Your Favorite Death Metal Recording

[vile_ator]

So many things affect our perception of what a good recording is. Before I really got totally involved in recording and mastering, I used to think Morbid Angel "Blessed are the Sick" was one of the best death metal recordings. Also Monstrosity Imperial Doom But now that I listen to them 11 years later, I realize they are good, but not all that. Its just that I loved the music. And also cause I was not that experienced with recording.

Also some people really like distortion and fuzz in their recordings. Some dont. I dont really. Like the new Necrophagist. I think its amazing but many others dont think so cause they say it sounds sterile. I agree but I know that this is the only way to record this band.

Can you all pick 2 recordings that you consider to be your favorite death or black metal recordings from a puerely technical standpoint? Try not to let your feelings about the music get in the way and let us know why you picked them.

Cheers!

Colin

[JBassist]

i would say:

Hate Eternal; Conquering The Throne

for its solo tone particulairy, and the sheer guitarheavyness (like that part on 0.48 on spiritual holocaust!!)

Death: Individual Thought Patterns.

basssound, solo sound (a solo sound makes a record in my opinion i gues!! hehehe..), and its not the most perfect mix/ recording in the world but it has this realy cool vibe to it.
which i think it owns to the production/mix.

and just thought of one more: The new dimmu borgir. puuuuurrfection (allthough its not totally my cup of thea..)

and The Depopulate album.

AGAIN solo and basssound on this album are hugggggeeeeee and also the main guitarsound is just searing... this is the way i think DM should sound (and not because this is your forum.. i seriously think its great..)

give us the secrets man!! (reverb on solo sound for example!!, how was bass recorded mixed.)

[siN]

the latest Suffo was pretty rockin'

[Crucified Coma]

Eh, I've never really liked the production on Suffo CDs. They're so much better live.

[Choronzon]

Cannibal Corpse's production on "Vile" was pretty neat.

It hold on to the atmosphere of the old recordings, yet adding more clarity.

[Alex]

My fav's by far on the recording side is

Death-Symbolic
I think musically and production wise this is the best DM cd I've ever heard. I can hear every instrument and I just think its an amzing album.

Necrophagist-Epitaph
Amazing musically and again the production is flawless with this disc.

honorable mentions
Deeds of Flesh-Reduced to Ashes
Crytopsy-pretty much any album since NSV
Monstrosty-In dark purity
theres others I cant think of.

[vile_ator]

I think Im going to have to agree with Alex on almost all those releases. If you like those recrodings then you probably also like:

Morbid Angel Gateways

Decapitated First 2 albums

The 2 latest Dimmu Borgir albums.

Damn that Necrophagist is amazing. Playing and recording. I cant see how anyone could get any better than that at recording this kind of technical death metal.

I also like Andy Sneap recordings a lot but those are not death metal.

Have you guys heard the original release of Mortal Decay "Sickening Erotic Fanatisism"? That was an analog 8 track recording. And its far from perfect but the vibe of that thing is kind of jazzy and the recording is moderately mastered, not much distortion. Really, its cant compare to the recordings I just mentioned or the ones Alex mentioned. But this is one recording that to me is really great because of its natural, live approach and then you add to that some of the best death metal ever, that really makes it a cool listen to me.

Thats an example of how something can be good for reasons other than pure technical correctness.

Colin

[Alex]

Originally posted by vile_ator
I think Im going to have to agree with Alex on almost all those releases. If you like those recrodings then you probably also like:

Morbid Angel Gateways

Decapitated First 2 albums

The 2 latest Dimmu Borgir albums.

Damn that Necrophagist is amazing. Playing and recording. I cant see how anyone could get any better than that at recording this kind of technical death metal.

I also like Andy Sneap recordings a lot but those are not death metal.

Have you guys heard the original release of Mortal Decay "Sickening Erotic Fanatisism"? That was an analog 8 track recording. And its far from perfect but the vibe of that thing is kind of jazzy and the recording is moderately mastered, not much distortion. Really, its cant compare to the recordings I just mentioned or the ones Alex mentioned. But this is one recording that to me is really great because of its natural, live approach and then you add to that some of the best death metal ever, that really makes it a cool listen to me.

