Violence

[NotThatBright]

Everyone could use some more violence in their lives; that's just common sense. This is a cover of a Blood For Blood song, which is a cover of a song by the British band The Oppressed, whose stuff I never heard before. The song is actually more fun than the title might suggest.

I recorded this a few months ago but never mixed it right. I tried to obscure the kick a little bit because I had it tuned too tightly when I recorded this and it doesn't sound all that great. I want the kick to be heard, but not too much.

Football is mentioned in the song. I don't care what the Brits who wrote it were referring to... in this version, it means FOOTBALL, not SOCCER.

Any comments on the mix are appreciated. Thanks!

https://soundcloud.com/user92696274096/ultraviolence/s-7rDIL

 

[Anders Erisian]

The kick was pretty obscured, so i suppose you succeeded there, but did it really sound that bad?

I reckon the bass could have come up a touch.

I didn't know you are an AFL/Rugby fan.

 

[NotThatBright]

The kick was pretty obscured, so i suppose you succeeded there, but did it really sound that bad?

It's not that bad. You know how it is when something is just fine, then you get something better, and all of a sudden what you had before ain't so fine anymore. I can probably play with the EQ and get it sounding worthy of turning up a little.

I reckon the bass could have come up a touch.

I was on the fence about that, myself.

I didn't know you are an AFL/Rugby fan.

Ha! Nice.

Thanks for the comments. Keep on stompin' them kiwis!

 

[Bubba po]

This is kind of a return to the NTB of old, isn't it? I'm not ecstatic about the guitar tones, they have a solid-state harshness to them that isn't my kind of thing, but the drums sound good. Like others have said, the kick and bass could come up a bit. Have you tried pitch-shifting the kick down a bit in Reaper? It works quite well.

 

[Schwarzenyaeger]

There are a few clicks. I'm not sure if those are sticks hitting the mics or the beater of the kick being too prominent. The mix doesn't have much low end.

All of your performances on this are better than usual, keep it up!

 

[TripleM]

Love the song. Love the feel and I love the energy. I think the guitar tone is great. Bass has a good punk tone. This is officially the last time I'm going to tell you that you sound like the guy from Black Flag. You can sing on key better, that's the main difference.

Not much to complain about. Maybe my ear is off today. I may take another listen tomorrow and see if I can find anything I'd change.

 

[dobro]

You know what? You're getting better. If you drummed on this one, I love you. I like your approach and the way you throw yourself into the tunes, cuz the spirit's right but when the playing's sloppy it just puts me off. Don't blame me, it's visceral, not judgemental. But this one's tight enough to be really enjoyable. If you could find a way to make the vocal just a bit more present, I think it would add a lot. Not louder, particularly, but more present. Dunno how I'd do it. Just putting it out there.

 

[heatmiser]

Yeah, this one seems much tighter to me all around than some other tracks of yours I've heard. The drumming is really good here. Liked the vocal performance and the overall energy level was appropriately high.

I liked the guitar tones well enough for this particular track (once again, no clue about the original version to compare ).

The mix overall seems to be missing a lot of bottom end though? I'd like to hear more bass guitar and more kick, even if it's not your favorite kick sound. I think it needs to be there in whatever form it takes and you work around that.

 

[Bruthish]

man you have a great way of capturing that pre-punk rock sound..i.e. Ramones, Sex pistols. Not sure if thats what your going for but man you got it. Not even sure how to critique it because I think its meant to feel a little rough around the edges. Sounds great man!

 

[FoulPhil]

It's pretty good man. I agree with another commenter who said the kick needs to be a little louder. You have to really listen for it to hear it and sometime you don't hear it at all. Pretty good performance.

 

[NotThatBright]

This is kind of a return to the NTB of old, isn't it? I'm not ecstatic about the guitar tones, they have a solid-state harshness to them that isn't my kind of thing, but the drums sound good. Like others have said, the kick and bass could come up a bit. Have you tried pitch-shifting the kick down a bit in Reaper? It works quite well.

Thanks, Bubba. This is more of a return of NTB to being NTB than of NTB returning to the NTB of old. Of course, since I recorded it a few months ago, it could also be referred to as "classic NTB", though that's almost a perversion of the word "classic". You are right, this was recorded before I got the good guitar amp, so the guitars sound like emulated crap. I'll re-record those;with three-chord crap like this it should take 10 minutes. I will give it a better mix when I do. Thanks, buddy.

