Sunday, March 23, 2014

Metal Producers

When making a heavy metal album, choosing a producer can be a very difficult decision. There are a lot of great audio engineers out there with a multitude of talents. This week on “Into the Pit,” we are going to take a look at ten of the finest heavy metal record producers around today.

       Kurt Ballou
Converge’s guitarist is one of the most sought after producers for underground heavy metal acts. Ballou is a well-respected musician and he is highly admired for producing some amazing albums through his studio, GodCity. He has produced work for Converge, Isis, High on Fire, Torche, Kvelertak, KEN Mode and Skeletonwitch.


      Peter Tagtgren
The main man of Hypocrisy is producing some of the most vicious heavy metal records coming out today. In the past, he has produced albums for mostly overseas bands such as Children of Bodom, Immortal, Septicflesh, Celtic Frost, Enslaved and Dimmu Borgir. 


Andy Sneap 
There is no one in the world of heavy metal who doesn’t have immense respect for Andy Sneap. The phenomenal guitarist for Sabat and Hell has produced, mixed and/or mastered awesome records for bands such as Megadeth, Testament, Exodus, Killswitch Engage, Amon Amarth, Accept, Arch Enemy, Soulfly and Napalm Death, among many others.


       Colin Richardson 
Slipknot, Trivium, Kreator, Machine Head, SikTh, Fear Factory, Carcass and Behemoth are only some of many metal acts that Richardson has worked with. The man has become a legend in the heavy metal community and everyone wants him to produce their record.


      Misha Mansoor 
Mansoor has produced all of the records for his own band, Periphery, and has also worked with Animals as Leaders, Veil of Maya and Born of Osiris. Mansoor may not have many production credits to his name, but his talents are extraordinary. His style of production is immediately noticeable, and it sounds polished and sharp. If Mansoor agrees to produce your album, it’s bound to be something special.


      Adam Dutkiewicz 
All hail the king of melodic metalcore. Dutkiewicz is the guitarist for Killswitch Engage and has produced so many popular metalcore records. He has worked with All That Remains, As I Lay Dying, Shadows Fall, Underoath, Every Time I Die and The Devil Wears Prada, just to name a few.


       Terry Date 
If I had to choose my personal favorite producers from this list they would be Sneap, Tagtgren and Date. Date is just really good at getting the best out of bands. He has worked with groups such as Pantera, White Zombie, Deftones, Slipknot, Bring Me the Horizon, Soundgarden, The Smashing Pumpkins and Metal Church. He also worked with Limp Bizkit, but I try to pretend that didn’t happen.


       Jens Bogren 
Bogren has produced a lot of my favorite heavy releases that have come out in the last couple of years. He has worked with acts such as Dark Tranquillity, The Ocean, Ihsahn, The Devin Townsend Project, Soilwork, Opeth, Symphony X and Paradise Lost. Bogren has been a major part of creating some great modern metal records, many of which are already starting to become classics. 


       Jason Suecof 
Suecof became famous for working with Trivium, but has since produced a ton of other awesome metal records. He has worked with bands including Death Angel, Battlecross, The Contortionist, The Black Dahlia Murder, Whitechapel, Job For a Cowboy and Chimaira.


        Logan Mader 
Mader quit Machine Head after putting out two records with the band in order to focus on producing records. Mader has worked with bands such as Five Finger Death Punch, Gojira, Cavalera Conspiracy, Soulfly, Divine Heresy, W.A.S.P. and Devildriver, resulting in some very heavy albums.


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