Guitar tone in metal

[Humanicide]

Lately, I've been noticing more and more the aesthetic quality of a well done guitar tone in the context of a great metal album. In very rare cases (like Dead Infection's first album), the guitar tone actually makes me dislike the album. I particularly enjoy some degree of fuzz or crunch when I listen to metal. The glossy overproduced sweep-happy sound can take a long walk off a short cliff.

If forced to choose, I think "Age Of Quarrel", "The Rack", "Harmony Corruption", "Nightmare or Reality", and "Hvis Lyset Tar Oss" have my favorite guitar tones. (I know two of these are hardcore punk albums but I figure it's related)

ANUSians, what are your thoughts/favorites?

[Agni]

 i can only think of one album -
Demilich  - Nespithe
it wouldn;t sound as eerie if it wasn't for the tone

[esoteric]

I like Skepticism's guitar (and bass) tone, but I think it's just as much tone as the way they play. Having all the instruments played gently to bring out subtlety was unheard of in metal before Stormcrowfleet.

[Reginald G. Lette]

Demilich "Nespithe": true! This beauty must be partly from being tuned down to A or whatever.
Immolation "Unholy Cults" is rich and warm overall.  Lows are dirty, almost muddy. Mids slice, highs are gritty/never piercing.
Metallica "Ride the Lightning" (esp. title track): slightly flanged or chorused, ropey.
Slayer "Reign in Blood": almost too slick/glossy, but still enough abrasion and crushing heat.


Although I love Asphyx "The Rack" as songs, the tone is too sizzling and trebley for my taste.

[Leperchaun]

Mütiilation - Remains of a Ruined, Dead, Cursed Soul
Incredibly bleak guitar tone is an important component of the somber medievalism of this album.

Discharge - Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing
The quintessential "air siren" guitar distortion enhances the apocalyptic feel of this album

Bolt Thrower - ...for Victory
Very metallic guitar sound is an important part of the war machine.

Demoncy - Joined In Darkness
Quite possibly the most evil-sounding guitar ever, this album defines the "cave metal" sound that is nowadays being pursued by the likes of Nocturnal Blood, Cruciamentum, Sperm of Antichrist, Vasaeleth, etc.

Havohej - Dethrone The Son Of God
The mildly comical "rubber band" guitar sound actually serves the vehement sadism of this music well.

Sacramentum - Far Away From The Sun
The somewhat ethereal guitar tone combined to dreamlike melodies gives this album an absolutely unique, brilliant sound.

[Forza Romana]

As I am looking at my mp3 collection, I think of first of Magus, a great classic, but the guitar is so distant. But this is what allures me to it.
Also Infester is another great tone that just sucks you in to the chaos.

When I do my own recording, I haves always searched  to create a crushing tone that brings out the low end of my guitar, while letting the high end still speak. I do not seek to create a very polished tone at all. I love the pure raw sound I achieve especially when I do open miking recording.  I still have yet to experiment with higher volume recording while of course pulling the microphone away. It is amazing with  just the amount  of volume coming from the amp what I can create with that.

[Heydrich]

To a fair degree it depends on the style I'm listening to. In general though I love a very "crunchy" and distorted guitar in my Metal. Hetfield's guitar tone on the first two Metallica albums etched that sound into my skull in the early 80's and the love affair continues to the day. That tone works well in Death Metal too - as in early Asphyx, Pestilence, etc. But a tone like McEntee's on "Golgotha" or "Trey's" tone on "Altars" are also brilliantly effective.

For Black Metal a whole range of tones are vialble, though I still prefer something more "full" than the wispy, bottom-of-a-well sound some gravitate toward(especially when the whole mix is thin.) The tone on Gorgoroth's "Anti-Christ" stands out to me, and I do really like the tone on Mayhem's first.

To sum up - a range of sounds work for me, but generally speaking, a full, powerful tone is always best to my ear - it has been this way for 25+ years. 

[BLOODYGOREGUTTMAGGOT]

My preferences are always with a clean sound.
Dont get me wrong i love to listen to cruchy stuff to like, new bands EPs and stuff.
But for the most part its got to always be clean and understandable like in; Unleash the archers, Nile, Burning the masess, Chelsea Grin...etc.

[03-04]

I think Beherit did something very interesting with the guitar tone on 'Drawing down the moon': De-emphasizing the 'crunching' sound of conventional metal guitars, in favor of a slightly surreal, ambient hum.

[aquarius]

The best use of guitar tone is that which supports the material being played, same goes for the other instruments. The fuzzy, grainy, airy tone acheived on filosofem was perfect as it accentuates melody in a semi-ambient framework, whereas if this production was used on pure holocaust/battles in the north era immortal, it would fail to capture the precision necessary. I agree that demoncy - joined in darkness has an interesting tone, it emphasises ambience whilst the material itself lends heavily to death/grindcore stylings, but somehow it works.

[kelly24negy]

guitar is part of music life..... and i love guys who play guitar..

stretch marks

[Humanicide]

I had forgotten to mention Cianide, and how their cavernous, bottom-heavy tone is highly appropriate for their first 2 albums. The atmosphere would not have been the same without that tone.

[Wolfgang]

Celtic Frost.


/thread

[Andrew]

Early Satyricon is the only example I can think of where I really take notice of guitar tone.  It has a high, distant sort of quality that sounds as if it's erupting into the sky from some far forest in the night.

[Agni]

 

Early Satyricon is the only example I can think of where I really take notice of guitar tone.  It has a high, distant sort of quality that sounds as if it's erupting into the sky from some far forest in the night.

been listening to 'dark medieval times'  myself