9 ARSIS * WE ARE THE NIGHTMARE (Nuclear Blast)
The bad news first: Arsis' We Are The Nightmare has a shamefully thin, undynamic, tweedly mix. I haven't heard such a squeaky, assless EQ since ... I'm gonna have to go back to "Shyboy" by David Lee Roth on my shower radio. Nightmare -- as recorded -- sounds like it was performed by a team of monkeys tapping toothbrushes on milk jugs. Or The Chipmunks doing an album of Carcass covers. The ahem bass drums seem to be in one room and the tangy, shallow snare in another; the bass guitar is in yet another room that has been thoroughly soundproofed. By the third song (the hyper-catchy "Sightless Wisdom"), I get the urge to stand on tiptoe as the helium-packed Nightmare threatens to pass over my head. Bring that shit down! I won't put a jihad on the producers, mixers, and engineers responsible -- nor the label people who allowed the final mix to stick -- they bear the shame of being the We in We Are The Nightmare. A brilliant record but a tragically uncomfortable listen. Damn.
Aaaaanyway, that Nightmare is still one of 2008's best records gives indication to Arsis mastermind James Malone's prowess. He's got a scalding Jeff Walkerian scrowl and busy, freakishly precise guitar hands. We can all agree that there is a definitive moment when we as listeners cross the trust barrier and decide that, yes, this record was created with us in mind and deserves our time and patience. That moment was nearly lost (again, the mix good god the mix) but Malone brought me back with words, not music. The lyrics on Nightmare are awesome (from the album's opening verse, it's apparent that Malone has an ear for the epic) but the words I'm uh talking about are his props to hair rockers Winger in a Decibel Magazine feature; their musicality, Malone stated, is on brilliant display in songs like "Madelaine" and "Headed For A Heartbreak." (Well, that's how I remember his statements; stupid Decibel won't let me read features online.) Elsewhere, Malone vouches for un-loved hair-farmers like Banshee, Vain, and the reviled Roxx Gang and his credibility sags there (really?? Roxx Gang??) but the point is a virtuosic player in the technical death metal realm who studies the hard rock hook and flow ... that's the recipe for brilliance. I'll have another serving, please, and this time can I have some pasta with my sauce?
The bad news first: Arsis' We Are The Nightmare has a shamefully thin, undynamic, tweedly mix. I haven't heard such a squeaky, assless EQ since ... I'm gonna have to go back to "Shyboy" by David Lee Roth on my shower radio. Nightmare -- as recorded -- sounds like it was performed by a team of monkeys tapping toothbrushes on milk jugs. Or The Chipmunks doing an album of Carcass covers. The ahem bass drums seem to be in one room and the tangy, shallow snare in another; the bass guitar is in yet another room that has been thoroughly soundproofed. By the third song (the hyper-catchy "Sightless Wisdom"), I get the urge to stand on tiptoe as the helium-packed Nightmare threatens to pass over my head. Bring that shit down! I won't put a jihad on the producers, mixers, and engineers responsible -- nor the label people who allowed the final mix to stick -- they bear the shame of being the We in We Are The Nightmare. A brilliant record but a tragically uncomfortable listen. Damn.
Aaaaanyway, that Nightmare is still one of 2008's best records gives indication to Arsis mastermind James Malone's prowess. He's got a scalding Jeff Walkerian scrowl and busy, freakishly precise guitar hands. We can all agree that there is a definitive moment when we as listeners cross the trust barrier and decide that, yes, this record was created with us in mind and deserves our time and patience. That moment was nearly lost (again, the mix good god the mix) but Malone brought me back with words, not music. The lyrics on Nightmare are awesome (from the album's opening verse, it's apparent that Malone has an ear for the epic) but the words I'm uh talking about are his props to hair rockers Winger in a Decibel Magazine feature; their musicality, Malone stated, is on brilliant display in songs like "Madelaine" and "Headed For A Heartbreak." (Well, that's how I remember his statements; stupid Decibel won't let me read features online.) Elsewhere, Malone vouches for un-loved hair-farmers like Banshee, Vain, and the reviled Roxx Gang and his credibility sags there (really?? Roxx Gang??) but the point is a virtuosic player in the technical death metal realm who studies the hard rock hook and flow ... that's the recipe for brilliance. I'll have another serving, please, and this time can I have some pasta with my sauce?
2 comments:
I think the mix could have been passable if Darren Cesca was entirely removed from the record (including his low growls). Sweet dreams of Kevin Talley or Gene Hoglan doing the drums for Arsis often creep into my head; I suspect that in an alternate parallel universe somewhere, Arsis headlined the 2007 Summer Slaughter tour with Marco Minnemann providing their rhythm section (Noah would also not quit and would be audible on the albums).
amen amen amen
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