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The_Grindcrusher
Metal newbie

Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2021 7:46 pm
Posts: 57
Location: United States
PostPosted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 9:24 am 
 

Simple question, expect simple replies. What metal album for you has the best sounding drums?

For me, it's either Slayer's "Live Undead", or Megadeth's 2011 remaster of "Peace Sells"
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thrashinbatman
Metalhead

Joined: Mon Feb 22, 2010 6:31 pm
Posts: 1534
PostPosted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 9:43 am 
 

I generally like really punchy, well-produced, roomy drums. I like them really big, and I find when I mix that room mics are what bring your drums to life. A couple really popular examples of my favorites are Metallica's The Black Album, Queensryche's Empire, and Judas Priest's Painkiller. I also generally like the production methods used on a lot of the big 90s albums. The two that immediately come to mind are Machine Head's Burn My Eyes and Carcass' Heartwork.

For a couple less-obvious examples:






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pressingtoplead13
Metalhead

Joined: Thu Jun 18, 2009 6:05 pm
Posts: 740
PostPosted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 9:48 am 
 

Sometimes I feel like a certain drum sound although not my favorite sound fits the particular album. So I couldnt imagine my favorite drum sounds on some albums that just feel right, for instance the drum sound on "Gore Metal" is aweful, but for some reason the original album still sounds better to me than the rerecorded album.

I've always enjoyed the sound of the drums on "I Monarch" by Hate Eternal, blasting is the name of the game on that album so it was imperative they had a great drum sound and they nailed it.

Others i've always enjoyed are "In Their Darkened Shrines" by Nile and "Demigod" by Behemoth

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Benedict Donald
Veteran

Joined: Tue Aug 24, 2021 10:36 am
Posts: 3065
Location: United States
PostPosted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 9:52 am 
 

Black Sabbath's debut. They recorded this album for a few hundred bucks.....yet it sounds like a million to my ears.
The drum sound is refreshingly live and airy. Just perfect to my ears.

Fates Warning - Awaken the Guardian
and
Flotsam & Jetsam - Doomsday for the Deceiver
Many of the 80s Metal Blade recordings featured a unique "big" (for lack of a better term) snare sound which stand as the backbone of an album. These two are among the greatest examples of that. (And both are among the best releases of the legendary year in metal that was 1986!)

Other notables (for different reasons & sounds):
Slayer - Reign in Blood
Metallica - Black Album

Led Zeppelin - ZOSO and Physical Graffiti (in particular)

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Gravetemplar
Metal freak

Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2019 10:08 am
Posts: 4652
Location: Antarctica
PostPosted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 9:57 am 
 

St. Anger.

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AxeCapitol
Metalhead

Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2021 12:38 pm
Posts: 589
Location: NYC
PostPosted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 10:39 am 
 

KISS - Creatures of the night
Anything Bonham
Seasons in the Abyss
Draconian Times
Lateralus

These will do for now.

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lordcatfish
Metalhead

Joined: Thu Jul 27, 2006 2:44 pm
Posts: 1461
Location: United Kingdom
PostPosted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 12:19 pm 
 

A few obvious ones that come to mind.

Slayer - South of Heaven
The combo of the drum sound and Lombardo's incredible playing makes this really stand out.

Metallica - Metallica
Already mentioned, but it sounds brilliant (especially the snare). Didn't truly appreciate it until I heard Sad But True on a great pair of headphones.

I think a few of Maiden's later albums like Brave New World and A Matter of Life and Death sound good too.

Also need to throw out non metal examples of White Pony (Deftones) and Significant Other (Limp Bizkit) just because they're probably my favourite two drum sounds.
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ZenoMarx
Metalhead

Joined: Fri Aug 22, 2008 11:38 am
Posts: 853
Location: United States
PostPosted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 12:27 pm 
 

There are a few examples when I like that gunboat sound, like Soulside Journey and Splenium for Nyktophobia, but I'd gladly give them up if all drums could sound natural, acoustic, like when you go to the band room at a high school, and the snares sound like marching snares, with a snap with the wires slightly audible and a little rim ringing. I'm not anti electronic anything, but I hate how most drums have been produced for the last 25 years or so. I've heard all the reasoning, both technical and why death metal needs drums to sound like this or that. I don't care. Drums are more than just a percussive element to me.

