How can we improve? [Metal!]

[Fong249]

Hey guys... It has been a long time since I posted last here. My band is in the process of finalizing a demo. Our recording quality has gone up since the original Garage band days, but we're still struggling with a few things.

Anyways, heres some samples
www.myspace.com/awaitthedawnband

Some quick notes - I kind of want a harsher guitar tone, that is more in your face. On our last recording (Day of Reckoning Part 2), we biamped the guitars, one going through a mesa single rec on high gain, and the other going through a marshall mode four on crunch. Both signals went through a prosonus blue tube so it kinda eradicated the "digital" sound but still has alot to go. We want a tone similar to the bands Black Dahlia Murder or All Shall Perish, but we're having trouble getting there.

On another note, I just switched my main metal axe from my stingray over to a Warwick $$. I'm excited to record some new stuff with it. The stingray has been great but I had a terrible time finding great metal tones without massive post recording EQ.

Any advice would be awesome.


Chris

[matthiasss]

I'm lovin' your sound! Not much needs to be done IMHO. The tone of the guitars suits the music but I'd love to hear harsher guitars also, being a sucker for death metal and the most grim tones available. Best of luck with the demo.
Respect.
-matthias

[Deluge Of Sound]

Sounds good, but I personally hate the "click" bass drum sound. It's your band, though, not mine, so feel free to disregard that.

Your bass is buried in the mix, too... you really have to listen to hear it... maybe try and EQ it a little more outside the bass drum frequency? Boosting your low mids will also help it sit in the sonic space I think it needs to be.

[Fong249]

Thanks man. As it sits right now i've got 4db on 80hz, and alot of messing around between 120-350hz. There is a highpass filter on the bass at 60hz and on the guitars at 135 or 150 hz....

I tried to make a little bit more room that way.

Thanks for both of your input!

[tumpinjahosafat]

sounds pretty good, i like it. I think that kick drum sounds alot like the kick on Lamb Of Gods album New American Gospel. I think if you beef it up a little bit more, and turn up the guitar parts when everything else cuts out it will make for a more together recording. But very nice consider me a fan!

Check out my band if you like. Link is in the Sig

[Matt Till]

There seems to be a tad bit of sloppiness on everyones part as far as playing goes (I think), but I don't mind that at all. I prefer a little slop to ultra tight in Death Metal esque genres.

I don't know, the mix is pretty good, but have you considered forking out a bit more cash and having someone professionally mix it? Well, this is a demo, so that's a bit nitpicky. For a demo, it sounds awesome. Good work.

[Saetia]

I like it a lot, I'm a huge fan of BDM and I can hear a bit of the influence there.

My band recorded our EP and I'm not completely happy with how my bass turned out, it to was burried in the mix as well... most if it has to do with who recorded us as my live tone cuts a lot more. Sadly I wasn't able to work with him more on getting my bass mixed better, and it's to late now as everything has already been pressed and we have the hard copies.

I like your sound though

Peace

-Benny

[MoD_Scotty]

I think the biggest thing that can be improved is the drum sound. The drummer is obviously pretty badass, but the way the drums came out on the recording blows.

And that one dual guitar solo in the first track...it started out alright, but then the guitar on the left started playing a blues riff while the other one was doing something different. Two different keys at once just don't come together that well.

Otherwise, I dig it. We should trade some shows.

[Fong249]

Well this has kinda died. Anyone got tips on how to make drums sound better? Tips for recording metal drums and eqing them?