Our Favorite Heavy Albums of 2019 (Part 4)
- Seth Metoyer
- Jan 3, 2020
- 4 min read
Venom Prison - Samsara
The more I listen to this album, the more it grows on me and the more I love it. What at first felt like a chaotic splatter painting quickly becomes a real gem of frantic yet highly orchestrated riffs and song progressions.
This beast is heavy, catchy and just plain tight all around.
I really like the dichotomy of the vocal switches, the guitars are slick with great leads and rhythms. The drums are blistering and the production is strong. Stand Out Song: Asura's Realm
How's The Mix?
The mix is pretty good. There's a nice sonic crispness to the guitars, drums and the vocals aren't lost in the shuffle. Nor do they muddy out the mix. I think the engineer(s) did a great job capturing the essence and soul of the album.
Final Production: 4.6 KNOBS out of 5
Fit for an Autopsy - The Sea of Tragic Beasts This album jams, plain and simple. From the tight and heavy guitar tones, to the blasting drums and atmospheric overtures. There's a sense of sophistication throughout the album, which balances its heavy focus with serene breakdowns and instrumental backdrops.
There's some philosophical depth to the lyrics and the creativity of the album is encompassed by the spectacular cover art painting.
Stand Out Song: The Seas of Tragic Beasts
How's The Mix?
Everything about this production is massive. It's mix is spot on and the overall production is strong. The guitars mix well with the heavy guitar tones and the drums are right there in the mix where they should be. The vocals blend well with everything. I really dig this mix. Some might call it "over produced" but sometimes that terminology is used because it's difficult for some to reach that professional sonic level in their productions. I personally love that beast of an in your face, fill the room with production. It's tasty, rips your face off and leaves you wanting more earhole annihilation.
Final Production: 4.8 KNOBS out of 5
Abnormality - Sociopathic Constructs
This technical death metal assault connects some complex riffs with brutal gutturals, blast beats and some yummy chugs.
The album batters the listener for nine songs in a little over a half an hour. There is a lot of ferocity bashing the eardrums.
This one was made for aggressive mosh pits or iron pumping.
Stand Out Song: Dying Breed
How's The Mix?
The mix feels fairly standard for a band like Abnormality. There's this old school production feel ala back in the day Decapitated. The drums are mic'd well, I dig the drum tone. The vocals are mixed well and the guitars are heavy but not too in your face. Really the only thing that I would have done is potentially clean up some of the muddiness in mastering. There are a few tweaks that could have been done that would have made this brutal release even more massive.
Overall Production: 3.8 KNOBS out of 5
Fleshgod Apocalypse - Valeno
Fleshgod Apocalypse' last release KING became one of my favorite albums of 2016. There's just something I find refreshing about the band's opera-infused death metal approach.
Valeno picks up where the last album left off, with a lot of brutality and symphonic beauty. There's overall slightly less of an operatic feel to this album, which should make some listeners happier. Yet there's enough piano, operatic singing and violins to make fans of KING happy. This is a heavy album and some rawness to it that I really dig.
The dichotomy of different vocal styles is still a nice staple that this band brings to the table.
Stand Out Song: Pissing on the Score
How's The Mix?
The production on Valeno is pretty similar to KING, perhaps a bit more raw. The mix is fairly level and really jams. There's a bit of massive punch missing on a few parts that previously seemed to be their on KING. Not a ton, it's not overly noticeable, but it's there and something I would have probably tweaked in mastering. All the instruments sound good together. If I had one gripe it would be that the piano and violins are sometimes a bit too far back in the mix and I'd love to hear them a bit more up front or equalized more in the mix. But that's mostly a personal preference.
Overall Production: 4.1 out of 5
Whitechapel - The Valley
From the moment I threw on Whitechapel's The Valley, there was just something hauntingly beautiful about this album right out of the gate. The mixture of melodic songwriting with the heavy guitar, multiple vocal styles and chaotic drumming - this album is absolutely a high point of 2019.
There's a lot of musical styles going on here, tasty riffs and chugs. It's something I like to throw on while trying to kick it in the studio or working on a horror movie production.
Stand Out Song: Brimstone
How's The Mix? The mix is pretty clean overall. Most of the key elements play well together and there's really a feeling of older production's here from maybe the early 2000s. Something production wise similar to early to mid 2000's Tool, Lamb of God, Chevelle, Deftones and maybe even Taproot.
There's a similar vibe in the production, but the music is more complex and heavier than most of those band's releases - plus the hardcore vocals and chaotic drumming put this band in its own league.
There's a bit of sonic punch that could have been added in mastering. But overall I dig the mix and this album is great. The guitars are produced well and the album is a blast to jam too.
Overall Production: 4.1 KNOBS out of 5
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