If you've ever heard a good Grateful Dead soundboard recording from '66-'68, that's how drums actually sound. Even if you hate the band, but if you love drums, the drumming, and drum sound, is phenomenal.

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Speed Metal Terror
Metalhead

Joined: Sun Apr 21, 2019 3:14 pm
Posts: 424
Location: Sleeping Under Tartarus
PostPosted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 12:34 pm 
 

I've always thought that Ride the Lightning has a brutal and monstrous bass drum sound.
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Ace_Rimmer
Metal freak

Joined: Wed Jun 14, 2017 11:30 am
Posts: 4603
PostPosted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 12:45 pm 
 

I like drums that punch though the mix but don't overpower it. I don't like drums that sounds like clicky drum machines. I like that a nice crack in the drum sounds. Neil Peart always had amazing drum sounds in the 70's and 80's but for "metal" albums I really like

Judas Priest - Stained Class - Not only is Binks a master but fuck these drums sound great.
Candlemass - Epicus Doomicus Metallicus - Another album with drums that sound great, especially when doing rolls.

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King_of_Arnor
Metalhead

Joined: Sat Oct 10, 2020 12:35 pm
Posts: 776
Location: United Kingdom
PostPosted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 1:09 pm 
 

Leprosy, without a doubt. Some people complain about it, but I think it's what makes that album sound so brutal, and compensates for the relative lack of technique from the drummer.

And a sidenote: For some reason, the snare is mixed noticeably differently on each track, but that prevents it from becoming stale throughout the full album.
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Last edited by King_of_Arnor on Thu Oct 28, 2021 1:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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des91
Metal newbie

Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2014 8:51 pm
Posts: 361
Location: United States
PostPosted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 1:11 pm 
 

For bass drums in particular, I love the sound of them on Altars of Madness. I always wonder if they’re triggered or not but either way, it’s an incredible performance.

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Nocturnal_Evil
Metalhead

Joined: Mon Apr 19, 2021 12:00 am
Posts: 668
Location: United States
PostPosted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 2:28 pm 
 

Korpiklaani has always had a super satisfying snare and bass drum sound to me
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Lane
Metalhead

Joined: Sat Nov 09, 2002 11:54 am
Posts: 1095
Location: Finland
PostPosted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 2:32 pm 
 

One of my favourite albums, drumwise, is Flotsam And Jetsam's 'Cuatro'. It's basically their "black album". Whip-snare and all-round lively stuff.
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Helvede
Metalhead

Joined: Tue Aug 05, 2003 6:28 pm
Posts: 1674
PostPosted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 3:33 pm 
 

Circus of Power - Magic & Madness album. That's the drum sound all stoner/doom releases should have.

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~Guest 322837
Metal newbie

Joined: Thu Sep 19, 2013 6:20 pm
Posts: 274
PostPosted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 3:47 pm 
 

drums on Immolation's Close to a World Below were both mesmerizing and crushing unlike anything else.

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raspberrysoda
Metalhead

Joined: Sat Aug 02, 2014 4:51 pm
Posts: 1076
PostPosted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 4:04 pm 
 

Helmet - Strap it On

that snare tone makes me warm inside
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SweetSilence
Metalhead

Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2009 8:52 pm
Posts: 569
PostPosted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 4:16 pm 
 

I think part of what has helped Obscura hold up over the years is its production. It's extremely clear and you can hear everything that's happening. The drum sound on that album is great in my opinion, just as clear as the rest of the album. The kick drum isn't over-the-top, there's a good snare tone, toms cut through, and it sounds like you're in the same room as the ride cymbal. Amazing organic sounds without sounding completely digital/robotic like a lot of albums.

Another one of my favorite albums for drums is None So Vile, very heavy.