Thats an example of how something can be good for reasons other than pure technical correctness.

Colin

Yeah I thought that Gateways had an awesome production, Decapitated's also. I really liked Dimmu's Puritanical but really couldn't stand for Death cult the git sound really didn't do anything for me.

I have to agree that Andy Sneap is da man, he did some pretty amazing stuff with Nevermore.

Another album I forgot to mention was Origin's III, that was an amazing disc in my eyes.

[InvoluntarySlaughter]

Severed Savior - Brutality is Law
I love this whole c.d. You can hear pretty much every guitar note, drums aren't over-powering every other instrument, and just a pure class album.

Exhumed - Anatomy is Destiny
The guitar tone on this c.d. is amazing and so is everyting else. This one is always in my playlist. Again the drums aren't too overpowering this album kicks ass.

And also, I think that Deicide - Once Upon The Cross has pretty good production as well. Love the song "They Are Children of the Underworld."

[analredwing]

deicide-legion

[crispykid88]

skinless- foreshadowing our demise

pantera- cowboys from hell!!!!!!!!;)

[Trauma]

It's hard to give only 2 favourite recordings, cause a good recording is for me a recording that fit to the band perfectly.
But for my taste, the sound that i would like for my band:

Gorgasm: Bleeding profusely
Necrophagist: Epitaph

Both are a bit "sterile", a little lack of relief (for me) but both bands take the interest in their hands.
I would add Disavowed "Perceptive Deception" too. Heavy and groovy

[Bobkill]

cryptopsy-whisper supremacy-sick guitar tone
Behemoth-demigod-crushing

[JohnnyJihad]

Decapitated- Winds of Creation

Basics:

Ample Definition, and a great guitar tone, thick but clear.

I'll be back with another.

[JBassist]

i realy like the production/mix on Immolations close to a world below right now

[Reincremation]

Destroy the Opposition - Dying Fetus.


Amazing guitar tone, drums are very audible, and the vocals are captured perfectly.

[EchoesOfDecimation]

The last 3 Corpse albums were done very well.
Both Necrophagist discs.
The best mixing ever was on Death-ITP.
Decapitated-The negation
Spawn of Possession-Cabinet
The last 2 Nile discs were pretty fuckin amazing.

[JohnnyJihad]

Originally posted by Reincremation
Destroy the Opposition - Dying Fetus.


Amazing guitar tone, drums are very audible, and the vocals are captured perfectly.

Yeah the vocals really do sound great on that album... very clear.. up front but not overpowering.

[Rudy]

Originally posted by Bobkill
cryptopsy-whisper supremacy-sick guitar tone
Behemoth-demigod-crushing


FUCK YEAH!! Demigod has an amazing production and its a killer album as well!

some of my other favorite recording jobs:
Psycroptic-Scepter of the Ancients
Necrophagist-Epitaph
Aeon- Dark Order
Decapitated- Nihility and Negation
Krisiun-Ageless Venomous
Death-ITP and Human
Behemoth-Thelema 6
Suffocation-Souls To Deny(some people didnt like the production on this cd but i really like it)
Just to name a few.

[crispykid88]

Originally posted by Reincremation
Destroy the Opposition - Dying Fetus.


Amazing guitar tone, drums are very audible, and the vocals are captured perfectly.

good one the only thing i dont like is the guitars are to trebly

[seedsofthesuffering]

I dig the overall "feel" these have the most:-

Suffocation - Pierced From Within
Gorguts - The Erosion of Sanity
Death - Human & all thereafter

Maybe not the cleanest productions ever like Necro, but these are by far my preference.
:cool: the sound of pretty much all the Scott Burns stuff.

[xididthisforyoux]

Definitly have to agree with everyone, Necrophagists, Epitah, is so amazingly clean. I love natural sounding recordings w/o all the extra shit put in.

