KVR Audio

Shangsean · Post by **Shangsean** » Sat May 05, 2018 2:51 am

I released this on Bandcamp this week. It features elements of black metal, rock and post-metal.

https://rustedearth.bandcamp.com/album/transmissions

A brief breakdown of the tracks for those that may want to just listen to a couple:

II - instrumental and pretty direct
Cascade - a lot of different elements and varies quite a bit throughout
Collectors - rock-ish, but with other more metallic elements - varies a fair bit
Distance - relatively straight forward and fast paced, at least for the first third or so
Scape - instrumental and probably the most post-rock/metal influenced
Transmissions - the most rock influenced and with the most traditional song structure
Blinded - 3 distinct sections - laid back black metal (is that a thing?) - ambient - intense
Hope - instrumental and the most upbeat

Any positive feedback is appreciated. Any negative feedback will make me curl up into the fetal position and question my will to live.

https://rustedearth.bandcamp.com/album/transmissions

ChamMusic · Post by **ChamMusic** » Wed May 16, 2018 8:28 pm

Enjoyed it a lot!

Favourite tracks were:

Cascades
Transmissions
Blinded (f**king creepy until that sudden late blast of energy)!

They had the most variety for me...I like my metal very heavy at times, but I find it works best when there's contrast with the full-on sections!

The only thing I kept wanting was vocals!

Shangsean · Post by **Shangsean** » Sat May 19, 2018 2:08 pm

I am assuming you mean 'clean' vocals. There were times they crept into it and it's something I may revisit in the future.

Thanks a lot for the feedback. Cascade is the track I've pretty much picked to represent the album, so I'm there is some appeal in that one.

ChamMusic · Post by **ChamMusic** » Sat May 19, 2018 6:39 pm

Shangsean wrote:I am assuming you mean 'clean' vocals

Yes...I was typing quickly and that wasn't my clearest statement ever! :0)

Unaspected · Post by **Unaspected** » Sat May 19, 2018 7:32 pm

Listening to Cascade: I like the vocal sound - like a mouth full of knives - but I feel they could be more forward in the mix. You could really get the jagged high end scraping against the cymbals and create a true onslaught. I would have liked to hear more vocals throughout the track as well.

There's quite a bit of room sound in the mix which kills the impact a little for me but does make it sound like a studio performance. I know that authenticity is really important in metal so I can dig it.

Shangsean · Post by **Shangsean** » Mon May 21, 2018 7:40 am

Thanks for the feedback. Normally people want to take to my throat with knives when I sing. Mouthful of knives is a nice compliment, I think.

One thing I have found, at least more me, is that vocals become more present the more you listen to something. I also thought they were low in mix on the initial few listens, but the more I've listened, the more they've come out. I do agree that they are relatively low in the mix though. My gut feel was to leave them as they are. Whether that was the correct decision or not...

The amount of vocals varied between tracks, though I wouldn't call it a vocal dominated album. Some tracks are instrumental.

Thanks again for the feedback. I'll experiment a little with the room sound in the future.

Unaspected · Post by **Unaspected** » Tue May 22, 2018 2:14 am

Shangsean wrote:Thanks for the feedback. Normally people want to take to my throat with knives when I sing. Mouthful of knives is a nice compliment, I think.

One thing I have found, at least more me, is that vocals become more present the more you listen to something. I also thought they were low in mix on the initial few listens, but the more I've listened, the more they've come out. I do agree that they are relatively low in the mix though. My gut feel was to leave them as they are. Whether that was the correct decision or not...

The amount of vocals varied between tracks, though I wouldn't call it a vocal dominated album. Some tracks are instrumental.

Thanks again for the feedback. I'll experiment a little with the room sound in the future.

It was definitely intended as a compliment.

I think I still suffer from making vocals a touch too quiet with my own work. Never shy of presenting anyone else's voice as centrepiece but when it comes to me, I back it off. Part of me wants to treat vocals just like any other instrument and not have them any more important than the guitars.

Just keep edging it up until someone says they're too loud.

Something that can really help vocals cut through is a little boost around 5kHz. Narrow bands of subtle distortion mixed in parallel can work quite well too.

Shangsean · Post by **Shangsean** » Fri Jun 01, 2018 11:34 am

Or edge down until someone says they can't hear them?

I received feedback on my previous EP that the vocals dominated the mix and when I listed to it now, I sort of agree.

The In the Woods.. album, Omnio is an album where I felt the vocals were very low on first listen, but after a few more plays, I adjusted and it become one of my all time favourites. So there's my justification for my vocal levels.

In all seriousness though, thanks for your feedback. It's much appreciated.

Allomerus · Post by **Allomerus** » Tue Jun 05, 2018 10:28 am

Your featured track is very interesting and powerful! Reminds me of Opeth (who I like). Have to be honest with you though, Death Metal vocals aren't my favourite. Still you have done this well (perhaps a bit quiet as mentioned above)!
Guitars, bass and drums are excellent...

Shangsean · Post by **Shangsean** » Mon Jun 11, 2018 7:21 am

Thanks Allomerus. The vocals are probably the primary thing that'll turn people off, but that's okay. Opeth isn't really something I would've thought this would be compared to. It's interesting to see how differently someone else can perceive my music compared to how I do. I wonder if you would still feel the same way had you listened to other tracks.

Thanks again for the feedback, especially the comments on guitar and bass.

Rusted Earth - Transmissions (metal album)