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Gravetemplar
Metal freak

Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2019 10:08 am
Posts: 4652
Location: Antarctica
PostPosted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 4:33 pm 
 

SweetSilence wrote:
I think part of what has helped Obscura hold up over the years is its production. It's extremely clear and you can hear everything that's happening. The drum sound on that album is great in my opinion, just as clear as the rest of the album. The kick drum isn't over-the-top, there's a good snare tone, toms cut through, and it sounds like you're in the same room as the ride cymbal. Amazing organic sounds without sounding completely digital/robotic like a lot of albums.

Another one of my favorite albums for drums is None So Vile, very heavy.

Do you mean the Gorguts album? In that case I'm of the opposite opinion here, never really liked Obscura's production. Something about the drums is extremely click-y and unnatural, probably the double bass. It sounds so thin and way too loud at parts. The whole production is also a bit brick walled and I don't think it has aged that well.

That part in Nostalgia that sounds like Korn is also a bit of a deal breaker. Not because it's bad (it's actually the coolest part of the album), it just sounds completely out of place.

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jimbies
Noose Springsteen

Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2016 2:52 pm
Posts: 4145
Location: Canada
PostPosted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 4:38 pm 
 

The snare sound on the new Unto Others album is pretty fantastic.

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YesIam
Metal newbie

Joined: Mon Mar 08, 2010 10:44 am
Posts: 264
Location: Kenya
PostPosted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 5:00 pm 
 

Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas
The drums on this album sounds so god damn huge, and the sound of the toms are just incredible. Well, the entire kit sounds insanely good and it really fits the overall vibe of the album.

Morbid Saint - Spectrum of Death
The nasty sound of the drums (snare sounds so crunchy and good!) on this album just adds to the overall brutality and heaviness of the album.

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PrincessScarlet
Metal newbie

Joined: Wed Apr 19, 2017 7:44 pm
Posts: 62
Location: Australia
PostPosted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 9:13 pm 
 

Revenge - Behold.Total.Rejection
The drums on that album are what extreme metal drums SHOULD sound like. Kick drums with actual bass, snare hits that feel like you're taking an audial beating, and symbols hit with such force and violence. Really summits J. Read as (imo) one of the greatest drummers in metal.

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Ludorff
Metal newbie

Joined: Sun Mar 30, 2014 10:38 pm
Posts: 146
PostPosted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 9:52 pm 
 

+1 for Judas Priest's Stained Class. Masterpiece. Hard to beat 70s albums.

Antichrist - Sinful Birth : Great raw style for a great thrash record.

Heavy but well recorded and mixed with clarity in mind :
Opeth - Blackwater Park : Clear sound for a great record. Love how the snare sounds here.
Blood Incantation - Hidden History Of The Human Race : If you compare the drums here to Blackwater Park's, I can hear similarities in the way they are mixed and balanced. Similar snare sound. It occupies the same space.

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Lord_Of_Diamonds
Metalhead

Joined: Wed Dec 12, 2018 5:23 pm
Posts: 1618
Location: United States
PostPosted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 9:57 pm 
 

raspberrysoda wrote:
Helmet - Strap it On

that snare tone makes me warm inside

Helmet's one of the few bands to do the super high tuned snare and not have it sound totally annoying. "Betty"'s snare predates St. Anger by nearly 10 years and it's loads better.
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FLIPPITYFLOOP
Metalhead

Joined: Thu Aug 12, 2010 9:09 pm
Posts: 1436
Location: CHRAWNA, Canada
PostPosted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 10:36 pm 
 

Not sure if I can name the best, but this comes immediately to mind. Different kind of album to what's posted here, but the drums on Agalloch's final record sound like they're part of a ritual - especially in the opener. The tone is amazing and the way the reverb echoes throughout is just ear-candy.


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wone21r
Metal newbie

Joined: Thu Aug 06, 2020 12:26 am
Posts: 170
PostPosted: Fri Oct 29, 2021 5:12 am 
 

Cruciamentum - Convocation of Crawling Chaos

There's no excuse for drums not to sound like real drums. Yes, even in death metal.

