"The Payment" - a halloween treat for you

[GONZO-X]

"The Payment"

http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/...d=2302&alid=-1

halloween is the most appropriate time to post this song...
and i typically do...

but i decided to try a brand new fresh mix on the new daw today, a new approach, and toss it out there to you for a halloween trick or treat.



here's the story:


it's a little ditty about 2 brothers and a lycanthrope....... hehe

it's loosely based on the original wolfman movie, the one where larry talbot gets bitten by the werewolf, and he see's the pentagram in his hand, and he knows he's fucked, so he goes to the old gypsy woman to get fixed, and she basically tells him to kill himself...... what a bum deal...

anyway, these 2 brothers have been partying all night, drunk as a skunk, one of them wanders out into the moor, and meets his maker.

the other brother wants revenge, but figures he'd better get some ammunition, so he goes to see the gypsy-witch, to get some aconite (wolfsbane) and a spell here and a prayer there, and figures he's set, so he goes out to the moor too, to get his revenge.

but that's not what he gets......



“The Payment”
Written by Robert F. Gilliland
c1999 Robert F. Gilliland


Nightime, on the moor
drank up all the mead
mist is in the air
full moon, did the deed.

never saw the evil...
that poor ole son of a bitch
felt the claws that gripped his throat
yeah, he was dead without a twitch.

'it's your brother down on the moor,
with his head down at his feet!'

drink the aconite, tonight
toast the witches curse
pray to whoever you believe in
to pass over you the worst

it's your brother on the moor,
with his head down at his feet
and the debt has not been paid in full
will you, your maker, meet?

run into the moor
and see the evil eye
upon you cast a glance,
and the payment, it is nigh.

[WhiteStrat]

Definitely a treat--not a trick. Thanks for posting that--great job with it!

[rayc]

Nice meaty riffing.
The vox remind me a little of Yes - don't know why - probably because I was watching them Liive in Montreaux this morning.
Good package - needs another verse though -
the story must be told,
of the 2nd brother's grim,
Of a death to buy the peace,
Out along the wild's rim.
Of how the bane was ingested,
secreted deep within the heart,
Of a brother as poison chalice,
Bids his sibling's soul depart.


or something like that.

[GONZO-X]

whitestrat-
glad you dig it!



rayc-
what a great verse lyric!
well, if i ever decide to make it longer, i'm gonna have to pay you royalties and use that lyric!!
LOL

[Greg_L]

Hmmm, your stuff usually sounds very polished and pro, but something isn't sitting right for me. The highs are very sharp and sizzly - mainly with the shaker and hi-hats. The bottom end is very strong, but almost overpowering. It might be the master compression magnifying mix issues that are on the edge anyway. The song is cool and the guitar work is awesome, as usual with your stuff. This mix is a little over-the-top for me though. Sorry man.

[GONZO-X]

i agree greg..

it happened in the mastering.

i'm using new software, which i obviously don't know how to use well enough yet.

will post a new mastered version soon.............

[joeym]

NICE
This has lots of character....great guitar work. Voice is great, man. Sounds a bit too far away in the mix though, but you probably intended it that way.
Really enjoyed this one!

Cheers
Joe

[GONZO-X]

thanks joey!
for checking it out....

i agree with your assessment of the mix, on review, i actually hated it.
so i spent a couple of hours last night, doing a brand new mix. it sounds MUCH better now, i believe.
check it out......

[GONZO-X]

new and improved mix/master,from a session last night...

njoy!
happy halloween !


http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/...d=2302&alid=-1





.

[up-fiddler]

and found it to be excellent. Nice arrangement, good musicianship, great lyrics, in short...everything it takes to make a great tune. Nice work.

[Slowjett]

Great song man. Great vocals and guitars. I feel like I should be hearing more snare and kick though. I feel like the drums (cept for the cymbals) are lost a bit in the mix.

But i think we could all agree that what this really needs is more cowbell. the cock of the walk baby.

[up-fiddler]

Originally Posted by Slowjett

But i think we could all agree this really needs is more cowbell. the cock of the walk baby.

You been talkin' with this guy?

[Slowjett]

Ah good old Bruce Dickinson...

[GONZO-X]

that cowbell dude rocks.


hehe

[GONZO-X]

yea slow, i think you're right...

the drums need to pop a bit more...

it's a single stereo track, so i don't have any individual control over the pieces...

but i could roll the low end (kick) down a touch, and bring the whole thing up, and then it would probably sit better.....

thanks for listening!

[LemonTree]

Whole thing sounded sweet to me but I'd have liked the vocals a little closer in places, nothing drastic, really was great.

Alex

[Greg_L]

Sorry man, I'm still not feeling it. This is a better mix than the first one for sure, but there's something going on with that compression/limiting/mastering. The snare is lost now. It's just really mashed up sounding to me, and I don't even mind the whole "make it loud" mantra. Sorry dude. I know your shit is normally double-throw-down Awesome so I don't really know what to say about it.

[CIRO]

Hi Gonzo

I listened both versions

First one has some "extra" lows ...in my monitors they sounds excessive (in a home system it could be an issue).

Then the second is better in the lows...but the bass drum lacks a "true" bottom end and the snare the "meat", sounds thin.

You could limit a bit less the overall mix (IMO)

About guitars, killer as usual

Ciro

[GONZO-X]

thanks guys...

ok, yes, drums have now been re-eq'd, and brought up.

the vox has been brought up.

the gits get hard panning, left and right...

the shaker gets automation, and makes it come and go where it ought too.....


the mastering, well, i went back to the sonitus multiband compressor, versus the wavelab multi, and really dialed in the low end compression, and went real light, in the middle, and a little more on the top...

i'm still using peak limit in wavelab for the brickwall, but now that the low end has been tamed, it's a lot easier to get the limiter to do it's thing 'evenly' across the spectrum..

good calls guys!

i haven't burned the final wav to mp3 yet, as soon as i do, i'll update the mix....



thanks!

[GONZO-X]

Happy Halloween!!!!
and don't forget to sharpen your claws