Best Heavy guitar sound

[OzNimbus]

Add me to the list of people who would love to see Mr. Richardson as a guest moderator!

-0z-

[jpaudio]

Originally posted by Markus Stock


Metallica - Master of Puppets

(All thumbs up to Mr. Wagener . For the time being its so heavy its unreal...The thing that should not be, wow!What was that JCM 800?)

I think that was the album when Hetfield starting using the Boogie MarkIIc+ if I remember correctly. Something about not being able to find a good Marshall head in all of Denmark (where they recorded).

[max cooper]

This thread reminded me of an article I read in one of those Guitar Geek magazines when I was first playing and recording stuff. I was fifteen or sixteen, so this was in '79 or '80.

It was a Joe Perry/Brad Whitford interview and Joe Perry was talking about how he'd turn the amps down to that place on the master volume where they just begin to make sound. That's how they'd get the biggest sound. I tried it and I still do it sometimes. It does sound very dynamic, since I suppose that as you turn the master up and up you begin to compress the dynamic range.

I know Joe Perry was using Music Man amps on tour back then, but I don't have any idea what the studio rig was.

[SolipsismX]

I've only heard the two singles off chevelle's new record, but I can't stand the sound of them (let alone guitar). I'm not a big fan of the nu metal sound and the second single is a blatant and sad rip off of tool, both in style and especially in production.
As for my votes...
1. Nine Inch Nails' "WISH," from BROKEN. Limited to hell and one of the hardest songs ever. Other bands have tried this, but I don't think anybody has nailed it like NIN did (no pun intended). Stuff he did on The Downward Spiral is similar to this as well, but in more extreme forms.
2. Nine Inch Nails' "The Way Out is Through," from THE FRAGILE. Perhaps the biggest guitar sound ever. This may be due to the context it is in like other instruments, and the fact that the song is basically one long setup for a huge 40 second explosion. I know a lot of this is perception, but for me, I can't think of anything bigger.

[mixmasta]

Originally posted by OzNimbus
Add me to the list of people who would love to see Mr. Richardson as a guest moderator!

-0z-

Yes! Me too. I remember that Jules mentioned some time ago that he knows Colin from his early days...

[Abhoy]

WOW !Colin Richardson . Add me in .All the way from Singapore.

[johnjm22]

The guitars on Taproot's first CD "Gift" sound huge! Too bad the guitars are about the only thing you can hear on that record.

[jeronimo]

Add my vote to Mr. Richardson.

[dobber]

Add me in for Colin Richardson also. I'm glad someone mentioned Pierced from Within too.
Cult of Luna-The Beyond thumbsup
Warhorse
Filter-Almagamut
Old Candlemass-the first two, although not perfect, have that vibe
Dying Fetus-Killing on Adrenaline
Korn-Untouchables
Disgorge-Cranial Impalement
Incantation-Upon the Throne of Apacolypse
Disciples of Mockery
I know these aren't typically heard, but they are massively heavy. I spent quite a few years, and still do, playing brutal death metal and became farely aware of this. Alot of you guys will hate this stuff, but it can be rewarding sometimes. dfegad

I agree on the new Rammstein and the last one, Mutter, as well. The guy who mixed it also did the new Samael.

[toque-eh!]

my heavy guitar votes go to:

kyuss
fu manchu
the melvins
helmet

honorary mentions to:
big sugar
turbonegro

but it's been a while since i was into heavy guitar music, so these are just from my scant knowledge...

back in the day (mid 90's) i used to get a pretty heavy guitar sound from my '73 JMP and '76 LP. i used to run the LP into a blue boss compression box followed by a passive cinema engineering program EQ into the JMP which drove a 4x12 mesa cab. oh, tuned down a tone too...

and, as so many bands and live sound mixers still do not know, volume does not = heavy.

[johnjm22]

Originally Posted by dobber

Add me in for Colin Richardson also. I'm glad someone mentioned Pierced from Within too.
Cult of Luna-The Beyond thumbsup
Warhorse
Filter-Almagamut
Old Candlemass-the first two, although not perfect, have that vibe
Dying Fetus-Killing on Adrenaline
Korn-Untouchables
Disgorge-Cranial Impalement
Incantation-Upon the Throne of Apacolypse
Disciples of Mockery
I know these aren't typically heard, but they are massively heavy. I spent quite a few years, and still do, playing brutal death metal and became farely aware of this. Alot of you guys will hate this stuff, but it can be rewarding sometimes. dfegad

I agree on the new Rammstein and the last one, Mutter, as well. The guy who mixed it also did the new Samael.

Korn Untouchables, Yuck! The guitars sound big, but they also sound fake and artificial. Follow the Leader was their best SOUNDING album.

Just my 2 Cents.

[84K]

Best Heavy guitar sound?

Velvet Revolver.... Contraband.... well placed tonal layers...
Alice In Chains.... Dirt and Facelift.... way ahead of their time...
Soundgarden.... Badmotorfinger.... All attitude...

[C/G]

Anything by the Melvins. Those guys are heavier than weight! When I saw them live he was using two Hiwatt 4x12's with what looked like Marshall heads. I could not see which ones. Eddy Van Halen's guitar sound on the song Unchained. The Jesus Lizard of course. That guy seems to sound "heavy" even though his guitar sound isn't all that thick.

[Buddhaman]

"Soundgarden.... Badmotorfinger.... All attitude..."

Funny that you mention badmotorfinger....from what I've read that was a Peavey VTM 60 or 120 head mostly on that album--

I recommended that head in a "Heavy Guitar Amp?" thread a few months back and was flamed for it....

I stand by my statement --- VTM 60 or 120 for like $200 used at Daddys-- retubed and tweak the 8 switchable voicing options on the front---turn the presence all the way down....

