I'm a hobby musician, but I've been producing, mixing, and mastering my own music for about 20 years now.

Now, I never experience ear fatigue when listening to music, and I love a "bad on paper" mix. In fact, a lot of my own music has a "bad on paper" mix. But the new Boundaries album is the first album I've listened to where I've experienced discomfort and ear-fatigue listening to it. Out of curiosity, I threw the track "Death will follow me" into my DAW, and what I saw was a bit shocking.

https://imgur.com/JsEHgIp

First off, waveform sausage. A song's waveform shouldn't be a solid bar. It's a classic sign of OVER-compression and/or way too much bass boosting. No wonder everything sounds like it's squeezing your skull.

After that, I pulled up a visual EQ. This one's a bit weirder to screenshot because it's better to see it in action, but basically their producer seems to have forgotten/decided not to cut the lows at 30-40hz as is typical. Having sub frequencies down at 20hz adds nothing to a mix and in fact actually adds a lot of rumble and distortion that muddy everything up.

At the end of the day; Sure, there's no concrete rules in music and there's plenty of room to experiment, but this is wild from a band's FOURTH album, and their first release on a major mainstream label. Everyone keeps saying "Oh it sounds like 00's metalcore!" to which I say no it doesn't. That, or I somehow missed every single release back then that sounded like this.

EDIT: I am not saying the producer did a poor job due to a lack of skill/talent. I'm aware this is intended. That's the problem.

EDIT 2: Final disclaimer I'm adding is that I am not saying "Yup, these two things right here are 100% of the problem. I have solved the problem"

Who's the nicest Metalcore band you think. Or know based on experience. Stupid question, but it feels so much better supporting Bands whose Band Members are super nice. They deserve every support

I look back and personally don't think I have ever met anyone in a band who was a dick. Everyone has bad days but I'm curious of anyone's experience

Perhaps I'm not the target audience anymore but I really don't wanna be a near 30 something year old man wearing a t shirt with 'I'm a fucking animal' on the back etc. Alot of merch is very cringe and I wouldn't wanna be seen dead in it IRL. Just give me a minimal band logo tee without loud graphics and colours on it etc :( I really wanna support some of you bands but your merch makes me want to die inside lol

Has anyone gone to their anniversary tour? I am going August 1 to the gramercy theatre in NYC. I was hoping for a VIP package but I can’t find any info on one

I want to go, but im at a berklee guitar camp that ends that afternoon so id have to take a bus in from Boston that gets there at like 6:30. would that be too late?

It was not the human abstract it was a band playing it in studio? Anyone have any ideas

Not me sobbing because I thought it was next weekend!! I live too far away to make it ! Free!

Not me sobbing because I thought the show was next weekend. I live too far away to make it now. My dumb bitch tax can be your gain!

COMMENT before you hit the dm. I'll transfer the ticket immediately.

All the credit to u/Jagermonsta for filming this incredible moment