There are a few clicks. I'm not sure if those are sticks hitting the mics or the beater of the kick being too prominent. The mix doesn't have much low end. All of your performances on this are better than usual, keep it up!

I make both of those mistakes, so it could be either. Will make the remix bass-heavier. Thanks.

Love the song. Love the feel and I love the energy. I think the guitar tone is great. Bass has a good punk tone. This is officially the last time I'm going to tell you that you sound like the guy from Black Flag. You can sing on key better, that's the main difference.

Not much to complain about. Maybe my ear is off today. I may take another listen tomorrow and see if I can find anything I'd change.

Thanks. I can get a better guitar tone with my new-ish amp, so I'm going to see if I can improve on it, anyway. And after all this time and all these songs, I think we can say that anyone who's screaming can sound somewhat like the singing in old Black Flag, with the exception of two of their early singers (Morris and Cadena)- the former who has a voice that just sounds unique even when screaming, and the latter, who screamed hard as a MF. I thought he sounded awesome but I want to be able to talk for the next 4 days, so I ain't going for that.

You know what? You're getting better. If you drummed on this one, I love you. I like your approach and the way you throw yourself into the tunes, cuz the spirit's right but when the playing's sloppy it just puts me off. Don't blame me, it's visceral, not judgemental. But this one's tight enough to be really enjoyable. If you could find a way to make the vocal just a bit more present, I think it would add a lot. Not louder, particularly, but more present. Dunno how I'd do it. Just putting it out there.

Aw, you sweetheart, of course I drummed on it. I love you, too. Someday we'll get married in one of those New England states. I don't blame you for your visceral judgmentalism. I will make the vocal stand out more in the remix- maybe just a +1 @ 3kHz or something.

I'm going to say this again because I know you can be a little touchy at times- I always bust your balls because I know you're a sharp guy with a sense of humor and can take it, and can bust 'em right back. But your advice is always good, and I listen to it.

man you have a great way of capturing that pre-punk rock sound..i.e. Ramones, Sex pistols. Not sure if thats what your going for but man you got it. Not even sure how to critique it because I think its meant to feel a little rough around the edges. Sounds great man!

Thanks! Canadian whiskey, piss and vinegar is the key.

Yeah, this one seems much tighter to me all around than some other tracks of yours I've heard. The drumming is really good here. Liked the vocal performance and the overall energy level was appropriately high.

I liked the guitar tones well enough for this particular track (once again, no clue about the original version to compare ).

The mix overall seems to be missing a lot of bottom end though? I'd like to hear more bass guitar and more kick, even if it's not your favorite kick sound. I think it needs to be there in whatever form it takes and you work around that.

Thanks. I'll be increasing the bottom end when I remix it.

It's pretty good man. I agree with another commenter who said the kick needs to be a little louder. You have to really listen for it to hear it and sometime you don't hear it at all. Pretty good performance.

Thanks. Kick will be coming through louder next iteration.

Thanks for the comments, guys.

 

[rayc]

Not bad. Have you listened to the Mott the Hoople song by the same name?

More bass drum and bass end but otherwise not too shabby.

 

[NotThatBright]

Not bad. Have you listened to the Mott the Hoople song by the same name?

More bass drum and bass end but otherwise not too shabby.

Thanks for the comments. I remixed it with heavier bass and kick.

I never heard this song before. Not that bad, though. I can get down with some '70s garbage.

I never knew any Mott The Hoople songs (I'm sure I'd heard some in my life, but I never knew that they were the ones playing it) until a couple days ago when a friend asked me to do "All The Young Dudes". I always thought it was a David Bowie song... it sounds like him, anyway. It was the last thing I recorded before I broke down my drum kit. I never cared for the song, but I did it for the hell of it. I'm looking at the lyrics off my computer screen while I'm singing it, and after a bit I'm thinking to myself, "Wait a minute... am I singing about what I think I'm singing about?" I finished it, but left a message to my friend as the music fades out that I felt confused and violated somehow.

That's my Mott The Hoople story. Hard to believe I didn't have one until a couple days ago.