Ace

I ended up paying way too much for the thing, but I was impatient. I expected better quality on the actual cd itself, than on the rips I got. I still give the CD about an 8/10. Definately the best thing they've done since 91, and metalwise, since the late 80's. I can honestly thank Rick Rubin for pushing them in the right direction on this one. But I can also honestly say, I don't think Rubin had a thing to do with the production on this album. The mixing is mediocre at best. Alot of elements are probably near peak levels, the drums are slightly high in many of the songs, and the vocals are nearly buried in alot of tracks. The high audio level in some elements, may have added to the almost "muddy" sound on the album......probably wouldn't have hurt to bring the gain down on those instruments.

The bass is certainly alot better than in recent albums, but it's still a tad low in the mix. Overall, it seems like it could use some of Rock's infamous "polished" sound. It certainly wouldn't hurt to have some more highs in the overall mix. I love the album, but the production takes alot away from it.... I'm not that picky either, so if I notice production faults without even looking for them, it's saying something on my part.
The album is definately worth listening to a few hundred times, so go pick it up.
But it definately lacks in the production area.

Meh.

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Quote:

Originally Posted by RezZ I think I know much better than you ever will how Mettalica is. I used to play for 2 years in a Mettalica cover band.