Also despised icons newer album, the healing process, is done really really well. you can crank it real loud and its still clean

hey colin, i was in the band The Burial Plot, we had talked to you about mastering our release but over the summer the band broke up bc we werent metal enough for one of our guitarist, kinda gay but w/e, good job on that vore track and the new vile stuff is good too.

[porphyria]

Necrophagist-Epitaph
Amazing musically and again the production is flawless with this disc.


I dig it, but I gotta say most drummers hate the sound of the drums because they are sampled.

Best:
The Crown - Deathrace King (so punchy and heavy!)
Decapitated - Nihility (great guitar tone especially)
Primal Fear (every album has awesome production and guitar tone)
Morbid Angel - Gateways (one of the best MA albums alltogether imo)
Psycroptic - Scepters (you can hear everything, it rules)
Testament - The Gathering (sooooo heavy!)

Suffocation definetly needs better production, nothing they've put out holds up to their live mix.

[StefTD]

Morbid Angel-Gateways
Decapitated-Winds of Creation (I love the guitar sound)
Spawn of Possession-Cabinet
Broken Hope-Repulsive Conception and Loathing

For the music I play by myself the sound I am having at the moment is nearly perfect, with the new guitar I will get and another cabinet (custom 2x12) it will be the sound I want (ok, I think 99,999% ;) not 100% ) Distorted, tight but very clear, sounds a bit like a mix between Aeon and Necrophagist.
I hope that I am able to record some stuff soon.

[this_is_my_reality]

The whole Man Must Die - Start Killing album was pretty good, both music and production wise. The only problem I have with it is the kicks are too much click, and hardly any bass.
It was produced by one of the guys from Kataclysm I think.

[egdeltar]

Not a big fan of this album but I love the drum tones, snare & kick especially.
Too bad the actual drumming is shit....

Metallica- And justice for all...

[Silverback]

Kronos - Collosal Tital Strife
Spawn Of Possession - Noctambulant
Anata - The Conductors Departure and Under a stone with no inscript

[yeehah]

vital remains- entwined by violence

[pooptastik]

iniQuity - The Hidden Lore
http://www.polbox.com/s/scepter/iniquityhidden.jpg

the perfect mix and probably the cleanest YET heaviest record i have heard next to Suffocation's Pierced from Within

[pooptastik]

the latest Suffo was pretty rockin'
STD?!!!! you gotta be shitting me. what a horrible cop out. they used the rest of the money to pay for their mortgage. fucking horrible production

[younguitarist]

I really like the the production on the new age of chaos. It's warm and you can hear every instrument. The new Decapitated is great as well.

[InvoluntarySlaughter]

Definitely have to agree with the two that younguitarist listed. I'm really digging the new Decapitated a lot. I didn't really like it at first, but it's amazing.

[Azhi Dahaka]

Ashes of the Wake - Lamb of God
Drums stand out well

Unhealthy Opera - Yyrkoon
In my opinion when a solo is played, it doesn't sound like they turn the volume down on everything else so its the only thing you can here, which i like

[Soulgrinder]

The latest Vile, Afterburner from Sinister: Sounds totaly Old School but still it's a total fucking great sound!

[ChAAPY]

I know it's not death metal but the new Lamb Of God has some KILLER production.

for death metal I'd say

Death "Symbolic"
Hate Eternal "Conquoring The Throne" (I love the way the kick sounds)
Necrophagist "Onset Of Putrefaction" (I didn't know that was a drum machine, fooled me. plus it sounds damn near realistic anyway)
Cannibal Corpse "Kill"
Morbid Angel "Gateways To Annihilation"
Suffocation "Pierced From Within"
Deicide "Legion"

the new Decapitated sounds awesome too (production wise)

also I really love how bassy Erik Rutan's recordings have gotten. They sound fuckin CRUSHING when you have a subwoofer. and the new Spawn Of Possession sounds like it has more bass to it then "Cabinet" did. Have to wait and see to hear it instead of the 192kps mp3 file that everyone has.

[SpiralDisform]

I guess i agree with the most stated stuff.
esp.for Cryptopsy and the Eric Rutan-produced stuff.

