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Stoner/Doom Bassists Thread, Part 90: Maxed Out

#48,161
lucas303 said:
If you're looking for Al's settings, I've attached a photo I took after a recent Om show. (This is my first post here, so hopefully I don't mess up with attaching the image.)
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Beautiful, thank you! I was kicking myself for not doing the same thing when I saw them haha. Interesting that he's really only using the +1/2 octave with no effects, but that makes sense considering the context of the songs in Om. Also good to know that he's using the Dry FX push button to run the dry signal through the pedal.

Thanks again!
 
#48,163
cornfarmer said:
What's up with that Waldorf? Is he using a synth or one of those midi pickup things? I don't remember hearing much synthy stuff on the Om I've listened to....
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That big controller is a Keith McMillen 12 step. I use one in my band for synth and organ or whatever weird spacey effects I want on a song. It’s basically a one octave keyboard. Cool to see another one out there in the wild. I’ve never seen anyone around me use one.
 
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#48,166
I spent about two weeks, mostly on my lunch breaks, fixing up the Spector. I should have done it a long time ago. I filled in the neck pickup cavity, replaced the missing wood from the bridge pickup cavity, fixed the split in the body that went through the control cavity and a ton of other things. The paint looked a lot darker on the cap but I'm happy with it. It's some kind of high heat resistant automotive paint that has ceramic in it, almost looks like a metallic finish. I'm going to buy a couple of those anodized aluminum red knobs for it when I get paid.
20190309_113506.jpg
 
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#48,170
We've discussed things that have become so cliche in the genre that we should have a moratorium on them. The use of witch, wizard, goat, or mountain in a band\album name. Half naked women, or pointless boobage on album covers. Stuff like that.
I think I have one to add to the list.
Sound bites from movies starring Vincent Price. It's gotta stop. I get that he did a lot of cult favorite, schlock B movies back in the 60s and 70s, and there are some painfully quotable lines about torture, witches, executions, and whatever else in them. But the doom\stoner genre has gone to that well one too many times.
I'd go so far as to say that sound clips in general are a very 90s thing and a little played out.
 
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#48,171
socialleper said:
We've discussed things that have become so cliche in the genre that we should have a moratorium on them. The use of witch, wizard, goat, or mountain in a band\album name. Half naked women, or pointless boobage on album covers. Stuff like that.
I think I have one to add to the list.
Sound bites from movies starring Vincent Price. It's gotta stop. I get that he did a lot of cult favorite, schlock B movies back in the 60s and 70s, and there are some painfully quotable lines about torture, witches, executions, and whatever else in them. But the doom\stoner genre has gone to that well one too many times.
I'd go so far as to say that sound clips in general are a very 90s thing and a little played out.
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Agreed 110%! And stop using quotes from 70s grindhouse type films or anti-Mary jane 40s schlock too!

I've been writing lyrics for my new project and am trying to avoid the 'witches at black masses' and 'yay satan' themes. Not due to any religious conviction (I am atheist) but since these themes are played the (copulation) out. And I find them boring. So instead I'm mining the other classic 'metal' themes like history, mythology, and science fiction.

We are also trying to add other elements musically, I've added psych-rock type passages, and both the guitarist and I are big 'classic metal' fans (Maiden, Priest, etc.) so trying to toss some things in that camp in there too.

And all three of us were raised on classic rock especially the "without a net" approach of say Cream, Zeppelin or Moon-era Who. So some room to improvise and let things breathe is vital. I get bored playing things 100% the same all the time. Live music should be a bit 'dangerous'.

But all metal subgenres are plagued by scores of bands that may be great in their chops/writing, but aren't pushing boundaries. I'm not necessarily saying there is something wrong with that, but if I'm creating music, I need to feel like I'm adding something to the mix, otherwise, why do something musically that other bands probably did earlier and better than you did?
 
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#48,172
br1qbat said:
Agreed 110%! And stop using quotes from 70s grindhouse type films or anti-Mary jane 40s schlock too!

I've been writing lyrics for my new project and am trying to avoid the 'witches at black masses' and 'yay satan' themes. Not due to any religious conviction (I am atheist) but since these themes are played the (copulation) out. And I find them boring. So instead I'm mining the other classic 'metal' themes like history, mythology, and science fiction.

We are also trying to add other elements musically, I've added psych-rock type passages, and both the guitarist and I are big 'classic metal' fans (Maiden, Priest, etc.) so trying to toss some things in that camp in there too.

And all three of us were raised on classic rock especially the "without a net" approach of say Cream, Zeppelin or Moon-era Who. So some room to improvise and let things breathe is vital. I get bored playing things 100% the same all the time. Live music should be a bit 'dangerous'.

