Promise of change, more of the same

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfJk_XEl41w

. . .

Aeon have posted a video trailer (see above) for their new album, Path of Fire, out May 25 on Metal Blade. You can see the announcement here. Note this quote:

Commented the band: “‘Path of Fire’ is probably the most intense AEON album up to date. And with a production that sounds more organic and ‘classic death metal’- sounding rather then [sic] the nowadays typical ‘supermodern, compressed right-the-fuck-out of dynamics, loudness war’ production…

Ironically, the audio in the video trailer is “typical ‘supermodern, compressed right-the-fuck-out of dynamics, loudness war’ production”.

Aeon’s last album, 2007’s Rise to Dominate had this sound. I didn’t mind, partly because the songs were so great and partly because I wasn’t as sick then as I am now of super-clean, super-compressed production/mastering. That sound works for, say, Killswitch Engage, but it’s not right for metal with actual edges.

It’s interesting that Aeon would say something about compressed, loudness war-style production. That indicates awareness that there is a backlash against this sound – as there should be.

Death metal shouldn’t be squeaky clean. Immune systems grow weak in antiseptic environments. Support bands like Dead Congregation and Vasaeleth and labels like Ibex Moon and Blood Harvest that are keeping death metal dirty and strong.