanasia, or Cryptic Writings or Risk, nothing can take that away from them.
 
The Warchest set isn't really worth it. Just get the DVD however you want to get it.

 
I missed this sorry...I guess I'm crazy but Youth is my all-time favorite album to date (my buddy's is Cryptic).   And let's not forget Countdown.
 
Risk was one of those low points.  What ya gonna do...even Dave said it wasn't exactly his best work...of course I thought United Abominations was a complete step backwards from the System Has Failed (which was fantastic).
 
But now you have Endgame, another solid effort.  Megadeth is surely to go down as one of the true metal forces of both the 90s and the beginning of the 21st century.  Consistently they are major force in metal.
 
Metallica is well....difficult to deal with...on one hand you have Lightening, Puppets, and In Justice (I personally like Kill'em All too).  These are their three metal albums that put them on the map anyway you look at it.  And Puppets is one of the best albums of all time (its just as big as Rust and Peace).
 
But then you have the Black album which put them on the map beyond heavy metal fans.  This is where they really went mainstream.  And again, don't get me wrong, I listened to that album a lot back in the day.  Its a great album (some of which is straight metal and some of which is not).
 
But then Load....and Re-Load...St. Anger...and now Death Magnetic....crap, crappier, OMG crappiest, and finally back to ok.  How many times are you going to do Unforgiven?  I give them credit that Death Magnetic is at least in the right direction than St. Anger.  But its weird....once they gave up being a metal band....its like no matter what they do, they just can't go back. 
 
Its just very hard for me to listen to Metallica without a little sadness...

 

[Trogdor]

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Curious if you guys have heard Abrahadabra yet. I just picked it up, and it's surprisingly enjoyable. The direction the band was headed in with the last record was getting pretty stale, but the sound here is fresh and invigorated. Is it another Enthrone Darkness, no, but it's a great album, stupid name or no.

I just started to listen to clips myself.  Man this is a weird band to follow.  They are just all over the place and seem to go through odd periods of redefining themselves ... and they are a Black Metal band...
 
I have not picked it up but is it definitely worth it?  They have two songs on their MySpace page and I like the first one and think the second one is ok.  The initial MetalStorm reviews are pretty high.

 

[Cianyx]

Stormblast is good, but not amazing. If you want to explore BM, there are more suitable bands to go with

 

[MaZa]

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Stormblast is good, but not amazing. If you want to explore BM, there are more suitable bands to go with

 
True. But then again, when one listens Dimmu Borgir one shouldnt expect honest to god blackmetal anyway, not anymore atleast.

 

[Trogdor]

Alright I just found out that I might have the opportunity to see Rammstein on their only US appearance in over a decade.  Wow.
 
Anyone seen them before?  What's a show like?