Heaviest tone ever?

monquixote

I've not really kept up with metal, but back in the day the reference for crushingly heavy tone was usually either Demanufacture or Far Beyond Driven.

Listened to both yesterday Demanufacture sounds very flat and over compressed by modern standards but Pantera still sounds so huge I struggle to think of anything that can top it.

Everything seems to have gone to the clicky gated tech metal sound in riffier stuff. I suppose because Pantera kept the tempo down they could use huger sounds.

Educate me oh wise metal folks.

Reverend

I never though of Pantera as a heavy band.

Back in the day the main reference points for heavy tones were

Trouble - Psalm 9
Bolt Thrower - Realms Of Chaos
Dream Death - Journey Into Mystery
Winter - Into Darkness
Godflesh - Streetcleaner
Cathedral - In Mermorian

then later in the 90s you had Kyuss, Karp and Floor.

octatonic

It largely depends on how you define 'heavy'.
Heavy as a sound is somewhat overrated if the songwriting isn't there, imho. 

Some albums worth checking out;

At The Gates: "Slaughter of the Soul"
Strapping Young Lad: "City"
Converge: "Jane Doe"
Meshuggah: "Obzen".

monquixote

Verily it is the first rule of metal that any obviously heavy but popular band must be described as being not heavy

Seriously though cheers for the recommendations I'll give them a listen.

monquixote

I mean primarily in the hugeness of the guitar sound.

Speed / thrash often has quite scratchy thin guitar because otherwise it would all blend into one so it's generally the slower stuff I'm thinking of.

BloodEagle

Neurosis - Times of Grace

Nails - Abandon All Life

Carcass - Symphonies of Sickness

Burzum - Filosofem- Not so much huge as horrible

monquixote

BloodEagle said:

Neurosis - Times of Grace

Nails - Abandon All Life

Carcass - Symphonies of Sickness

Burzum - Filosofem- Not so much huge as horrible

Yeah I'd say burzum is the opposite of what I mean. The guitars are fizzy and the drums sound weedy.

guitarfishbay

If it's low end you want Architects with Henrik Udd producing was immense, my favourite sounding stuff from this genre.

Maynehead

Machine head - Davidian is pretty heavy in my book.

bbill335

Sleep or Om

monquixote

Reverend said:

I never though of Pantera as a heavy band.

Back in the day the main reference points for heavy tones were

Trouble - Psalm 9

Bolt Thrower - Realms Of Chaos
Dream Death - Journey Into Mystery
Winter - Into Darkness
Godflesh - Streetcleaner
Cathedral - In Mermorian

then later in the 90s you had Kyuss, Karp and Floor.

Listing through

Trouble are quite cool in a Sabbath type way.

Bolt thrower are an example where the speed reduces hugeness as the kick drum has been turned into a weedy click. Of course I understand why but it reduces the impact to me.

Dream death was kind of cool but not great production.

Winter is closer to what I mean as the production sounds big but lacking midrange which is a bit odd. Guitar is more of a fuzzy thing so lacks definition, generally liked it though.

Cathedral are a band I also loved back in the day.

monquixote

Maynehead said:

Machine head - Davidian is pretty heavy in my book.

Flipping love that song!

monquixote

guitarfishbay said:

If it's low end you want Architects with Henrik Udd producing was immense, my favourite sounding stuff from this genre.

Forgot about Architects awesome and indeed massive sounding.

The only thing is they are so intense I find them quite a challenging listen, but then I guess that's the point.

MagicPigDetective

Crowbar

guitarfishbay

monquixote said:

Reverend said:

Bolt Thrower - Realms Of Chaos

Bolt thrower are an example where the speed reduces hugeness as the kick drum has been turned into a weedy click. Of course I understand why but it reduces the impact to me.

Neither of these are any less intense than Architects, but if you want fast paced and fatter drum shells:

Latest Darkest Hour album 



Sylosis - Dormant Heart  

Lebarque

For me, it depends on the riffs. A heavy riff will sound heavy even on an acoustic, and therefore even more so with some gain. 

tekbow

I'm not even a Sabbath Fan in general.

But that's pretty much the standard everyone else has to meet IMO. It ain't all about distortion.

Reverend

Super heavy black metal


Black/war metal that sounds like early Carcass wall of noise


Melodic and catchy but as heavy as Sunn live. 


5ive


Sonic Violence - twin bass sort of inustrialish 


Today is the day - one time home of Mastodon but more intense

Grumpyrocker

Always though Cathedral nailed a really heavy tone. Cracking video too.

Reverend

I'm in the Midnight Mountain video. 

Stuckfast

Wait... wrong thread...