Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off

this is FINE.

maybe if I hadn’t heard the original I’d think it’s okay but this is such a massive step down in literally every way.

The title track works really well in the remake version I think. Especially that chorus. But yeah at the very least the production sucks.

Yeah if this was a new in flames album, I'd probably be like "holy shit, they're good again" but I'll always prefer the sound of metal albums produced before 2010 because they actually sounded unique from each other. So many metal bands now use the exact some software/tech available and all end up sounding nearly identical. The production here sounds like a billion other metal albums made in the last 5 years. Clayman sounds like nothing else

Album Rating: 2.5

how do you measure that

Measure what?

Album Rating: 2.5

modern metal records all sounding the same while pre-2010 ones are often more unique.

This is really more going back a couple decades... but back in the 80s and 90s bands were still putting mics to amps and experimenting with rooms and has less software available to make everything more streamlined. A lot of bands now are using the same digital amps, plug ins, drum replacement samples and editing the absolute fuck out of their albums so you get a lot of metal bands living inside of this box with a lot of engineers in the industry using and doing the exact same things to get that perfectly polished sound

Album Rating: 2.5

I am very aware of all this but I dont understand why this would make everything sound the same. Just feels like a subjective observation on your part that doesn't make any real sense.

Yeah, I think what really doesn't do it for me is the awful production this has, aside from its whole existence just feeling like a cash grab because Anders totally needs more money.

Definitely much less variety in the sound of modern metal albums compared to decades past

Album Rating: 2.5

what I would agree with is you saying that productions are just flat out better these days on average lol. Maybe thats the factor that makes them sound more samey to you.

There are going to objectively be more albums sounding similar if they're literally using the exact same samples, plug ins, and digital amps and everything is direct in and you don't have to worry about mic-ing anything up. And people are editing everything down to a microsecond on top of that. The end product sounds more polished but also less human

Album Rating: 2.5

maybe thats more prevalent in certain genres but thats definitely not how most producers or bands operate. thats a caricature. sure these days a lot of the same plug-ins and programs are used throughout but said software is extremely powerful. are you accusing producers and bands of just using the default settings? lol.

Yeah that's the difference these days. Some engineer changed the attack and now he's a genius breaking the mold with a completely new sound lol

Album Rating: 2.5

I don't like cynicism.

I mean, not trying to be a cynic. It's just what I feel is the reality of recording now. It's great that it's easy enough for a bedroom musician to record a polished sounding demo but plugging into your PC and using your IK multimedia pack and punching in to fix minor flaws is going to lead to less variety in sound than playing in different rooms and mic-ing up your amp

Hell, just listen to the massive difference in overall sound from the jester race all the way to clayman. Each one had a completely different guitar tone and drum sound. And then compare that to the minute differences in sound between siren charms and foregone

Overall I'd agree with your point but I feel like Battles and Foregone couldn't be much more different in terms of production.

Album Rating: 1.0

Can we leave this album & related thread to rot in hell please?

Album Rating: 2.5

you just revived it 3 days later.