And i like the bass-sound on Blood Red throne´s "altered genesis...

[xunitedgex]

the new Spawn of Possession. The production reminds me of Necrophagist. But it isn't quite as crystal clear, which I like.

Vital Remains - Dechristianize. A lot of people shit talk this album. But i still think its genious.

the Visceral Bleeding rerelease. Remnants Revived.

[EchoesOfDecimation]

Both SOP albums have sweet production.

[guyom]

Both SOP albums have sweet production.

I prefer the sound of the first one. On their last release, I do not like a lot the drums sound.

IMO best metal recordings are :
GORATORY - Rice on suede
LOCKUP - Pleasures Pave Sewers
PSYCROPTIC - Symbols of failure

[Wounds Of Christ]

I would say that most of these people are simply naming bands that they like, not really anything to do with the technichal standpoint. Production wise most of these cds are actually somewhat good....In my opinions a band with a good sound production, guitar/drum/vocal wise has to be Deeds of Flesh...Reduced To Ashes and Crown of Souls have a real nice crispy guitar tone and the drums aren't too loud either.

[Mindsnare]

Hmmm, I posted my favourites here a while back but it seems to have dissapeared. Never the less, my two favourites are...

The original Onset of Putrefaction, it just has such a clear sterile sound to it, almost "robotic" in a way. Aside from the killer technicality and song structure, that "robotic" aspect of it is definitely one of the things that really attracted me when I first heard it back in 2001.

Next is Decades of Decapitation by Deadborn, another killer production from The Depths of Torment. Again it's just got that really clear sound, not such a sterile sound like onset, a little "warmer" or "full" is how i'd describe it, but you can still pick out every note. Awesome guitar and drum sound, and just a killer sounding mix overall courtesy of Cristoph Brandes, that guy is a machine.

[younguitarist]

I would say that most of these people are simply naming bands that they like, not really anything to do with the technichal standpoint. Production wise most of these cds are actually somewhat good....In my opinions a band with a good sound production, guitar/drum/vocal wise has to be Deeds of Flesh...Reduced To Ashes and Crown of Souls have a real nice crispy guitar tone and the drums aren't too loud either.

Reduced to ashes had a good production but I couldn't get into that album because of that snare. It sounded like shit imo but after a while i got use to it.

[pooptastik]

Rutan's work is so fucking compressed. atleast its not as bad as Deeds of Flesh. my biggest problem with lots of the UL bands is that most of them use the same snare trigger. its really annoying, i know most of them sends the raw recorded materials to Jacob so he could master them, but christ, YUCK.

Decapitated is also compressed as fuck, i understand that for the style they do, everything must be tight, but look at Behemoth. they have an amazing warm sound.

the best recent recorded album IMO is Nile's Annihilation of the Wicked. note that when they have the solos it doesn't get levelled up and its consistent with the rest of the instruments.

but i stand to my old picks
Disincarnate's Dreams of the Carrion Kind
iniQuity's Serenadium (a whole lot more rawer with untuned bass kicks) and The Hidden Lore (more polished but heavy as jesus christ's vagina)

and would like to add
Malignancy's Motivated By Hunger and their split with Intervalle Bizarre

[InvoluntarySlaughter]

but i stand to my old picks
Disincarnate's Dreams of the Carrion Kind
iniQuity's Serenadium (a whole lot more rawer with untuned bass kicks)

Two of the greatest albums ever made.

[pooptastik]

Two of the greatest albums ever made.
fucking HIGH GIVE!!!

such a massive sound on Serenadium. im convinced that it maybe the heaviest death metal album i ever heard. it sometimes comes close to being as heavy as an Evoken album.

[pooptastik]

Both SOP albums have sweet production.


haven't heard the lastest SOP yet, but im not too keen with the 1st album's guitar sound. it lacks distortion and warmth. i know they want to sound clean but it loses atmosphere.

biggest example: Immolation. Failures for Gods had such a muddy production, but it gave such a darker character to their already dark somber songs. Unholy Cult was the opposite IMO, they turned the distortion down so much that its almost clean and Bob can't hold out those long notes like he normally does. listen to the leads and you can clearly hear the difference.

and seriously, the muddiness oh Failures created such an awesome presence that in "the Devil I Know's" closing riff, that shit sounds like a cello! and Bob clearly said that there was no other fx

[ChAAPY]

I'm gonna have to throw in Dying Fetus "Stop At Nothing" too. Pretty damn good production IMO.