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markhebb
Metal newbie

Joined: Sat Oct 09, 2021 5:32 am
Posts: 252
Location: Australia
PostPosted: Fri Oct 29, 2021 7:28 am 
 

Bill’s drums sound incredible on Sabbath’s Heaven & Hell.

But then again everyone on that album sounds incredible……

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e_ddi_e
Metalhead

Joined: Fri Sep 18, 2009 9:00 am
Posts: 614
Location: Sweden
PostPosted: Fri Oct 29, 2021 9:22 am 
 

Of course, I like big, organic, warm sounding drums. However, I also like tight, gated produced drums that almost sound industrial as well. Manowar - The Triumph of Steel, Overkill - The Years of Decay, Prong - Cleansing, Opeth - Ghost Reveries, Amon Amarth - With Oden on Our Side, Metallica - The $5.98 E.P and Coroner - Grin are some I enjoy.

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Xymosys
Metalhead

Joined: Sat Apr 09, 2011 9:19 am
Posts: 1253
Location: Croatia
PostPosted: Fri Oct 29, 2021 9:45 am 
 

Paradise Lost - Draconian Times
The Gathering - Mandylion

The first two albums that come to my mind. They feel so organic and subtle.
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therealvivs
Metalhead

Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2010 4:26 pm
Posts: 566
PostPosted: Fri Oct 29, 2021 11:07 am 
 

jimbies wrote:
The snare sound on the new Unto Others album is pretty fantastic.


YES! Totally agree.

Without giving it much thought, Opeth - Ghost Reveries, Amon Amarth - With Oden On Our Side, Ghost - Prequelle and specially Dream Theater - Falling Into Infinity sound particularly tasty. Plenty more, but this ones spring to mind now.
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EvergreenSherbert
Metalhead

Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2021 5:48 pm
Posts: 1271
PostPosted: Fri Oct 29, 2021 11:33 am 
 

I'd say the drums sound really good on Relentless Mutation by Archspire, that's one of the only albums in which drums actually catch my attention. Otherwise I'm usually tuned in to the guitars, so I don't notice how the drums sound unless there's something drastic happening with them.

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gestapothrash
Metalhead

Joined: Sat Jan 03, 2009 4:55 am
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Location: Australia
PostPosted: Fri Oct 29, 2021 8:05 pm 
 

The drums on Sepultura's Schizophrenia. Those toms sound tuned to perfection, and there's the perfect mix of hi-hat and snare to make it sound crisp.
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MetalVermont
Metal newbie

Joined: Sun Mar 14, 2021 8:23 pm
Posts: 255
Location: United States
PostPosted: Fri Oct 29, 2021 10:15 pm 
 

e_ddi_e wrote:
Of course, I like big, organic, warm sounding drums. However, I also like tight, gated produced drums that almost sound industrial as well. Manowar - The Triumph of Steel, Overkill - The Years of Decay, Prong - Cleansing, Opeth - Ghost Reveries, Amon Amarth - With Oden on Our Side, Metallica - The $5.98 E.P and Coroner - Grin are some I enjoy.



Yes yes yes oh my goodness crank up “Helpless” on that Metallica EP and Ulrich’s snare hits crush your skull. My #1 for this particular topic.

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Lord_Of_Diamonds
Metalhead

Joined: Wed Dec 12, 2018 5:23 pm
Posts: 1618
Location: United States
PostPosted: Fri Oct 29, 2021 10:18 pm 
 

EvergreenSherbert wrote:
I'd say the drums sound really good on Relentless Mutation by Archspire

I couldn't disagree more. Processed out the ass and the snare sounds like someone banging on a Pringles can. Of course, that's all it can sound like when it's tuned that high and the drummer is playing at 350 bpm with the strength of a feather, as that's all you can play with at that speed.
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oldmetalhead
Metalhead

Joined: Tue Apr 13, 2021 1:30 am
Posts: 839
Location: Helltown, United States
PostPosted: Fri Oct 29, 2021 11:35 pm 
 

Pretty much everything Lombardo has done. I love how he pounds the drums, no triggers needed for him.

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