[skamp]

Steven Wilson - Grace for Drowning is my reference for great mastering with a lot of dynamic range. It sounds awesome.

 

[Eronel]

The new Holy Diver released by audio fidelity is the best it's ever sounded. Plus you can get most AF releases for about 10 dollars cheaper on amazon they're the only audiophile discs I still purchase. I got mine for about 15 bucks (as opposed to the ca. $25 buck list price which you WILL pay anywhere else)! All of you should get yourselves one before its OOP!


I agree with others about the Metallica DCC's, also if you can find one, the Van Halen self titled DCC is mighty fine as well. The AF Alice coopers are also top notch. I recently picked up some SHM CDs of Alice as well and I have no complaints.

 

[thelostMIDrange]

another vote for holy diver in general . perhaps my fav recorded and perfomed rock lps. and the cd is decent too for all that i've heard. great reference even the standard issue discs          RIP ronnie

 

[BLACKENEDPLAGUE]

I don't have high (or even mid) tier equipment at the moment, and I haven't gone to look at any frequency measurements or anything like that, but here are some albums I FEEL are well produced. All opinion based:
 
Carcass - Heartwork
Hellhammer - Apocalyptic Raids 1990 AD re-release
Unleashed - Where No Life Dwells/ .... and the Laughter Has Died (little bit loud and fatiguing, but damn is it worth every minute)
Agalloch - The Mantle & Marrow of the Spirit
Eluveitie - Slania
Kekal - The Habit of Fire and Acidity
Kreator - Dead Certainty
Malevolent Creation - Retribution re-release
Opeth - Ghost Reveries
Reverend Bizarre - In the Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend (prog rock fans will "see what they did there")
Sympathy - Anagogic Tyranny
Vit - "-"
Alcest - Escailles Des Lune

 

[thomasec]

Really, anything by Albini.  Notably The Jesus Lizard Head - Liar era stuff:
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoxXKKQYJYQ
 
Drums sound absolutely unreal, and IMO, better than even the Sufer Rosa and In Utero.  The new Cloud Nothing's album has some nice production as well for those who haven't hear it:
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6X1URP5eg6I

 

[Iron_Dreamer]

Has anyone tried the 24/96 download of Dream Theater or Megadeth's latest albums from HDTracks?  Much improvement over the CD's, especially for dynamic range?

 

[DWbirdseye]

No but I will be downloading Dream Theater's album here in the next week or so. Once I do I'll let you know.

 
Quote:

Has anyone tried the 24/96 download of Dream Theater or Megadeth's latest albums from HDTracks?  Much improvement over the CD's, especially for dynamic range?

 

 

[Iron_Dreamer]

Thanks, apparently is does sound pretty good: http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=279454&page=2
 
I'm downloading it now.

 

[ma_t14]

Wolverine - Communication Lost (progressive metal)
 
Exceptional album both soundwise and qualitywise (vocals and lyrics are sheer quality). Highly recommended!!
 
If you like Pain of Salvation (but not necessarily), especially their latest work, you will dig this

 

[PLUSSOUND]

Deftones. Their music has lot of dynamics.

 

[zaodriver]

Between The Buried and Me - Colors (studio and live albums)
 
Killswitch Engage - The End of Heartache and As Daylight Dies albums
 
Deftones - Diamond Eyes, Saturday Night Wrist, White Pony, even self-titled sound good.
 
Nine Inch Nails - The Perfect Drug, and all albums since/including The Downward Spiral
 
Garbage - Version 2.0.  It sounds good. Done.
 
Trivium - Shogun
 
Machine Head - The Blackening, The More Things Change
 
Norma Jean - The Anti-Mother
 
The Dillinger Escape Plan - Miss Machine, Ire Works
 
Unearth - Darkness In The Light (for production gloss), In the Eyes of Fire (for raw-sounding everything)
 
Mastodon - Crack The Skye
 
Animals As Leaders - Weghtless.  I am pushing it with this one, but keep in mind, the musicians have chosen to use solid-state guitar amps. This album is here because it somehow still sounds good, especially when compared with their debut.
 
The Contortionist - Exoplanet - I have very similar guitar gear to what was used on the album and what the band plays live. The guitar tone is texturally perfect and similar to what I have. for those not familiar with guitar gear, what you hear on the album is exactly how it will sound live. Great production, sick guitar tone.
 
Textures - Dualism, Silhouette. Both cds have layers of very simply produced instruments that sound awesome together. Also, this is one of the very few metal bands that seem to have a good idea how to incorporate keyboards seamlessly.
 
Chimaira - self-titled. Awesome production, great song writing. Done.
 
*of note: I personally do not believe that it makes sense to record metal without compression. It is a very 2 dimensional sounding genre due to the wall of noise from guitar amps. Trying to make a metal album sound like it has the same overall sound signature as an orchestra recording simply won't work. Metal has been produced since the 80s and I feel that it is actually one of the harder genres to produce due to volume levels and dependency on . With acoustic instruments, you can talk about things like "air" and "dimension" because the sound is very 3D, very dependent upon surroundings. You typical don't mic a grand piano, add effects pedals, then amp it back out. Distorted guitar tone is amplified and artificial to begin with, especially since it doesn't exist without the speakers in the cabinet. Trying to find an audiophile recording in metal is a difficult task, to say the least. With all that said, I love metal, hardcore, death metal, 80s, 90s, and at least one band in all the sub-genres.

 

[J.Pocalypse]

Nine inch nails, TDS and everything after and the PHM remaster.

Anything by Primus and Opeth.

Metallica, self titled.

Lamb of God, AOTW and Sacrament.

Sent from my Atrix 4G ( Unlocked. Rooted . CM7 ) using Tapatalk 2

 

[marts30]

Wintersun - Wintersun
Kalmah - 12 Gauge
Norther - N
Sonata Arctica - The Days of Grays
Borknagar - Urd
 
Some I've been enjoying lately at least

 

[Arboginge911]

I've really been enjoying Hands Like Houses 'Ground Dweller' lately, but then again the whole 'wall of sound' argument comes into play. I think they did a somewhat decent job producing their album. Personally, I am impressed.

 

[PleasantNoise]

 
Quote:

 
 
Animals As Leaders - Weghtless.  I am pushing it with this one, but keep in mind, the musicians have chosen to use solid-state guitar amps. This album is here because it somehow still sounds good, especially when compared with their debut.

Textures - Dualism, Silhouette. Both cds have layers of very simply produced instruments that sound awesome together. Also, this is one of the very few metal bands that seem to have a good idea how to incorporate keyboards seamlessly.

 

 
Ok, I'm A huge AAL fan, and yes Weightless is a great album, but it is slightly wearing to listen to, because it does need a bigger Dynamic range really.
When you say the guitarists used 'solid state' guitar amps, they actually used their Axe-fx units, which are effects processors/preamps. They're pretty much the best thing anyone can possibly record guitar with, because they're totally DI, every aspect of the sound can be altered, tweaked, it's DI so you don't need any special room to record in, and there won't be any annoying room reflections. Go listen to  some of the clips people post using an Axe-fx they're flawless.
rant/

Also, In regards to Textures-Dualism, I love the album, but I find the guitars are slightly too muddy, and lack a little impact, and The bass is very difficult to pick out in the mix, to the point where I usually can't hear it at all, which annoys me, I can pick out the bass on most metal albums alot more than on Dualism.