[brandy]

Originally Posted by Alex
Necrophagist-Epitaph
Amazing musically and again the production is flawless with this disc.


I dig it, but I gotta say most drummers hate the sound of the drums because they are sampled.


No, they are not sampled :lol:


cheers,
brandy

[ChAAPY]

.

and seriously, the muddiness oh Failures created such an awesome presence that in "the Devil I Know's" closing riff, that shit sounds like a cello! and Bob clearly said that there was no other fx

I like the kick drum sound on that CD. It's different and adds a lot to the albums sound IMO.

[vile_ator]

Great, Mr. Brandy is here. Thats cool. Sorry I have not been here much. Been touring.

Colin

[Mr.Impaler]

The best Death Metal sound I have heard until now is NILE's Annihilation of the Wicked. The guitars are just as massive as they could possibly be. Totally rich, belly-bursting low ends, yet every detail is audible. Neil Kernon did a great job on the overall mix, too.
The only problem I have with it is the snare sound. It's too thin and sometimes too low. In the last song 'Von unaussprechlichen Kulten' there's even a blastbeat part where you don't hear the snare at all.
But besides that, the production just blows you away.

It's hard to pick a second one, cause I really think that that's the climax of death metal production up to now.

So let's switch to Black Metal. My favorite BM recording - soundwise - is SETHERIAL's Hell Eternal.
The guitar sound matches the music perfectly. It is razor sharp, rich, but not too clinical or "overproduced" like some other shit that usually comes out of the Abyss Studios.
The drums are well produced (e.g. the bass drum has got attack, unlike on many "Necro", "oldschool" or whatever BM recordings), but they're not too upfront in the mix.
They've just found the right balance between raw, primitive oldschool Black Metal sound and clearness and audibility on that record.

[RICE510]

"So let's switch to Black Metal."

Let's not.

[Mr.Impaler]

"So let's switch to Black Metal."

Let's not.

So let's switch to da Hoff. I really dig the sound on his new tune "Jump In My Car", for it.... :emot-pino

Sorry... :icon_twis

[vile_ator]

Who said Behemoth? Man that stuff is smashed to the limit. Talk about compressed. UL bands dont use the same snare trigger. Many dont use snare trigger. That sound you are probably hearing, and I hate it too, is a picollo snare being hit lightly.

Uncompressed or not as compressed recent recordings I can think of are Morbid Angel Gateways, Nile first album, Vile albums, Cannibal Bloodthirst, and of course the Necrophagist is a great example of extremely light mastering and mixing compression.

Colin

[deformity]

In my opinion...

Suffocation - Pierced Form Within
Deeds Of Flesh - Crown Of Souls (except the snare sound)
Disgorge - Parallels Of Infinite Torture
Cannibal Corpse - Bloodthirst
Vile - Depopulate
Gorgasm - Bleeding Profusely
Decrepit Birth - And time begins

[TheDuke]

I am in no way an recording engineer, but two of my favorite albums based on overall sound would have to be:

"Wolverine Blues" from Entombed
-Although a lot despise this album because of their slight change in musical direction, production wise it sounds so fucking fat and groovy. If this production would have been available for "Clandestine", fuuuck...

"Gateways to Annihilation" from Morbid Angel
-I think enough has been said already about this.

And not to get off topic, but some of you mention the lack of love for the Deeds of Flesh snare sound on "Reduced to Ashes" and "Crown of Souls", and I can completely understand why. However, I personally think that sound compliments the blast patterns (not sure if there is a technical term) that Mike Hamilton incorporates.

[Defleshuary]

Death - Sound of Perserverance. Morris Sound doesn't fuck around!

