Mastodon - Blood Mountain

[piratemurder]

I am currently listening to Blood Mountain for the first time, and my Wharfedales are farting out like crazy. What do you guys think about the sound of this record?

[phild]

Originally Posted by piratemurder

I am currently listening to Blood Mountain for the first time, and my Wharfedales are farting out like crazy. What do you guys think about the sound of this record?

Anything but problems here... this is in my top 2 fav sounding heavy rock records right now....just saw 'em live too.
Not sure why you're getting problems... nothing really too crazy below 80 hz?

mastering: not without a few problems but I can listen to this without thinking about how bad the mastering is - which is not the case here. Compare to the new Slayer and see how you feel?

Shitloads of "pillowy" 3.5- 4K on the Mastodon and I'm still alive to talk about it. Is this the sign of Vlado's new SPL eq?

Phil

[piratemurder]

Sorry, Phil. I used the wrong terminology. My speakers aren't farting out from low end. What I meant to say is that I am getting a significant amount of digital distortion during quite a few parts of the record. My roomate and I were shocked. To me, the guitars have no "balls," and there are seemingly no dynamics. I tried it in my home system and in my car. Could I have gotten a bad copy?? I'll try headphones and see if it's the same. Regardless, they're playing here in LA on Friday!! -douglas

[PoorGlory]

I really wanted to like Mastadon, but they just bore me to tears. I think its more the band than the production that feels a little flat. I saw them live once, and left before it was over (I've only done that one other time, at a Slayer show when my girlfriend was vomitting everywhere during 'Dead Skin Mask') Honestly I think they're are one of the most overrated bands currently, and while its not the production that makes them lame to me, it certainly doesn't help.

Dark Tranquillity's "Character" is the quintessential example of perfect metal production for me.

[DeathGripProd.]

Please Please Please If you like Mastodon Track down a copy of there Lifesblood Demo. IMO that is there best recording. I think now that there on Warner Music they have top name producers tellin Brann to chill out on the insane drumming and while Mastodon is still one of my favorite bands I listen to Lifesblood ALL THE TIME cause that record is INSANE! Seeing Brann play the drums for the tracks on Lifesblood was insane live, The first time I saw them (little club in NYC) They played what seemed like the whole Lifesblood Demo and at the end Brann almost collapsed on the drumset! But back to topic I think the new record sounds great but im listenin to sit on small speakers.

Poppa Pill

[phild]

Originally Posted by piratemurder

Sorry, Phil. I used the wrong terminology. My speakers aren't farting out from low end. What I meant to say is that I am getting a significant amount of digital distortion during quite a few parts of the record. My roomate and I were shocked. To me, the guitars have no "balls," and there are seemingly no dynamics. I tried it in my home system and in my car. Could I have gotten a bad copy?? I'll try headphones and see if it's the same. Regardless, they're playing here in LA on Friday!! -douglas

I finally brought this into my studio... yeah there some distortion going on. Maybe I'm not surprised 'cause compared to some other stuff this record is practically hifi!

I love the fact you'r'e listening to mastodon on Wharfdales!

It's the guitars that are the highlight for me. I love all their stuff but this one is just more mature and sounds best. But I know what you mean about dynamics.. I think records will sound like this for a while yet...

If you want some ballsy guitars check out Clutch's "Elephant Riders". A few years old now but still a milestone for me. High On Fire's "Blessed Black Wings" is frightening! Dynamic, too.

Phil

[treymonfauntre]

Originally Posted by DeathGripProd.

Please Please Please If you like Mastodon Track down a copy of there Lifesblood Demo. IMO that is there best recording. I think now that there on Warner Music they have top name producers tellin Brann to chill out on the insane drumming and while Mastodon is still one of my favorite bands I listen to Lifesblood ALL THE TIME cause that record is INSANE! Seeing Brann play the drums for the tracks on Lifesblood was insane live, The first time I saw them (little club in NYC) They played what seemed like the whole Lifesblood Demo and at the end Brann almost collapsed on the drumset! But back to topic I think the new record sounds great but im listenin to sit on small speakers.

Poppa Pill

i saw them 4 years ago and he was anything but almost collapsing. dude just shook his hands out a bit between songs and was ready to go again.

[phild]

Originally Posted by treymonfauntre

i saw them 4 years ago and he was anything but almost collapsing. dude just shook his hands out a bit between songs and was ready to go again.

There are two versions of this CD... one with a DVD with them in the studio.
Drummer looks fit to me. Live no problem. He's fast but physically economical. Maybe that's how he doesn't tire out?

Phil

[piratemurder]

Yeah, no kidding Phil! Elephant Riders is a great sounding record. I've been listening to that for a long time. I don't have that High on Fire album, but I've seen them, and that guy rips on guitar. I dunno, I guess that I'm blown away by the fact that these albums are being made to sound good on cheap boom boxes. Hell, these albums are rarely played on the radio, so why the need to make them so "loud?" I guess I need to sell the Wharfedales and Grados and go buy some AIWA!! Will somebody please pioneer the next "sound" in freakin' heavy music mastering, and make it listenable!!

