Album Rating: 4.0

*by someone else.

Album Rating: 3.5

The mixing on this album in general is very hit and miss. It's either too muddy in the guitars and bass or too loud and obnoxious in the drums, often both.

Album Rating: 4.0

Agreed, it's quite muddy in parts. The inconsistency really annoys me aswell.



They either need to go back to Forrester Savell or actually find a producer that can really do them justice.

I can't remember who it was, but when this album came out someone said that they hated how they can barely hear the intro, though when the first song comes in it blows their ears or some shit.
I was thinking about that, and how so many people complain about albums having no dynamic range and over-compression, etc., but when there is an album with dynamic range, they're complaining about that.

Album Rating: 3.5

By dynamic range do you mean overly polished production?

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

As a person who has never bitched about over compression, my gripe with this album is that it didn't grab me in anyway. For me, that is all that counts.

Dynamic range is the quiet bits being quiet and the loud bits being loud, instead of everything being even or too loud.

Album Rating: 3.5

Who has complained about that? Dynamic Range shouldn't be a problem to anyone. Unless if the loud parts(like the drums) are too loud, but I know you disagree about that part

The loud parts, meaning when the music is loud, not particular instruments in the mix.

Album Rating: 3.5

Oh I see. Weird thing to complain about then. A simple solution could be to simply turn down the volume then haha

Album Rating: 4.0

Yeah, this album isn't overly compressed and has plenty dynamic range. It's just the mixing that is really the problem.



Sound Awake and Themata really had the perfect balance of dynamic range and compression. The music breathed pretty well, yet it really packed a punch aswell.

Album Rating: 4.0

In fact, i think this album is actually 'quieter' than Sound Awake.

Album Rating: 2.5

"With the exception of Themata, the guitarists have never been the focal point. They've always been about building atmosphere. On this album, they mostly build chaotic dissonance."



In Themata there were some great guitar-driven tunes. In Sound Awake the songs weren't guitar-driven but the guitars were there and they were doing something interesting (Set Fire to the Hive, Deadman, Change, All I Know, Simple Boy, etc). Here they just chuck in a few dissonant chords every now and then, Kenny just mutters a few half baked vocal lines and bam bam bam, another song done.



I think Themata's had the best production so far of all their albums. Someone behind the wheel there knew what the hell they were doing.

Album Rating: 4.0

I think Sound Awake's production is better than Themata's but they're both pretty stellar.



I can see where you're coming from about the guitar. The guitar's just seem to sort of blend in sometimes. However, like Sound Awake, one of the best things about the album is that there's a lot of cool little guitar parts that you didn't notice the first few listens.



And honestly, i think this album may be Ian Kenny's best vocal performance so far. When he belts it out in Eidolon and Alpha Omega, it's incredible.

Album Rating: 4.0

"I was thinking about that, and how so many people complain about albums having no dynamic range and over-compression, etc., but when there is an album with dynamic range, they're complaining about that."



[1 2 muthafunkin 3]

it's a sick album yo

As long as we can agree dynamic range can still be a fucking issue with music. There's a limit to such things for sure, though if it's utilized correctly it can work quite well

Album Rating: 4.0

The guitars have been steadily taking a backseat to everything else on Karnivool's albums but while there's plenty of interesting stuff going on here it's mixed too damn low.

Album Rating: 4.5

'I can't remember who it was, but when this album came out someone said that they hated how they can barely hear the intro, though when the first song comes in it blows their ears or some shit.'



That was me.



The dynamic range is so artificial here. i have no problem with well done dynamic range at all. This just doesn't work

"Oh I see. Weird thing to complain about then. A simple solution could be to simply turn down the volume then haha"

But then the quite parts wouldn't be audible haha. I just have a set volume I listen to all music at.