AB VI Speculation

[nagpo]

Elvis, please don't fuck this one up.

Blackbird, ABIII, The Last Hero, All I Was, Cauterize, Dust and A Dying Machine all have HUGE production flaws, so there is a 95% chance AB6 will suffer from those also.

I came here to post this. First thing I thought when I saw this was "Oh, Elvis is back...again." Is it common for bands to always record with the same producers?

[anguyen92]

Elvis, please don't fuck this one up.

Blackbird, ABIII, The Last Hero, All I Was, Cauterize, Dust and A Dying Machine all have HUGE production flaws, so there is a 95% chance AB6 will suffer from those also.

I came here to post this. First thing I thought when I saw this was "Oh, Elvis is back...again." Is it common for bands to always record with the same producers?

It actually is. Rush stuck with Terry Brown for their first nine albums (granted, it was within a 8 year span, but still) and then stuck with Nick Raskulinecz for their final two albums. Iron Maiden has been working with Kevin Shirley for all five of their reunion albums this century. There's plenty of other examples, but I cannot think about them right now. Those two bands are the first that comes to my mind.

I think Elvis mixes accordingly with the band's style. Huge choruses, soaring guitars, loud drums. He's mixed Year of the Tiger as well and the production isn't that overpowering because the music isn't. If only AB could experiment with dynamics a little bit - we would have a bigger variety of sounds.

Adding on to that, people didn't really liked the way the Royal Albert Hall DVD was mixed and Elvis had played no part in that at all (but let's blame him for that anyway for kicks. , even though, from what I read he's actually never seen AB live).

[MuffinMcFluffin]

That's true, I was not a fan of the mix of that concert album.

[Silvercreed]

I also think we can add the mixing for live concerts. Pretty bad, one of the worst i've ever heard.

[AB4Lyfe]

I also think we can add the mixing for live concerts. Pretty bad, one of the worst i've ever heard.

Their best live mix (proshot) was Amsterdam... 11 years ago. Technology has come so far, yet these guys can’t catch a break.

[chtimixeur]

I think for their own sake, all bands should never work with the same producer more than a couple times.

After a while, everyone gets used to each other, they become friendly, and the producer can't get as much from the band as he initially did. I think it was either Lars Ulrich or Bob Rock that said that when they reached a point when they could finish each other's sentences, it was time to move on and work with someone else. Alter Bridge should really learn from those succesful guys and challenge themselves with a brand new producer who won't ask them to write Blackbird #5.

[Ubik]

Well I guess that's the White Album consigned to the bin, then.

[anguyen92]

I think for their own sake, all bands should never work with the same producer more than a couple times.

After a while, everyone gets used to each other, they become friendly, and the producer can't get as much from the band as he initially did. I think it was either Lars Ulrich or Bob Rock that said that when they reached a point when they could finish each other's sentences, it was time to move on and work with someone else. Alter Bridge should really learn from those succesful guys and challenge themselves with a brand new producer who won't ask them to write Blackbird #5.

I understand your point, except the last bit. AB never really had their intentions to create Blackbird at all in their last three albums nor did Elvis had any intentions on pushing that on them (except for when he suggested to Mark to create something in the veins of Blackbird on Cauterize and then came out Providence, but that's the only example I can think of).

That stated, after getting screwed around by record labels and productions companies, I find that AB, and Mark in general, wants to work with people that they can trust and ensure long-lasting partnerships.

[chtimixeur]

@anguyen: that's exactly the example I was thinking about when I wrote my post. A new producer wouldn't necessarily have this Blackbird reference in mind, and as a consequence, the band might go to new places and outdo themselves, instead of trying to replicate something that was done 10+ years ago.

In m opinion, they keep chosing Elvis for two (three) reasons:
1. they're friends with him
2. his studio is very close to Mark's house
(3. they're all deaf and don't realize how bad their albums sound )

[anguyen92]

^^ But they never actually gone out and replicate it in the first place in their following three albums.

[Timotheus]

Ever since Blackbird they've had this obsession with the 6/8 time signature. Besides Cry of Achilles every "epic" song is in 6/8. I'm not saying they're trying to recreate Blackbird, but it's definitely a formula. And that's one of many elements.

And I don't think Elvis has any intention to push them to mix things up.

[chtimixeur]

@anguyen92: of course, the epic songs are not an exact replica of Blakbird, but I still find them very predictable and formulaic. I'm convinced AB would come up with something different with another producer, if they allowed him to push them creatively.

[facelessman07]

I think one reason why the band opts for Elvis is proximity. Unfortunately, AB gives itself an allotted amount of time to write and record an album and due to those time constraints, working with a producer in your own backyard helps facilitate that process.

I'd like to see the band give themselves 6-8 months to write and record an album. Quality over quantity.

The whole "wow look at all this music we get from the band and their side projects" is a just a euphemism. I'd gladly take a ribeye once a week instead of Big Macs every night for dinner.

[anguyen92]

I'd like to see the band give themselves 6-8 months to write and record an album. Quality over quantity.

I, too, like them to spend that much time on an album if the end result is a more quality album. Unfortunately, 4-5 of those months could be months that they could be touring (which, to them, nowadays is really where they make their income) in their various bands, so that's why they need to allocate the time that they do. I mean if they know that they get a better portion of the album sales proceeds that can be just as much as they can make 4-5 months of touring, then we would be all for them focusing on making the album better and fine-tuning any flaws that it could bring. Sadly, this is not an industry that can give them that sort of financial freedom right now.

Still, there are albums in history where the band got the job done writing, recording, mixing the album in less than two months and it's a great album. AB is just not that kind of band in terms of style of sound and work ethic where they can go do things on the fly, in the heat of the moment, and out comes greatness.

[facelessman07]

I'd like to see the band give themselves 6-8 months to write and record an album. Quality over quantity.

I, too, like them to spend that much time on an album if the end result is a more quality album. Unfortunately, 4-5 of those months could be months that they could be touring (which, to them, nowadays is really where they make their income) in their various bands, so that's why they need to allocate the time that they do. I mean if they know that they get a better portion of the album sales proceeds that can be just as much as they can make 4-5 months of touring, then we would be all for them focusing on making the album better and fine-tuning any flaws that it could bring. Sadly, this is not an industry that can give them that sort of financial freedom right now.

Still, there are albums in history where the band got the job done writing, recording, mixing the album in less than two months and it's a great album. AB is just not that kind of band in terms of style of sound and work ethic where they can go do things on the fly, in the heat of the moment, and out comes greatness.

I totally get what you're saying but I don't think they'll go broke by spending an extra 3-4 months on the writing process.

Having that additional time could lead to better music and hence reach a wider audience, something Mark talked about kind of wanting awhile back in an interview if I recall correctly. Which leads to increased profits for the band.

Would it be a risk? Sure, but life is full of calculated risks. Try it once and if it doesn't work, you don't have to try it again.

Regardless of the writing process, ABVI is fully dependent on the state of Myles' voice. I want him to take his sweet time in the studio. Let's get a return to his style from MF4, ODR, and BB.

[gbruin]

From Brian.

Working through pre-production. @markttremonti @flip_drums @officialmyleskennedy @elvisliberace @1f_jef

The comment section is freaking out that Myles looks like he cut his hair

I understand why everyone is focused on Myles' hair, but has anyone ever seen Myles see that guitar in any AB production?

[Jaredr24]

I didn’t hate having Elvis return for every album until TLH. Personally I thought many of the songs were average at best and thought the production was waaay overproduced for what AB should sound like to me. If AB6 is gonna be the same format and production I’ll be disappointed. It’s not that Elvis is bad at what he does but I just don’t see him changing how he’s done things with AB the past decade. Don’t want a huge radio rock mix because honestly mainstream radio outside of Sirius XM is dying a slow death so I wish they wouldn’t try to get a radio friendly sound. Write good songs and have good production and the album will do just fine.

[WaywardOne]

From Brian.

Working through pre-production. @markttremonti @flip_drums @officialmyleskennedy @elvisliberace @1f_jef

The comment section is freaking out that Myles looks like he cut his hair

I understand why everyone is focused on Myles' hair, but has anyone ever seen Myles see that guitar in any AB production?

He posted pictures with a couple hollow body guitars like that in the studio during The Last Hero. I assumed at the time that meant there'd be something bluesy or classic sounding on the album but alas, nothing.

[TenaciousBe]

People like to bag on Elvis, but let's be honest - it's not like he's mixing and producing these albums independently from the band, without their input. They're approving everything before it goes out the door. It sounds how they want it to sound. That's just what Alter Bridge is -- the big, bombastic wall of sound. And he does a fantastic job of conveying that on the records.

[Andy92]

People like to bag on Elvis, but let's be honest - it's not like he's mixing and producing these albums independently from the band, without their input. They're approving everything before it goes out the door. It sounds how they want it to sound. That's just what Alter Bridge is -- the big, bombastic wall of sound. And he does a fantastic job of conveying that on the records.

Right. They literally approve every mix before it goes out lol.