[godcity]

they are soundchecking about 50 feet away from me right now. i love the new record.
same producer they've always had, just a different mix and mastering engineer.
i think the difference with brann has more to do with the fact that the songs have changed, not his ability or stamina. the new record is basically an atmospheric prog-metal album. if you aren't judging it on their previous work, it's really really good.
new FOH guy today. i think i like him better.
later

[piratemurder]

Yeah, I think the content is pretty cool, but I started this post to talk about the mastering. Now that I've listened to it a bunch, I've decided that it SOUNDS awful. The mix is a little weird, but I think that the mastering is the biggest guilty party. Matt Bayles is as good as it gets. They shoulda let him mix and master it too. Ha!

[jayfrigo]

Originally Posted by piratemurder

Yeah, I think the content is pretty cool, but I started this post to talk about the mastering. Now that I've listened to it a bunch, I've decided that it SOUNDS awful. The mix is a little weird, but I think that the mastering is the biggest guilty party. Matt Bayles is as good as it gets. They shoulda let him mix and master it too. Ha!

Just listened to a bit of it today at the studio, and wow, it sure is loud. There's no question that the level has compromised the sound quality, which is a shame because it sounds like the mixes were good and could have shined without the level addiction.

However, it's not as bad as the new Killers CD. I also heard that today and it set a new benchmark for poor quality sound. The surplus of distortion in the chorus was embarassing.

[nothingface7602]

Ok, i had the mp3 and the aac version of "blood mountain", and there was this digital distortion on some passages, so i thought my friend ripped it wrong. went to Amazon, got the CD, ripped Apple lossless, same thing. put the CD on, SAME thing! i wonder if people has had the same experience with the album. it was mastered by Vladdo Meller, and i know for a fact that he kills transients in favor of loudness. anybody has had the same?. especially, "hunters of the sky"

[nothingface7602]

DEFINITELY distorted, was it in Mastering?. o LOVE the music, but this album is like Paul Mcartney's "memory almost full". So distorted for the sake f being LOUD!!

Originally Posted by phild

I finally brought this into my studio... yeah there some distortion going on. Maybe I'm not surprised 'cause compared to some other stuff this record is practically hifi!

I love the fact you'r'e listening to mastodon on Wharfdales!

It's the guitars that are the highlight for me. I love all their stuff but this one is just more mature and sounds best. But I know what you mean about dynamics.. I think records will sound like this for a while yet...

If you want some ballsy guitars check out Clutch's "Elephant Riders". A few years old now but still a milestone for me. High On Fire's "Blessed Black Wings" is frightening! Dynamic, too.

Phil

[Thrashin Vamp]

I heard it and thought I might have a bad disk too. Even in my truck at highway speeds one track has what sounds like an 'over' clip on it. Bands with fast drummers have less low end than 'pop' metal bands like Nickelback or Seether, I figured for clarity of the kicks and such. Maybe they slam it so hard to bring the low end up? Love the songs, but it is kinda flat on my studio system.

[fenderbender.]

This is an edit of my original post. I've since gone back and listened on this one. Sounds to me like the very audible noise and distortion is coming from the tom tracks, or was triggered using the tom tracks as a key. Once again, the Lavry ceases to amaze. Makes sense, too...

I'm told that Costey's mixes sounded great - almost like they could be masters. They had some kind of peak-limiting on them; anyone know what he uses across the mix bus in that regard? Anyway, the album is ****ing brilliant, IMHO! It just happens to be really, really loud. . .

[ixelion]

digging up an old thread:

I have also noticed insane amount of clipping on "Bladecatcher", did anyone else notice this?

TBH I own several metal albums (not a big collection), most of which from mid late 90s and I have never heard such distortion noise, I was convinced there is something wrong with my MP3 'till I saw this thread.

[steve.h]

Digging up this very old thread again: I'm really glad it's not just me hearing this shit. I thought I had something turned up way too loud or some ****ing eq in iTunes accidentally turned on. I couldn't make it through the whole CD :/

Although I'm sure I will never ever get a response, I emailed their management about it. It seems silly, but once in a very rare while, emails like that get through to the band.

[Axon]

Yeah, it's a great metal album, but it's squashed to oblivion. I'm pretty tired of it after halfway through. It ReplayGains to -11db, so, about 2db better than Death Magnetic.

[Table Of Tone]

It is a great sounding album for sure but I do wish that Vlada had hit his ADC around 1.5db less hard, on that record!

He would have avoided a lot of the "Stardust" had he done that, and it would have still been way loud enough!

Guitar mic pre crackle, many would say?
Nah!

But hey, who am I to challenge 30+ years of experience?