Another casualty of the loudness wars...

[zombie boy 2000]

Just feel like rantin' here. I had a chance to pick up the new album by The Cure on its first day of release yesterday. Keep in mind they are probably my all-time favorite band, so every new release is a kind of holiday for me. So please excuse me for wanting to punch a baby seal in the throat upon hearing what has to be one of the most overly compressed albums I have ever heard. God... it even made the dreaded "Loudness" list on Amazon in only one day.

Musically - the band is tight as ever. There isn't a clunker on the album. Too bad I can barely hear most of it over a sea of clipping and jumbled noise. Other people that have the album have actually suggested turning the treble all the way down. What the hell? Why should I have to do that, as it will just cause other problems.

I hate it when this trend in the music industry hits so close to home. So many of the bands I listen to have been pretty much immune to the disease, but here it comes and bends me over.

Utter BS.

[BigMac]

For the life of me I cannot figure out why bands allow this to be done to their music. I for one was looking forward to Metallica's new album from all the reviews I read. The reviewers said they were getting back to their roots and are going hard and strong again. I bought the album only to be very disappointed by the sound. Nothing more than a bunch of noise imo, they could have done so much better.

The average joe that listens to music on their Ipod or mp3 player thinks that the quality of sound/music produced is perfectly acceptable. After you listen to the music that way for awhile it becomes the norm. Then when they go out and buy an album that is all compressed up that sounds ok to them as well. Guess the only thing we can do if this trend continues is to sit back and watch or complain. I think complaining though will fall of deaf ears due to the fact that money is the ultimate goal. If the consumers are buying then we are not fixing %#@$.......that is their mentality. Here is a quick read that I thought was right on topic.
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/17777619/the_death_of_high_fidelity/print

[zombie boy 2000]

Surely there has to be a tipping point. I would hazard to say that your typical Metallica fan isn't overly concerned with high fidelity. But with so many of their fans complaining about the last album, you'd think that this trend would at least stall.

[fatchowmein]

That blows. I was looking forward to their new album.

[zombie boy 2000]

You should still snag it. The songs are phenomenal and it is probably their best album since Wish.

[mmadden28]

...I for one was looking forward to Metallica's new album from all the reviews I read. The reviewers said they were getting back to their roots and are going hard and strong again. I bought the album only to be very disappointed by the sound. Nothing more than a bunch of noise imo, they could have done so much better.

I own it, but I haven't listened to the album yet :eek:. I heard some of the DJ's talking about it, and they indeed agreed its a good album, but with heavy distortion throughout :eek::confused:. The DJ was complaining about not being able to turn it up because it had so much distortion.

I like to listen loud--I'm afraid :(.

[Jeff Beaird]

This is a no brainer... EVERYBODY needs to be a member and start complaining...!!!!!!!!
http://www.turnmeup.org/