Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Metal Inquisition Video Vault: Napalm Death Checks The Album Mix In Scott Burns' Pick-Up Truck
As a little kid listening to metal, I always thought that for musicians (and others who worked in the metal-music biz), the world was surely filled with both brutality and glamour. An enticing combination for sure.
Then I saw this video...and I quickly became depressed. Watch as members of Napalm Death pile into Scott Burns' sad little pick-up truck to check the album mix for Harmony Corruption. Who knew that death metal guys were so comfortable with their sexuality to pile in so closely in a hot Florida afternoon for a metal sausage party? They look like clowns getting into a tiny car. Clowns who record death metal albums, that is. Shane looks like one of those mushroom characters from Super Mario. If you would have told me when I first heard Napalm Death that this is how death metal was made (in a crap studio by a highway in Florida, using a Mitsubishi truck to check the mix) I would have just given up and turned in the few metal credentials I had at 11 years old.
Watch closely, you don't want to miss:
- Scott Burns' tiny denim shorts
- Studio employee asking if its okay if "a guy from Morbid Angel" stops by
- Coroner sticker on pick-up truck
- Jessee following the notes along with his fingers
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Interesting video. The car stereo he has is pretty good!! N.D are a big time let down as far as I am concerned. Every time I see them headline they play less than an hour which is totally unacceptable and wrong. What is the longest that you have seen them perform? Plus they extend the drink water, towel for the sweat, talk to each other brakes so much that I wonder if they ever play more than 45 minutes!! That’s NOT what I call value for money. In any case at least I liked this video ;-)
ReplyDeleteman. blast from the past. my old band had the joke that our recording would only be ok if it sounded good in my cutlass ciera.
ReplyDeleteThat's what Us All did after recording a demotape...maybe we didn't sell more than 100.000 copies like "Harmony corruption", but...etc etc
ReplyDeletewell, it's certainly a normal studio practice to listen to playback in what you would consider to be the normal listening conditions and equipment that the normal audience member would have.hence the change in the 80's when engineers began using consumer grade bookshelf speakers (or the ever-present Yamaha NS-10's) to listen back...since better speakers could "color" the playback, and no one in the audience the recording is intended for may have such good equipment (certainly true for Napalm Death). Having said all this...it's funny as all hell!
ReplyDeleteI think this is one of the smartest things a band can do. Because after all what do most people listen to music in, their cars. So why not check to see what it sounds like in a shitty truck stereo. That way when it comes to you it sounds like they intended in your stereo. Also most studios are in a shithole unless you have 30k to throw into it. Metal is very DIY that whats appealing, the blood, sweat, and debt.
ReplyDeletemy new band is called Scott Burns' Pickup
ReplyDelete...was "the guy from M.A." supposed to steal some N.D. riff If he stopped by?
ReplyDeletewell...yes its smart...but normally people run these tests in speakers at the studio. its just one of those awkward moments that, by having been captured on tape, seems even dumber.
ReplyDeletethe whole thing is just so sad. poor scott burns, world famous and driving that piece of crap.
the morbid angel thing is funny, because as you'll see in a clip i'll post soon...mick kinda knocks morbid angel and their use of double bass. but i won't reveal too much. stay tuned.
Needs more trumpets...
ReplyDeleteThis is an oh-so-Spinal-Tap moment. Fans think it's funny/pathetic, but every underground musician has checked the mix on a car stereo. And a good rule of thumb: use the most unspectacular stereo available.
ReplyDeleteOh, and one more thing, cassettes only!!!
at the risk of sounding pompous - how many of you actually own a crappy stereo/speakers? music nerds usually invest in their equipment, even if it means going hungry. plus, times are such that quality equipment is growing more available by the day. i've seen decrepit buckets with sound systems twice their worth. so i don't see the point in "catering" to few broke-ass metallers who still listen to tape on their shitty stereos.
ReplyDelete@chris: i haven't listened to music on speakers in years. i only listen to it on my computer or ipod... well, in my car i guess, but i only drive like an hour a week so that's not very often.
ReplyDeleteOh, and one more thing, cassettes only!!!
YES!
is it just me, or did they take the video down?
ReplyDeleteDammit why did this get taken down?
ReplyDeleteI was very excited to sit and watch death metal be gay over a nice Jamaican seitan curry.
DAMN YOU YOU TUBE!!!!!!!
should be up. youtube is just iffy sometimes.
ReplyDeletetalking about what stereo equipment is available today is a worthless argument to have. this was taped around 1991. the question is...what was available then? not much.
i know, i know, i'm just saying - nowadays, every target demographic is technologically well-equipped. even squatters have ipods. but i'm talking trash, we can skip it.
ReplyDeleteoh..i see your point. i guess nowadays they must test all recordings in decent studio speakers...while scott's truck sits lonely in morrisound's parking lot. it's rather sad actually. through technology, we have all lost our innocence. do squaters have cell phones? i'm sure some do. damn, how things have changed.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting/depressing. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDelete