Best Modern Metal Mix for Reference?

Tahoebrian5

Fractal Fanatic
Looking for opinions on the best sounding modern metal mix. I am in the process of looking for some good reference tracks. I do like the Avenged sevenfold sound overall band sound, minus the screamo vocals though. Dream theatre is an obvious choice to listen too but I don't really care for the overall tone for some reason.

Anyway post up some links if you can think of any good ones.

Thanks!
 
I really like the Avenged Sevenfold sound as well overall. Latest album is a great sounding album. The AlterBridge sound is good as well. The days of truly bad sounding albums are rare.. Unless you are Metallica.. Love them but...They have some real humdingers. Death Magnetic has lots of good tunes but it is a mess. Not to mention AJFA.. Rotten drum sound.
 
Thanks, I’m going to check Alterbridge now. I like five finger songs but the snare sounds seems really weak
 
I'll second the Alter Bridge, Periphery and A7X suggestions.

If you want something "modern" that is a little less "clinical" sounding, Mastodon are a great place to start.



Gojira



Devin Townsend's latest album is mega



If you want to hear something terrifying, the latest Car Bomb album


I'll throw this in since they're Perth lads - even though this album is over 10 years old it's been hugely influential on modern prog and metal. That bass sound alone!

 
Last edited:
Great reference! Also, I can't take too much 'clinical' sounding myself!

I'd add the new Nightwish album- human nature to the list....on a first listen I was FLOORED (see what I did there?) on how well it was mixed down and how clear, yet dense and heavy it was.....
 
Five Finger Death Punch - their drum sounds are amazing. Not a huge fan of the vocals (every lyric has the message of - "nobody likes me, everybody hates me, I'm gonna go eat worms"), but everything else about that band is crushing.
Another mix I enjoy is Beartooth (any album). Great drum sound, guitars are meaty.
 
Have to admit that Karnivool track is better than I gave it credit for. I believe the CD is kicking around in my Mustang somewhere. I thought it was highly derivative of Tool when I first listened to it, but I need to rescue that sucker and spin it loud.

I'll see Leon's Car Bomb track (which has way too many brain-lasering arcade bleeepy noises), and raise it a Clockworks, which to my ears is the same video done better:

 
I’m an alter bridge super fan but the last few albums haven’t been great in terms of production. Way too much going on at one time and often they tune so low you literally can’t hear what they are playing. Having said that Addicted to pain sounds very very good.
Tremonti’s latest album sound really good.


Prpduction in general though I think David Maxim Micic has the best overall sound but calling it straight up Metal might make some people gurn. Jakub Zytecki is a master of stereo space try Ladder Head. Sound like heaven on a set of monitors in stereo.

How about
 
The new Trivium record sounds great. Josh Wilbur produced it (he's also done the last several Lamb Of God records) and generally answers anything you ask him on Twitter if you have a question.



The last A7X record was great, they purposefully mastered it how albums used to be mastered so it wasn't a hot mess.
 
Fear Inoculum the album has one of the best mixes I've ever heard.
Yes. Took me a few listens to really get into but the textures and everything they put into it, combined with the dynamics and balance of the mix make this one of my favorites.
 
Back
Top Bottom