[pierced]

I like those records where I can hear the bassguitar, most of death/black metal records you can't here it, I think.

So one of my favourites is Pierced From Within (You can hear everything clean, inluding the bass...). But I think there are many overproduced recordings too... I like those sound which can be reproduced live.

[Robbe K]

Pierced from Within! Hell Yeah! Love it!

[deus]

Next is Decades of Decapitation by Deadborn, another killer production from The Depths of Torment. Again it's just got that really clear sound, not such a sterile sound like onset, a little "warmer" or "full" is how i'd describe it, but you can still pick out every note. Awesome guitar and drum sound, and just a killer sounding mix overall courtesy of Cristoph Brandes, that guy is a machine.

+1

and i'm gonna pick Opeth's Blackwater Park too.. awesome atmosphere

[Vagelis]

I'd say Suffocation-pierced
Monstrosity-millenium
Vile-stench
broken hope-loathing
the last dim mak

and there's a ton more

[Spengler]

I like those records where I can hear the bassguitar, most of death/black metal records you can't here it, I think.

Precisely the reason Macabre's Murder Metal has my favourite production. Everything's crisp on that album but I especially like the bass sound. Shame about the songs though.

[trainwreck orchestra]

Augury - Concealed
Capharnaum - Fractured
Psycroptic - Scepter of the Ancients
Lamb of God - Ashes of the Wake
Dying Fetus - Destroy the Opposition and Stop at Nothing
Gojira - The Link

they all sound unique to me as far as the sounds produced go. although i dont have a clue about recording and my recordings sound terrible lol

[vile_ator]

I like the toms on that Macabre album. Kernon gets good toms.

Colin

[GringoDeath]

Vile New Age of Chaos is an awesome change up of new death metal productions can't get much better than this.

Also noteables are Panzerchrist - Room Service
Black Dahlia Murder - Miasma
Hate - Anaclasis

[foreign10]

and seriously, the muddiness oh Failures created such an awesome presence that in "the Devil I Know's" closing riff, that shit sounds like a cello! and Bob clearly said that there was no other fx
are you talking about the last 2 or so minutes as a whole, or that last like 5 seconds of what sounds like a keyboard? either way....that's really cool. I had no idea.

but anyway some of my favorites are...
Suffocation - Pierced from Within...clear but still heavy as fuck
Disincarnate - Dreams of the Carrion Kind...probably Colin Richardsons most unique production right next to Carcass' Necrotism and Heartwork
Death - Symbolic....this is one of the many albums that made me interested in production. Tom Morris did a great job with that one and Coroners Mental Vortex.
Disavowed - Perceptive Deception...if Robbe happens to come back and read this, I'll suck-up and say I LOVE you're production! it's clear but still great and heavy!
Immolation - Pretty much all of their albums haha. one that sticks out is Here in After. that's some weird production...it's produced...but at the same time it's almost like it's not....anyone get what I mean?

[Robbe K]

Thanx, bro!!

Have you heard the new Disavowed album?

[foreign10]

nah not yet...I'm still waiting on the pre-order to arrive. I know it leaked and all but I just want to wait this one out. I heard the last Pyaemia album only a few weeks ago, so I'm using that to hold me over.

[ontogeny]

meshuggah- chaosphere
ion dissonance- solace

[Excrementor]

One of my favourite death metal productions has to be Demigod - Slumber of Sullen Eyes, I love how raw the sound is while still being clean enough to hear everything that is going on. That and the fact that it is one of the best death metal albums ever anyway...

[blackened07]

cannibal corpse- the bleeding
vital remains-dechristionize

[ibz_rg]

Suffocation - Pierced From Within
Dying Fetus - War of Attrition
Necrophagist - Epitaph
Devourment - Butcher The Weak
Behemoth - Demigod, The Apostasy
The Black Dahlia Murder - Miasma, Nocturnal
Cannibal Corpse - Kill
Decapitated - Nihility
Through The Eyes Of The Dead - Malice
Whitechapel - The Somatic Defilement

[Ouroboros]

Meshuggah - obZen