What’s an album you love but hate the tones ?

Techdeth

Techdeth

RESIDENT ROCK PROFESSOR
For me there’s two . Led Zeppelin Presence . Achilles Last Stand is a great example. And my favorite prog album is Colors by Between the Buried and Me . The tone bothers my ear while I love the album . What’s yours ?
 
Great question. I have a few:

JP - Defenders of the faith - Why after so many albums with great tone did it turn to mud on this album?
IM - Somewhere in Time - washed out over chorused wimpy solid state Galien Krueger amps are to blame
Blizzard of Oz - I like RR’s tone on Diary and live stuff but this is absolutely horrid. Sounds like it was recorded in a shoebox, then put through a $39 flanger set to comb filter mode.
 
So many 60’s and 70’s classic rock albums where I love the songs, great melodies and songwriting, but not a fan of the guitar tone.
I know “vintage” tone is chased by many guitarists, but I’ve never been a fan.
 
thegame said:
Great question. I have a few:

JP - Defenders of the faith - Why after so many albums with great tone did it turn to mud on this album?
IM - Somewhere in Time - washed out over chorused wimpy solid state Galien Krueger amps are to blame
Blizzard of Oz - I like RR’s tone on Diary and live stuff but this is absolutely horrid. Sounds like it was recorded in a shoebox, then put through a $39 flanger set to comb filter mode.
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The maiden tone was weird af ! I agree with these
 
stratjacket said:
So many 60’s and 70’s classic rock albums where I love the songs, great melodies and songwriting, but not a fan of the guitar tone.
I know “vintage” tone is chased by many guitarists, but I’ve never been a fan.
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Like Zep. First two albums his tone was on the way to being good and heavy . As time went on his rock tone got weird and thin
 
I actually love the Somewhere in Time and DotF tones

My nominations are:



Tolkkis Laney thinness was never great, but on the early to mid 90s albums it's super grating

Fantastic song tho



Tom warriors "turn the tone knob on my Iceman down" technique certainly sounds like shit and the tone sucks, also fantastic band and song tho
 
DanTravis62 said:
I actually love the Somewhere in Time and DotF tones

My nominations are:



Tolkkis Laney thinness was never great, but on the early to mid 90s albums it's super grating

Fantastic song tho



Tom warriors "turn the tone knob on my Iceman down" technique certainly sounds like shit and the tone sucks, also fantastic band and song tho
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I feel ya . Both great with odd tones
 
Sanctuary “Into the Mirror Black”

I love Warrel Danes vocals and the riffs are good, but the guitar sounds overall are thin and lack beef.

When I was them in 91-92 they used ADA MP1’s. Not sure what power amps. They were great live, but same thin tone IMO.
 
Please hear me out ... the first Badlands album. That guitar tone is SO dry and the mids are SO 'boxy' - but got-DAYUM if Jake doesn't just flat kill it on that album! And the more you listen to it, the more you almost 'like' (???) that weird guitar tone. Not enough words to express the respect I have for the way he flat wrestled all those killer leads and rhythms on that album - but if lower gain, less compression, and sparse effects was what he was going for, then imagine that album recorded through a Wizard. When I listen to that album today, I love it as much if not more than ever. But I have nightmares about being hauled up onto stage at some sort of open mic jam nite, plugging my guitar in, and THAT'S the tone I gotta' work with for how ever long I'm stuck up there!!!
 
Maybe production rather than tone.

- Any Michael Schenker (sounds sterile to me)
- The Firm, both albums (again, sounds sterile)
- Operation Mindcrime (I think the snare sound)
- Ozzy, Tribute (too much reverb)
- Blink 182, self titled album (not enough bass)
 
For most of my favorite songs or bands, I didn’t like their tones lol. Love Queen, but not that nasal af guitar tone. Love RTL album, but again too bloated, nasal sounding. Same for Iron Maiden. Hate their honky sound, but love their music. Love All That Remans, but not that generic, congested 5150/6505 sound and sounds like they probably used EMG’s & V30’s to make it more generic and congested sounding. There are so many more examples

On the other hand, Sepultura had killer, raw, sounds, but I honestly never found a single song that had any riffs or musical ideas that I found to be anything special or memorable for me. Also Nickelback: great tone, vapid musical content. I know I’m considered a no good hater at this point, but honestly with VH, I often times didn’t like either the sound or musical content lol

EDIT: RR is probably the elephant in the room example of prime musical content with subpar tone
 
DanTravis62 said:
Have you heard "arise" and "beneath the remains"?



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Of course, those are some of their more known songs. I guess you’ve seen by now I’m very critical of musical ideas (despite being bad at that myself lol). To me those riffs are competent to make the song functionally cohesive, but not memorable or special to me honestly. Like if I had a friend come over with those riffs and say what do you think of these riffs I wrote, I’d tell him you can do better. I do love their overall sound though. Why can’t bands have both lol
 
braintheory said:
For most of my favorite songs or bands, I didn’t like their tones lol. Love Queen, but not that nasal af guitar tone. Love RTL album, but again too bloated, nasal sounding. Same for Iron Maiden. Hate their honky sound, but love their music. Love All That Remans, but not that generic, congested 5150/6505 sound and sounds like they probably used EMG’s & V30’s to make it more generic and congested sounding. There are so many more examples

On the other hand, Sepultura had killer, raw, sounds, but I honestly never found a single song that had any riffs or musical ideas that I found to be anything special or memorable for me. Also Nickelback: great tone, vapid musical content. I know I’m considered a no good hater at this point, but honestly with VH, I often times didn’t like either the sound or musical content lol

EDIT: RR is probably the elephant in the room example of prime musical content with subpar tone
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I love all that remains . But they sound like they add mids from a boss eq to the 5150 lol it’s odd , I can’t wait to hear them with Jason Richardson solos
 
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