Suffocation cover: "Blood oath" (Brutal death metal)

killthepixelnow

killthepixelnow

Do it right or dont do it
Suffocation is one of those bands I never put to much attention to. Just before a concert in my country I took some time to listen to their last record, "Blood Oath". The concert was brutal... a metal machine that slammed everybody with thunderous guitars and the powerful growls of Frank Mullen.

After repeated listening to the album, I thought that it would be a great idea to record a cover of the song that gave the title to the album. Apparently, it was a simple song... hell no, it was hard as hell. It has a very detailed riffing, intricate licks and tricky changes. My skills as a guitarist are not bad but the second solo is serious shit, I couldn't record it!

So, here's the mix. No vocals yet, hope my band's vocalist can help me with that given that he is true Suffocation fan.
Suffocation - Blood Oath

Any advices/opinions/recommendations will be appreciated.
 
You kidding right... or not? If not, you did a fucking great and brutal job. That album is the shit, I barely can listen to the other Suffocation records, too damped and muffled for my taste but the last one, that rules!
 
It sounds cool, but would of been better with some vocals. Pretty clear mix can hear everything good. I think I'm the only guy that comes here who's into DM :D
 
FoulPhil said:
It sounds cool, but would of been better with some vocals. Pretty clear mix can hear everything good. I think I'm the only guy that comes here who's into DM :D
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You're a sick puppy Phil, I downloaded the Flatulated album, great stuff! I really like the voice and the guitar tone. Any chance to know your gear and recording setting?
 
I just sat in my living room while my kids ran around and used a B.C. Rich NT Beast plugged into my FireStudio Mobile. I was using the AmpliTube Metal plug in and recorded 4 rhythm guitar tracks. On each track I used a different AmpliTube Metal preset and only made minor adjustments to each one, like rolling off the bass a little. I just picked out presets that I thought sounded good. Any condenser mic would of worked fine, but I used the Studio Projects B1 for the vocals. I tried to get a consistent sound from track to track. Next time around I'm going to focus specifically taking notes and making sure everything is being recorded at the same levels or settings.

I'm still learning as I go like most other people. So, I know it's not perfect and it could of been much thicker or beefier, but it's probably my best recordings so far. It'll just keep getting better. On the next one I'm also going to focus on technicality and innovation. Make it less cookie cutter death metal :P
 
This is reaching back some, but as I recall, it was very open with tons and tons of wonderful headroom. It came out very loud, but very listenable (as most recordings that come in with plenty of headroom). Just about everything I've worked on of Zach Ohren's (mixes) were like that (which is why I always love working on his stuff). I'd imagine he tracks like me -- Individual tracks peaking in the low -teens dBFS, lots of space for everything, few core sounds that are stepping on other sounds, etc.

When you "ask a lot" of a mix like that, it has a lot to give.
 
FoulPhil said:
(...)I was using the AmpliTube Metal plug in and recorded 4 rhythm guitar tracks. (...)
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I own the Pro Tools LE bundle that comes with AmpliTube LE... the distortion simply sucks, I can't get a decent tone, sounds so artificial and unreal. I assume the software you're using is more pro and maybe more customizable. I'm willing to mix a real miked amp with modeled distortion to get a fuller tone but the AmpliTube LE gave me terrible results :(
 
FoulPhil said:
(...)I was using the AmpliTube Metal plug in and recorded 4 rhythm guitar tracks. (...)
Click to expand...
I own the Pro Tools LE bundle that comes with AmpliTube LE... the distortion simply sucks, I can't get a decent tone, sounds so artificial and unreal. I assume the software you're using is more pro and maybe more customizable. I'm willing to mix a real miked amp with modeled distortion to get a fuller tone but the AmpliTube LE gave me terrible results :(
 
I had a few different pro tools systems and I've tired most DAWs, effects, plug ins etc. Most people are against using plug ins for guitar tones, but unless they're going to buy me a bad ass amp, I'm not going to worry about what they think lol. AmpliTube Metal just has a few presets that sound pretty decent when you apply a different one between 4 tracks and pan them real wide. AmpliTube Metal is the only plug in other than Digi Eleven that I though sounded pretty good. It's just a matter of opinion in the end.
 
I quite like the riffs & genreal recording but the mad clock bass drum tick click just gets me giggling. It's not you it's the genre defining bass drum that wipes me.
 
rayc said:
(...)the mad clock bass drum tick click just gets me giggling(...)
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That thing in death metal is something a lot of people hate. I assume you have to be accustomed to like it. Er... I really don't dig bands that use an artificial kick, let's say 90% sample and 10% real; I try to balance, have the kick sounding like a kick and lay a sample to give more attack. Thanks for the review.
 
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