Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

[RockPusher]

The guitars on what we’ve heard sound bad, bland and characterless. Either Wotman’s using plug-ins or he’s making great amps sound like plug-ins, neither is complimentary.

Yes, it’s almost entirely subjective. I’m sure he thinks it sounds great.

The guitars and drums also sounded pretty awful (in a different way) on Backspacer and Lightning Bolt, so this isn’t an isolated issue. I think it speaks to the approach more than anything else.

This has to be hyperbole right?

For instance, the ringing massive C chord after the descending run in the pre chorus of DM is just full, warm, and lovely. Maybe you personally don’t love the guitars on these songs but, I feel like you’re exaggerating to make a point with this language. That said, I respect your right to hate these songs.

I think they are quite solid, and I think the guitars sound better than anything since ST.

I was trying to find a way to say the guitars sound good to me. You said it well.

[Aunt_Claire_Foy]

That makes no sense. Many studios are able to keep the bandmembers in a single room and put the amps in a separate recording booth.

I’m talking about his studio, not standard practice. The video does not convey this setup. The drum kit is set up in a room with guitars hanging in the wall. No panels. Not even a booth. I’ve worked in a lot of studios and unless all that shit was for show (it wasn’t - he literally says everything is “ready to play”), it doesn’t make any sense.

[VinylGuy]

yeah i really like the guitars on DM. But i also loved them Gigaton, which was a huge relief after how awful they were on LB.

Backspacer...ehh it has its moments but they are also kinda weak, specially in songs like GSMF or ATW were they are supposed to sound meatier.

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[Strat]

DWWWDDMDMWMWN and rockpusher LOVE heavily distorted loud guitars.

Hey, i do too, but these aint it. Theyre just loud

[WaitingForBluey]

Talking about guitars > talking about drums

Shit, I fucked that up!

[Tj]

I'm pro loud distorted angular guitar riffs then butt up to each other

[RockPusher]

DWWWDDMDMWMWN and rockpusher LOVE heavily distorted loud guitars.

Hey, i do too, but these aint it. Theyre just loud

I mean, I don't want a whole album of them, but so far so good.

[digster]

I actually wish I could hear more of the distortion in the guitars and the aggression in the performance. In all the talk about it being full-on, distorted, loud...I just wish the song sounded like that was what the performance was, instead of that all sounded like it was added on later. I don't have the ear to tell you whether the amps were in-the-box or not; you can get some pretty great sounds out of amp sims these days.

But I just feel like for what is supposed to be an aggressive song, everything sounds tidy and quantized. In the end, that's probably a secondary concern, as I think my main issue with the song, keeping it as an OK or average tune instead of a good or great one, is that to me the main riff underpinning the whole thing is just pretty blase. But I don't think what the song is in terms of its construction and how it sounds can easily be separated.

[Tj]

The thing about Dark Matter is . It is a really simple song with not much added in the way of textures etc. It's very straightforward song sonically. However it gives off a deeper vibe almost like a Pink Floyd or Tool prog vibe. So it isn't what it kind of seems to be promising to be almost asking to be more than it is. It's not a negative thing though. The fact that it is a simple hard rock song almost to the point of having a low iq , but it is masquerading around as if it's something it's not. Running is the exact opposite I think it is saying so much more musically but it is stumbling around pretending to be a drunk moron . There is actually improv happening in Running. Dark Matter has zero improv.

[DDWJMUVW]

DWWWDDMDMWMWN and rockpusher LOVE heavily distorted loud guitars.

Hey, i do too, but these aint it. Theyre just loud

Oh come on Stratocaster. There’s plenty of distortion in both tracks (for pj that is). We’ve been stuck with bluesy crunch for ages. So, by comparison, we’re getting mesa boogie pop punk with gain at 10 distortion levels here.

Now, I would like to hear some SOLAT/Breath overdrive on this record as well. Lots of sustain and bright but beefy.

[RockPusher]

DWWWDDMDMWMWN and rockpusher LOVE heavily distorted loud guitars.

Hey, i do too, but these aint it. Theyre just loud

Oh come on Stratocaster. There’s plenty of distortion in both tracks (for pj that is). We’ve been stuck with bluesy crunch for ages. So, by comparison, we’re getting mesa boogie pop punk with gain at 10 distortion levels here.

Now, I would like to hear some SOLAT/Breath overdrive on this record as well. Lots of sustain and bright but beefy.

Based on what we've heard (metal door leak) and what we've heard (descriptions that specifically point toward that sound), I think the odds are in your favor on that one

[RockPusher]

That twangy E to A bend (if I have my notes correct) that happens on the back end of the riff in Running is some choice guitar.

[guitar_davey]

That twangy E to A bend (if I have my notes correct) that happens on the back end of the riff in Running is some choice guitar.

That's a highlight of the song.

[Aunt_Claire_Foy]

That makes no sense. Many studios are able to keep the bandmembers in a single room and put the amps in a separate recording booth.

I’m talking about his studio, not standard practice. The video does not convey this setup. The drum kit is set up in a room with guitars hanging in the wall. No panels. Not even a booth. I’ve worked in a lot of studios and unless all that shit was for show (it wasn’t - he literally says everything is “ready to play”), it doesn’t make any sense.

I’m unclear on what you’re trying to say and thus am unable to respond.

Room bad means sound bad.

Also forgetting the fact that they moved to Shangrii-La due to his studio flooding. And if you want an idea on how that’s set up, there’s tons of footage out there from Rubin on his process and the environment.

Which just further proves my original point - they probably recorded direct (even though they were mic’d) for reference and Watt used emulators to get the guitar sound.

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[Mike]

And I bet he sometimes uses his amps for reamping

What does that mean/do? Putting recorded stuff through an amp again?

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[Mike]

And I bet he sometimes uses his amps for reamping

What does that mean/do? Putting recorded stuff through an amp again?

Precisely

Can that actually help? Sounds kind of like trying to make a digital signal analog again? (I have no idea about this stuff)

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now