But all metal subgenres are plagued by scores of bands that may be great in their chops/writing, but aren't pushing boundaries. I'm not necessarily saying there is something wrong with that, but if I'm creating music, I need to feel like I'm adding something to the mix, otherwise, why do something musically that other bands probably did earlier and better than you did?
Click to expand...
In all genres of metal, something I've seen change since I was a kid in the 80s was a retreat from "issues" of any kind. In the 90s nu metal got into talking about personal issues, and some metal fans balked at the idea of talking about feelings, or emotions. Some just want the "I'm a bad @$$, you're a bad @$$, let's party and be bad @$$es together" bro down (coughpanteracough). Most metal now only writes about abstract ideas like weird cosmic stuff, mythologies (Satan, vikings, Cthulu, etc), vague occult stuff, weed, and odd historical happenings. Maybe our political climate makes it impossible to write a song about big issues without someone getting ticked off about it. I dunno.
Good on you for trying.
 
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#48,173
br1qbat said:
And all three of us were raised on classic rock especially the "without a net" approach of say Cream, Zeppelin or Moon-era Who. So some room to improvise and let things breathe is vital. I get bored playing things 100% the same all the time. Live music should be a bit 'dangerous'.
Click to expand...

I've long felt that one of the big holes in metal is improvisation. A metal band that can write good songs and do some genuinely interesting improvisation will have me shoveling money at them as fast as I can.
 
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#48,174
The political climate definitely makes it tricky, especially for bands trying to build an audience. Everything is so black and white for most people, that if you don't keep the lyrics non-socially-relevant, you're going to lose 50% of your potential fans right off the bat. Of course, I am also of the "for or against us" mentality, so I personally don't want the bad guys to listen to our music anyway. The other guys in our band are a little more diplomatic and/or concerned with not alienating people, so I bite my tongue (for now).
That said, it's funny what messages and statements you can disguise with intelligent word choices, a veil of vagueness, and some poetic license. It's also funny how people on the other side of the aisle can manipulate or misinterpret those words to fit their position or experience. That's really hard to deal with; when a bad guy thinks you're on his side because he's mutated your message into an anthem that supports his awful views... it makes me want to quit playing music.
 
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#48,179
hardtop said:
The political climate definitely makes it tricky, especially for bands trying to build an audience. Everything is so black and white for most people, that if you don't keep the lyrics non-socially-relevant, you're going to lose 50% of your potential fans right off the bat. Of course, I am also of the "for or against us" mentality, so I personally don't want the bad guys to listen to our music anyway. The other guys in our band are a little more diplomatic and/or concerned with not alienating people, so I bite my tongue (for now).
That said, it's funny what messages and statements you can disguise with intelligent word choices, a veil of vagueness, and some poetic license. It's also funny how people on the other side of the aisle can manipulate or misinterpret those words to fit their position or experience. That's really hard to deal with; when a bad guy thinks you're on his side because he's mutated your message into an anthem that supports his awful views... it makes me want to quit playing music.
Click to expand...
I've been trying to inject some kind of commentary, philosophy, or observation into the framework the lyrical subject allows. For example, I borrowed imagery from the Epic of Gilgamesh (yes I'm a nerd!) and wove in a commentary on the permanency of time(and death). Basically, time buries everything: people as well as cultures/ideals/beliefs. An uplifting point of view. Haha.

Instead of, you know "LOOK! WIZARDS! SKYCLAD WITCHES COVERED IN BLOOD! SATAN!"
 
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#48,180
hardtop said:
The political climate definitely makes it tricky, especially for bands trying to build an audience. Everything is so black and white for most people, that if you don't keep the lyrics non-socially-relevant, you're going to lose 50% of your potential fans right off the bat. Of course, I am also of the "for or against us" mentality, so I personally don't want the bad guys to listen to our music anyway. The other guys in our band are a little more diplomatic and/or concerned with not alienating people, so I bite my tongue (for now).
That said, it's funny what messages and statements you can disguise with intelligent word choices, a veil of vagueness, and some poetic license. It's also funny how people on the other side of the aisle can manipulate or misinterpret those words to fit their position or experience. That's really hard to deal with; when a bad guy thinks you're on his side because he's mutated your message into an anthem that supports his awful views... it makes me want to quit playing music.
Click to expand...
It does seem like a real mine field; and it stinks that it has to be like this. As risk of ticking off the mods, I will say that it seems like the vibe in metal has changed so much since I was a kid. I remember is was super common for metal bands to write songs trashing the rich or politicians, being against war, exploitation of nature, the homeless, etc. No one batted an eye. Then those same fans grew up and got butt hurt about ever mentioning those same subjects. I don't get it.

I'm in a slightly different place. If I didn't want people I didn't like listening to my music, no one would be listening to my music. ;)
 
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