Records that SOUND HORRIBLE because they are so LOOOUUUD!!!!

[Rick Hunter]

Yeah, my avatar is pretty sweet

[marqueemoon]

Creeper Lagoon's "Take Back the Universe..." is pretty awful in this regard.

[djslayerissick]

another one i heard the other day (and it's older, but whatever) is deftones white pony - i asked my bandmates to bring in recordings that they thought sounded good so i'd have a reference and a comparison on our system - my drummer hands me this cd - i put it in and immediately want to punch him.

I'd like to punch you! j/k
I was JUST listening to that record a few days ago. its sounds AWESOME. its the thickest, biggest sounding record Deftones have ever done. everything instrument is clear and present in the mix and loud, but somehow they dont step on eachother's toes sonically. everything has its own space. and its HUGE. the dynamics are coming from the tones used, not necessarily the volume.

have you EVER hear a rock band where the vocals are THIS much louder than the rest of the band?

yes - how about every single damn song on radio in the last 3 years? Nickelback anyone? Cold's last cd was one of the worst culprits. and on the heavy side, the new Slipknot record is horrible about this. the music could be SO much louder, but they've got that vocal just in your face. i actually thought White Pony was a nice balance of vocal presence, but not overbearing and distracting.

or where the kick drum is louder than everyone/thing but the singer

Fear Factory is the best example of this. Take a listen. And yknow what? I like it when they do it b/c its part of their signature sound. Its like that on every record they've ever made b/c their 'lead' instrument are the kicks. and their double kick rhythms are impeccable.

[Rick Hunter]

I dunno I will have to go with the originl poster who said that the White Pony sounded whack. I mean the songs are really allright, but it was no Around the Fur.

[djslayerissick]

I thought their last record, self titled, was a huge letdown after White Pony. The new record sounds so much smaller and thin compared to White Pony.

Have you heard it much? I'm just curious what you thought of it since you like Around the Fur. Fur was a great record, great songs, but i always thought the production was a little lacking. I love that album, but i wouldnt want them to make another one like it.

[Curtis]

Holy crap we are dissing the Deftones now!

C'mon man Digital Bath - awesome!! I love every sound on that CD...

don't shoot me!

[djslayerissick]

Holy crap we are dissing the Deftones now!'

hey! NO ONE is above criticism.

C'mon man Digital Bath - awesome!! I love every sound on that CD...P

damn straight.

[Curtis]

hey! NO ONE is above criticism.

as it should be...

[Rick Hunter]

I think everything after Around the Fur was a let down. When Around the Fur came out I heard it and thought it was phenominal. Its was powerfull and loud and sloppy and tragic. It was exactly what I wanted to hear from a band at that time in my life. What it lacks in production it makes up with style and originality.

[Curtis]

I agree with you on the magnitude of Fur - when I first heard Be Quiet and Drive and I thought that was it - I need to hang up my guitar as I can't get better...

I like their new stuff as well though...

[blueroominarchway]

Amazing Grace - Spiritualized. A fucking nightmare. Literally unlistenable.

On a totally different subject, this is a band that should have only released live records after Pure Phase - in my opinion. But that's completely a sidepoint - Amazing Grace was just a disappointment.

Mads Bjerke doesn't fail completely - he seems to do good work (Evil Heat), but that record (A.Grace) is nightmarishly loud. I may have enjoyed it a bit more if there would have been more dynamics on a band that - whether they want to or not - can probably attribute 68% of their appeal to dynamics.

What about too damn quiet? - This may have been around the time he wrote, "The Truth About Music" w/the tirade against compression, and I'd definitely be interested in hearing his feelings about the effect now (2004), but PJ Harvey's Rid of Me is nightmarishly quiet. It retains dynamic appeal, but it is hands down the quietest record I've ever heard.

I may or may not be casting blame - something could have gone wrong and sacrificing overall volume may have been the solution, the mastering guy may have messed it up... But sometimes Snake comes on and there's something about having to turn a stereo up instead of down (and I don't buy many records recorded after 1994-5).