Mastering Metal: Audio Mastering For The Metal Masses

Those of you who are real metal heads know there’s a lot of different METAL out there.

Whether you’re into black metal, death metal, power metal, or some good ‘ol fashioned “heavy metal”, you know when it sounds good.

THE METAL MISCONCEPTION:

The problem is, for many metal artists, there is a common misnomer regarding the role quality audio production can play in authentic metal music.  Just because some of our favorite metal bands have an under-produced sound, doesn’t mean you have to make recordings like that to be metal.

METAL STUDIOS:

Of course, like any genre of music, metal has it’s posers.  For example:  if your producer wears black lipstick and sacrifices chickens in the studio, that doesn’t ensure he’s qualified to engineer an album that will force listeners to bang their heads and subconsciously desire to build shrines to you in their living rooms.  On the other hand, a clean-cut, church-going American may deliver results just like that in spite of his wayward lifestyle

THE FACTS:

Except for some newer metal, the vast majority of influential metal albums have not been accepted by the metal masses because of their production, but because of music itself was so great.

Most studios responsible for recording, mixing, and mastering metal either don’t know how it should sound, or think it should sound like it always has.

The best-produced metal will be popular because of it’s production quality even if it is unoriginal material.  But if you want to control the minds of hundreds of thousands of horn-throwing metal heads, you will need more than well-written music or solid audio production… You will need them both.

COMPLETE AUDIO PRODUCTION:

Part of good production is having your music mastered.  It isn’t because audio mastering makes your recording more commercially appealing, or even because it usually makes tracks sound considerably louder…

Your metal needs to be mastered so it will stand out.  Mastering will bring out the guitars, and give the drums the power they need without overruling the other instruments.  The vocals, whether they are singing, screaming, or growling, will have their rightful (and tasteful) place as well, so when your listeners turn your songs up to the absolute max, it sounds like you want it to – like they want it to – no matter what stereo they play it on.

Mastering has a similar effect regardless of the style of music, but the process is different.  Metal, for example, requires different mastering techniques than hip-hop.

WHAT’S NEXT?:

First, if you aren’t going to record on your own, choose a recording studio that understands the history of metal, but isn’t going to force your music to sound like it would have 20 years ago.  The next generation of metal can be good AND sound good.  Then, when your mixes are done, send them to a mastering house that will maintain the integrity of your metal, and give it the best chance to be heard and loved… \m/  \m/

DISCLAIMER: SoundOps is not responsible for the influence and/or consequence of mind control over any person(s) as a result of quality audio production of metal music.  Your metal will be mastered at your own risk (and the risk of those subject to it).  Please use your power responsibly.  …That is all.