Heavy Tone Heaven

Buddhamanses

[whosyourdaddy00]

i gotta chime in and say Pantera's "Far Beyond Driven" has absolutely beautiful heaveyness...also Ministry's "Psalm 69" was big for the time....

[tony666]

Hypocrisy - Oh my god, listen to Roswell 47 and you'll know what I mean!

almost everything Peter Tägtren has touched sounds awesome (Dark Funeral/Marduk...) , I believe he used Sansamp psa-1's most of the time

Entombed - I've always loved that old Entombed sound!

Deicide -

Old Metallica

[Synth80s]

Originally Posted by everybody's x

that first weezer album had freakin HUGE heavy guitars, produced by Ric Ocasek of all people

This isnt too surprising if you've heard Ocasek's last solo album, 1997's "Troublizing." he recorded most songs with Billy Corgan and some of them have great heavy guitar tones, though they are heavily compressed and boxed in (in a good way). Randomly, I happened to be listening to the CD this morning on the drive to work -- good stuff.

Though they're not a bunch of face-mask wearing, 7-string toting axe murderers, King Crimson has offered up some tasty heavy guitar in the last decade. Even their mid-70s work was once considered heavy-metalish (albums like "Red"). The latest album, "The Power to Believe" is very good and I've always been a fan of 1995's "Thrak."

Not the heaviest of heavies, but there's some great big guitar work from a band known for "shoegazer" sounds: Catherine Wheel. "Adam and Eve" is one of my favorite recordings ever, though Happy Days is their heaviest album.

I thought Stone Temple Pilots' "No. 4" also had some nice heavier work, but more 70's heavy a la Led Zepellin, not Korn.

-Synth80s

[tunasafedolphin]

Originally Posted by biggator6

how about the opening guitar tones from Green Day's 'Brain Stew'... ccccrrunchy
"-)

No kidding... I remember listening to that song a/b-ing that track with a punk bands mix a few years back - HUGE... Suprised no one else "bit" on this one. Does anybody have any idea what the set up was?

T

[Schexnayder]

the brand spanking new Judas Priest album has a great heavy guitar tone...ballsy and monsterous but clear and tight (Halford ain't half bad on their either)

[dobber]

Peter Tagtren is pretty badass. Isn't his brother, Tommy, taking up his slack now? Tomas Skosberg and Dan Swano are no slouches either. The guy at Grieghallen Studio has done some amazing work with Aeternus. I think my idea of a heavy guitar tone would actually be considered more brutal than heavy. Since I primarily work with death and blackmetal bands my perception may be a little altered. It definitely gets no respect, but thats cool. It's fun to work with and play.

[skip bitmin]

AC/DC Back in black

[Digamma]

Testament - The gathering/Low !!

How about Metallica's LOAD!! modded marshalls involved i think, one of my favorite recorded heavy tones. Not your normal guitar sound.

Skinlab - revolting room

Cheers

[sleepwalker]

Gotta mention Melvins if you're talking heavy tone.

Live I have to say Mogwai(JCM900, Mesa, Tele, also distorted bass) sounded like thunder.

Another super heavy tone live.. oh god, it's hard to even say. Muse.

Ok.. So their albums are a Radiohead ripoff with a little bit more of a straight rock, circus feel. JESUS!!!! He was playing some sort of a Diezel. It was CRAZY!!

I still think they're a Radiohead ripoff, but they have live chops I couldn't dream of.

[El Caballo]

Kyuss, "Sky Valley". I think Josh played through an Ampeg 8x10 bass cabinet to get that thick, sludgy tone.

Fu Manchu, "In Search Of..." The whole record sounds like their stacks are about ten seconds from exploding.

Bolt Thrower, "Realm of Chaos". The D&D/Warhammer schtick is totally silly, but the guitar tone will have you believing it for four minutes at a time.

[brendondp]

Most of these have been said, but what the hell...

High On Fire
Isis
Meshuggah
Black Sabbath
Metallica
Godflesh
Deftones
Naked City
Sleep
Melvins
Lyle Lovett

Heavy, heavy shit. Chevelle are little girls.

Cheers,

bdp

P.S. I like Lyle Lovett a lot and thought I'd include him since no one ever mentions him in forums.

[Lord Fear]

the bled - pass the flask, by far one of the heviest guitar tones i've ever heard.

the black dahlia murder - also crazy

[Exsanguis]

Almost everything Daniel Bergstrand's(In Flames, Soilwork, Meshuggah, etc.) done has a killer tone. And I second Pete Tagtgren. His Hypocrisy stuff, as well as most of his other work(especially Immortal) has huge tones. His brother Tommy is pretty good, but I find him kind of average in terms of overall production. Someone who I don't think has been mentioned yet is Fredrik Nordstrom. His stuff with earlier In Flames is killer, as is his work with The Haunted.

[planet red]

I'm actually recording the new black dahlia murder record right now. Pretty stoked on the guitar tone so far. Its a mix of a triple rec and a krank revolution that krank sent them to try on the record.

I think Kranks are going to be the next big thing for heavy guitar tone. The low end is insanely tight and even with a lot of gain still sounds very clean. I'm personally pretty tired of the rectifier sound. It definetly sounds tighter with a tubescreamer clipping the front end a little bit, but for any playing with a lot of definition its too loose. I know its awesome for more nu metally stuff, or mixed with another amp like a 5150 or now the krank which I got to buy for at cost

To me I still think refused shape of punk to come is the ultimate heavy tone. For more metally bands Id go with anything andy sneap does.

[jonnyclueless]

Joe Walsh "In the City"

[Lord Fear]

you are recording the new black dahlia murder album? thats awsome...just curious, do they use as many samples on their drums as I think they do, or is he just that good?