I've been into all kinds of metal subgenres over the last 20 years, but I recently realized I had never given Death a solid listen. I threw on Sound of Perseverance and Symbolic while driving the other day (I've since gone through most of their discography) and jesus christ -- those are some special, special records.
I used to feel bad as a metal guitarist when something I wrote sounded too similar to some other riff I had heard, but now i realize every fucking band I liked was copying them. And frankly, nothing I've heard in the last 20 years (with a few exceptions) sounds better than the records bands like Death, or Bolt Thrower, or whoever the fuck, where making 30 or 40 years ago. I'm ashamed I found them so late; Death made me realize metal can actually be an artform... sonically beautiful, artistic, layered, unpredictable. I'm also deadset on getting a Valvestate head now.
I had the same realization some time around 10 years ago. You're right; those albums (plus Human) are like this perfect cross-section of death and prog.
If you go hunting for a Valvestate head, either an 8100, 8200, or VS100H will do just great -- the VS100H should honestly still be dirt cheap because it isn't steeped in Chuck Schuldiner mojo, but expect to have to replace the tube. A JJ long plate 12AX7 sounds pretty good in there. Just avoid the AVT series amps (third-gen and later), because those have a very different sound to them; they're more like an MG with a usable tone stack. The AVT series 4x12 cabinet is an interesting one, though -- practically travel-size, albeit with horrible speakers for anything higher-gain than boomer party rock.
Failing that, Master Effects makes a pedal called the Martyr that is a near-exact copy of the OD2 channel's preamp circuit from the 8100. There's an older version that included the OD1 channel (diode clipping trying really hard to sound like a JCM 800), but they removed it both to take the price down a little and because hardly anyone wanted or used it. That thing is fun into an effects return on a big amp (or something like a Duncan Power Stage or Blackstar Amped1).
I'm finally coming back to this to say thank you so much for turning me onto the Human album. Honestly, that might be my favorite Death record now. Thanks for the amp/pedal recs too, comrade:rat-salute-2:
Hell yeah! Always happy to drag someone else down the Death rabbit hole.
Funny timing, because I just dusted off my VS100H yesterday and was trying out different speaker cabinet IRs with it. Mostly in the interests of dicking around with a new noise gate pedal, but it also occurred to me that I hadn't heard this thing through actual Vintage 30s or G12T-75s yet. I guess Chuck used a first-gen Valvestate series 4x12 cab for the studio albums, but I can't find any info on whether he upgraded the speakers. If it was stock, then those were Celestion G12L-35s, which apparently sound sort-of-vaguely-similar-but-not-really to a greenback. Sounds like I need to either find or make some more cabinet IRs.
I've been into all kinds of metal subgenres over the last 20 years, but I recently realized I had never given Death a solid listen. I threw on Sound of Perseverance and Symbolic while driving the other day (I've since gone through most of their discography) and jesus christ -- those are some special, special records.
I used to feel bad as a metal guitarist when something I wrote sounded too similar to some other riff I had heard, but now i realize every fucking band I liked was copying them. And frankly, nothing I've heard in the last 20 years (with a few exceptions) sounds better than the records bands like Death, or Bolt Thrower, or whoever the fuck, where making 30 or 40 years ago. I'm ashamed I found them so late; Death made me realize metal can actually be an artform... sonically beautiful, artistic, layered, unpredictable. I'm also deadset on getting a Valvestate head now.
I had the same realization some time around 10 years ago. You're right; those albums (plus Human) are like this perfect cross-section of death and prog.
If you go hunting for a Valvestate head, either an 8100, 8200, or VS100H will do just great -- the VS100H should honestly still be dirt cheap because it isn't steeped in Chuck Schuldiner mojo, but expect to have to replace the tube. A JJ long plate 12AX7 sounds pretty good in there. Just avoid the AVT series amps (third-gen and later), because those have a very different sound to them; they're more like an MG with a usable tone stack. The AVT series 4x12 cabinet is an interesting one, though -- practically travel-size, albeit with horrible speakers for anything higher-gain than boomer party rock.
Failing that, Master Effects makes a pedal called the Martyr that is a near-exact copy of the OD2 channel's preamp circuit from the 8100. There's an older version that included the OD1 channel (diode clipping trying really hard to sound like a JCM 800), but they removed it both to take the price down a little and because hardly anyone wanted or used it. That thing is fun into an effects return on a big amp (or something like a Duncan Power Stage or Blackstar Amped1).
I'm finally coming back to this to say thank you so much for turning me onto the Human album. Honestly, that might be my favorite Death record now. Thanks for the amp/pedal recs too, comrade:rat-salute-2:
Hell yeah! Always happy to drag someone else down the Death rabbit hole.
Funny timing, because I just dusted off my VS100H yesterday and was trying out different speaker cabinet IRs with it. Mostly in the interests of dicking around with a new noise gate pedal, but it also occurred to me that I hadn't heard this thing through actual Vintage 30s or G12T-75s yet. I guess Chuck used a first-gen Valvestate series 4x12 cab for the studio albums, but I can't find any info on whether he upgraded the speakers. If it was stock, then those were Celestion G12L-35s, which apparently sound sort-of-vaguely-similar-but-not-really to a greenback. Sounds like I need to either find or make some more cabinet IRs.