[dspang]

Anyone heard a band called Reflux. The album "The Illusion of Democracy" is spinning right now and I think its absolutely amazing. Technical like metal stuff. It has a few "core" elements and a few clean vox here and there. For the most part its pretty good stuff.

 

[Hyperfluxe]

You guys have got to listen to Gorod. Amazing technical death metal band from France. These guys are astounding, there isn't a SINGLE wasted note on any of their albums, each notes have been put to good use. Tech death that isn't pure wankery is what Gorod does. A few songs to get you started: Gutting Job, Programmers of Decline, Disavow Your God, Diverted Logic, Smoked Skulls.

I listen to a lot of Black Metal like most of you guys, but how do you guys deal with the lo-fi quality of the recordings? What audio gear do you guys use to make it sound better? I'm really curious. It's ironic to be an audiophile yet appreciate Black Metal, but we're just that cool. I have about 30 000 metal songs that I need to redownload for 320kbps rips...that's going to take a long time.

Anyone listened to Kalmah's newest one?

 

[Cianyx]

I've got Darkthrone in 320kpbs. Go me.

I use AD700 to make mah lo-fi BM sound wider and more misanthropic. I don't try to make BM sound better because that really is defeating the purpose and ish sounds a lot better when its crappily recorded and produced

Case in Point

 

[Flipjack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hyperfluxe /img/forum/go_quote.gif I listen to a lot of Black Metal like most of you guys, but how do you guys deal with the lo-fi quality of the recordings? What audio gear do you guys use to make it sound better? I'm really curious. It's ironic to be an audiophile yet appreciate Black Metal, but we're just that cool. I have about 30 000 metal songs that I need to redownload for 320kbps rips...that's going to take a long time.

I can't stand those (extreme) low recording quality and production quality. Lucky for me, I'm not that into BM

(as you can see in my previous post). I guess I'm not that cool.

 

[Azathoth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hyperfluxe /img/forum/go_quote.gif You guys have got to listen to Gorod. Amazing technical death metal band from France. These guys are astounding, there isn't a SINGLE wasted note on any of their albums, each notes have been put to good use. Tech death that isn't pure wankery is what Gorod does. A few songs to get you started: Gutting Job, Programmers of Decline, Disavow Your God, Diverted Logic, Smoked Skulls. I listen to a lot of Black Metal like most of you guys, but how do you guys deal with the lo-fi quality of the recordings? What audio gear do you guys use to make it sound better? I'm really curious. It's ironic to be an audiophile yet appreciate Black Metal, but we're just that cool. I have about 30 000 metal songs that I need to redownload for 320kbps rips...that's going to take a long time.

Gorod's best work was the "Leading Vision" album IMO, perfect from start to finish. The songs have this improvisational bent yet still structured, technical and memorable.

I use the Senn IE8 a lot with lo-fi/horribly produced black metal these days. It made the latest Deiphago album sound borderline listenable, compared to the merciless Grado SR325is which was like aural torture hehehe.

 

[Fido2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flipjack /img/forum/go_quote.gif I can't stand those (extreme) low recording quality and production quality. Lucky for me, I'm not that into BM (as you can see in my previous post). I guess I'm not that cool.

LOL...really. I'm not "cool" at all on the BM. Haahaha "BM" as in bowel movement...If you can't bang your head while listening...it's out!!

From what I understand the horrible sound quality of BM was originally by design as part of their "rebellion" against everything including good sound quality. Ding-Dong!!! hello...I guess they wanted to burn churches, kill peeps and make horrible recordings and BAM! disovered a success formula. LOL!!

Sometimes you gotta hate stuff on principle.

 

[Bullseye]

Gorod released on their myspace page a Cynic cover not long ago. You guys should check it. These guys are very talented. Definitely one of my favorite Tech bands out there.

I haven't listened to latest kalmah album, but will have to check it.

Regarding Reflux they do sound good. No doubt, having Tosin Abasi from AAL as guitarrist.

 

[MaZa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hyperfluxe /img/forum/go_quote.gif You guys have got to listen to Gorod. Amazing technical death metal band from France. These guys are astounding, there isn't a SINGLE wasted note on any of their albums, each notes have been put to good use. Tech death that isn't pure wankery is what Gorod does. A few songs to get you started: Gutting Job, Programmers of Decline, Disavow Your God, Diverted Logic, Smoked Skulls. I listen to a lot of Black Metal like most of you guys, but how do you guys deal with the lo-fi quality of the recordings? What audio gear do you guys use to make it sound better? I'm really curious. It's ironic to be an audiophile yet appreciate Black Metal, but we're just that cool. I have about 30 000 metal songs that I need to redownload for 320kbps rips...that's going to take a long time. Anyone listened to Kalmah's newest one?

Making it sound "better" is futile attempt. Bad and thin sound is part of the atmosphere: At first this low-fi started out as mere "rebellious" attidute as Fido said, but sort of accidentally made it very important part of the sound. Darkthrone - Transilvanian Hunger would lose half of its "grim" magic with cleaner production. So my point is, there is nothing to "deal with" about as it is actually an important part of the music, like another instrument. Any headphone with big soundstage is good for Black Metal though IMHO.

