Ok, after a couple of listens, here's my honest opinion.
The vocals are outstanding. Really. Well recorded, well executed, and amazing conviction. Nice choice of reverb, as it's very subtle.
I know
(it's all Sam)
And now for the part you're not going to like:
The rhythm guitars are cheese. Sorry dude, but they just scream "solid state cheapo." They're so mid-scooped, they lack any kind of girth. My suggestion would be to get your hands on a great amp. Think Mesa, VHT, or Marshall.... beg, borrow or steal. Also, the mic pres probably weren't helping either. I'm guessing Mackie or Berhinger. (I could be wrong here, for all I know it could be a POD! Correct me if I'm wrong)
Try to get at least one great pre to record through. There's a number of great pre's available for under a $1k U.S. The FMR RNP, the VMP-2, Grace 101, or a used Sytek.
The guitar is played thru a Zoom505-II effect pedal (which is horrible), then processed with Revalver Guitar Amp Simulator plug-in in windows. I'm always trying to get a better sound, and my tastes differ daily. This was my attempt at an Opeth-like distortion (like on Deliverance). I've been listening to a lots of it, so maybe that's it.
The guitars WERE well played, however. Master of Puppets is a bitch to play, so nice job on the riffs. Unfortunatley they come across as well played guitars with tin can speakers.
Thanks. I don't deserve the "good playing" thing, since there's lots of cut / paste work.
The bass cuts nice, but there is no top end to it, and there doesn't seem to be a bottom octave, either. Very Mid-Rangey.
Sometimes my bass mix works, sometimes not. It's usually the last thing I try to fit in somewhere. Not always, though.
And now, my biggest complaint: The drums. Drum machines and thrash metal just plain don't work. They're well programmed, but let's face it. The snare has no life. Human players create idiosyncracies that breathe life into a track. The kick needs more snap, but it does have a nice low end. They cymbals are one-dimensional (again they need that human 'imperfection') and the toms sound like a mixture of cardboard boxes with garbage can lids for skins. Couldn't you have picked a better sample for them? Also, I noticed a serious volume drop in the tom fills as they panned across the stereo field. They were loud at either end, but as they came across the middle, they just died. Could be a phase issue. Toms in this kind of music have to be cannons. They need to accentuate. This just wasn't happening here.
Yeah, I guess the tom sound could use some work. I try my best to program some little changes here and there. I guess I wasn't trying hard enough. I need an inperfection-effect or something, I guess
Toms should be good, or not, I don't know. It's probably my bad EQ'ing, or my bad samples. I've noticed those tom volume things occasionally too. I'll have to look into it.
Overall, it's a great mix. Everything is right where it should be, and it gels into a cohesive mass. Just work on that guitar sound and get a real drummer!
I'll probably never get a real drummer, but thanks anyway. I'll just try to program them better or get better sounds or something... Thanks for your input.
-0z- [/B]