But then again there are those bands who make their music sound s***ty just for the hell of it, bad "garage sound", without thinking how to make it sound good at the same time. Those bands are rarely worth of attention, IMHO anyway.




There is one excellent test song that perfectly shows how much difference a mere production quality can make to the Black Metal song. Dark Funeral - Apprentice Of Satan songs EP version versus album version.
EP Teach Children To Worship Satan (cheesy name, I know, but thats the point of DF) version has dirtier and more reverbing, overall darker (though not exactly low-fi raw) sound that portrays fantastic atmosphere and makes the sound more melodic, where album Diabolis Interium version is overly clean and well produced, and practically destroys the whole song!

Im in a hurry so I cannot look up samples now, but I recommend to search them and test this out, just for kicks if nothing else.

 

[MaZa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fido2 /img/forum/go_quote.gif LOL...really. I'm not "cool" at all on the BM. Haahaha "BM" as in bowel movement...If you can't bang your head while listening...it's out!! From what I understand the horrible sound quality of BM was originally by design as part of their "rebellion" against everything including good sound quality. Ding-Dong!!! hello...I guess they wanted to burn churches, kill peeps and make horrible recordings and BAM! disovered a success formula. LOL!! Sometimes you gotta hate stuff on principle.

Dude! You CAN headbang with Black Metal! Well, some of them anyway, not with ambient stuff...

 

[SoupRKnowva]

I just got the most recent Gorod album, and its not bad, though for techdeath i still prefer Origin, and i think deivos betters them as well, but Gorod is much more melodic, so to each their own

 

[MaZa]

Has anyone listened Immolations new album Majesty and Decay? Its quite good, though I havent formed my final opinion yet. There is something wierd in the guitars, tone or something. They at the times remind me of Hate Eternal for some reason, particularly on song Purge. Might be just my imagination.

On a side note, it has absolutely badass coverart IMHO.

http://www.metal-archives.com/images/2/5/9/6/259638.jpg



Other new and quite decent deathmetal album is Solstice - To Dust. I consider Solstice - Solstice (their debut) one of the best Extreme Thrash / Death Metal albums ever, and their second one isnt bad either. Their newest To Dust is quite different though. Thrash elements are almost completely gone, and its more pure death metal, to my ears anyway. Its a shame as I love extreme Thrash and thrashy deathmetal like old Malevolent Creation and such. Still its not bad. But I still GREATLY favor their self titled, as it is a great and raw headbangers fest, particularly second song with one of the best thrash-breakdowns I have ever heard.

 

[nhancakes]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fido2 /img/forum/go_quote.gif LOL...really. I'm not "cool" at all on the BM. Haahaha "BM" as in bowel movement...If you can't bang your head while listening...it's out!! From what I understand the horrible sound quality of BM was originally by design as part of their "rebellion" against everything including good sound quality. Ding-Dong!!! hello...I guess they wanted to burn churches, kill peeps and make horrible recordings and BAM! disovered a success formula. LOL!! Sometimes you gotta hate stuff on principle.

There's some good black and roll going on that you can headbang to like Carpathian Forest.

 

[thornygravy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaZa /img/forum/go_quote.gif Darkthrone - Transilvanian Hunger would lose half of its "grim" magic with cleaner production.

Exactly, I never truly understood the whole 'making it sound like crap on purpose' bit, until I heard Transilvanian Hunger.

It's not to say that well produced Black Metal is bad, though "troo kvlt krieg" kids will try to convince otherwise. The same nostalgic effect can be made micing guitar amps and not using drum triggers, etc. Just my opinion, but I'm sure people think 'ist not krieg'.

I've seen listening to Shining lately, that Kvarforth is a loon. Also been enjoying Carach Angren's sophomore effort, Death Came Through A Phantom Ship, along with Forest Silence's new EP Winter Ritual, much more grim than Winter's debut.

 

[Hyperfluxe]

On an audiophile related note, World Without God by Convulse (remaster) is epochal. I actually discovered this album a long time ago, and I really enjoyed the production so I thought that the remaster would be horrible. Turns out to be wrong, Relapse managed to make it sound even better. The vocals are absolutely monolithic. That album is tied with Slumber of the Sullen Eyes by Demigod, Nespithe by Demilich, and Internal Caustic Torments by Wombbath for the best OSDM album.

Also, I can headbang to a lot of Black Metal. Maybe not ambient stuff like Darkspace, or melodic sorrowful stuff like Paysage d'Hiver, Gris, and Miserere Luminis, but certainly for stuff like Emperor. The Québecois Black Metal scene is f'ing awesome, I can't believe that it passed right under my nose for the thirteen years I lived there, and I was born there too

. Calgary's metal scene sucks ass, I've been here for 3 years.

Edit
By the way, have you guys attended a concert recently? What band and how was it? I saw Megadeth on their 20th ann. tour for RiP on the 6th, and they were amazing. Five Magics, RiP polaris, and Tornado of Souls live all in one night? Dream come true. Oh and can't forget Testament who played their best album in it's entirety as well.

 

[nhancakes]

Caustic Torments is an amazing album; it fetches a ridiculous amount of money on ebay. I havent heard the ones you mentioned though. And Megadeth's tour rolls around these parts on March 26th and I'm going to be there.