Living Sacrifice - Nonexistent (remixed and remastered) coming soon...

Son of Nun wrote:I decided to pre-order the CD, gold vinyl, t-shirt, long sleeve, and poster.

Thanks for the good report.  I like the long sleeves.  What kind of postage are we talking about?  It doesn't indicate anywhere how much postage would be.

Constantine wrote:

Son of Nun wrote:I decided to pre-order the CD, gold vinyl, t-shirt, long sleeve, and poster.

Thanks for the good report.  I like the long sleeves.  What kind of postage are we talking about?  It doesn't indicate anywhere how much postage would be.

For all of that about $19 from Norway to the U.S. It may seem like a bit but if you buy one of the bundles from Nordic Mission the actual price per item (even after shipping) is quite reasonable and a much better deal than the Living Sacrifice website. My total was about $102 (including shipping). The same merchandise (including shipping) from the LS website is about $141.

EDIT: Oh yeah, and no poster on the LS website, though you do you get a download code from them. However, I saved enough at Nordic Mission to buy the download from LS and still had money left over.

Son of Nun wrote:EDIT: Oh yeah, and no poster on the LS website, though you do you get a download code from them.

by that do you mean a Bandcamp code or an email link from
SendOwl to the MP3 download? looking for FLAC if available...

crucifyd wrote:

Son of Nun wrote:EDIT: Oh yeah, and no poster on the LS website, though you do you get a download code from them.

by that do you mean a Bandcamp code or an email link from
SendOwl to the MP3 download? looking for FLAC if available...

I'm pretty sure he's referring to the SendOwl MP3 link. I don't think FLAC is available. You'd have to rip the WAV from CD to get lossless.

Actually I think the album is fine the way it is. But they need to stick the book end chant back on there...

I had spread the word of this to a couple of people I know. They both think it sounds great!

Just got mine today. It definitely sounds better! More punchy and full sounding. The drums especially stand out.

TZ75 wrote:The drums especially stand out.

One of my highlights as well.

Anyone here know if "Desolate" was remixed and remastered for the album? It sounds to me like it might have been, but I'm not sure.

Son of Nun wrote:A couple days ago I listened to this album most of the day on repeat trying to rate it and decide what I wanted to pre-order. I had been on the fence about it but, listening intently, it really started to grow on me and I got used to the vocals more. I got the digital download and what a difference! The vocals are much better integrated and the whole thing just has more punch. I decided to pre-order the CD, gold vinyl, t-shirt, long sleeve, and poster.

It's actually a really good album bro. Vocals are killer.  This and Scrolls stands up to anything out there dubbed as top tier death metal. And I've pretty much heard all the death metal  stuff that is worth listening to. I sort of get the impression a lot of the times, people just wont th same old same old generic Stuff. You know, give me cannibal corpse or Frank Mullen 10000 times over... No damnation meant towards Frank or the corpse of course. That's why I don't like Jayson's new band- it's just nothing new, same old same old generic stuff.

I was listening to this interview last night: Bruce Fitzhugh of Living Sacrifice | As The Story Grows

At about 42:00, he talks about the recording of Nonexistent. He says that he has never liked the album, and discusses the conflicts with DJ reguarding the vocal sound. The album simply didn't turn out the way that they had hoped.

This isn't great news for the few of us who absolutely love the album! But it's still interesting to hear the stories and situations that impacted the album and the history of LS.

Sevenoneself wrote:I was listening to this interview last night: Bruce Fitzhugh of Living Sacrifice | As The Story Grows

At about 42:00, he talks about the recording of Nonexistent. He says that he has never liked the album, and discusses the conflicts with DJ reguarding the vocal sound. The album simply didn't turn out the way that they had hoped.

This isn't great news for the few of us who absolutely love the album! But it's still interesting to hear the stories and situations that impacted the album and the history of LS.

Interesting they weren't happy with that album. Wasn't metal core enough I suppose. Anyhow, that album and the vocals slays! If you don't like the vocals or this album you just have bad taste, especially if you rate the stuff that comes after it as "better" (Don't bite little fishy, it's a trap). Have you seen the footage of them at Cornerstone on you tube at this time period... it's short but full of brutal energy and fury. Wish there was more live stuff from that time. That's when they were in beast mode before they become another mediocre core band. They should've just changed their name it's not even the same band. Just call me, MR OPINION! Man it's hard being right all the time but we all carry our own burdens.

I'm in the minority here.  I don't care for the remastering at all.  The original is one of the best-sounding death metal albums to me.  I love the low end on it.  It always sounded so resonant, warm, haunting, and powerful.  I used to fall asleep to it in college.  The new version is cold, thin, and abrasive.  It's clearer, sure, but that's not what I like in death metal.  I don't think I would care for this album at all if it had come out with this cold mix originally.  Just a preference, but I'm glad I still have the original to listen to!

I'm big into death metal but and I agree with Bruce about the vocal sound, just doesn't work imo. And I don't mind some deathcore at times and think it's a better fit for them.

I've been listening to a few interviews the last few days and I've been semi-surprised at how many bands have been unhappy with the production of an album. I'd be very disappointed and disheartened to put so much effort, time and emotion into something so personal and have it come out wrong. 

Dustofyears:
Interesting they weren't happy with that album. Wasn't metal core enough I suppose. Anyhow, that album and the vocals slays! If you don't like the vocals or this album you just have bad taste, especially if you rate the stuff that comes after it as "better" (Don't bite little fishy, it's a trap). Have you seen the footage of them at Cornerstone on you tube at this time period... it's short but full of brutal energy and fury. Wish there was more live stuff from that time. That's when they were in beast mode before they become another mediocre core band. They should've just changed their name it's not even the same band. Just call me, MR OPINION! Man it's hard being right all the time but we all carry our own burdens.

I agree with most of your thoughts here. It's my favourite LS album.

Strangerhoncho:
I'm in the minority here.  I don't care for the remastering at all.  The original is one of the best-sounding death metal albums to me.  I love the low end on it.  It always sounded so resonant, warm, haunting, and powerful.  I used to fall asleep to it in college.  The new version is cold, thin, and abrasive.  It's clearer, sure, but that's not what I like in death metal.  I don't think I would care for this album at all if it had come out with this cold mix originally.  Just a preference, but I'm glad I still have the original to listen to!

After having listened to it quite a few times over the last few months, I think I agree with you. The remastered version is different and improves some aspects, but there is a tradeoff and I'm not sure it's actually better overall.

I'm not familiar with Jeremiah Scott, but it didn't seem like he was dialed in to the album and its original crowd. If so, he would have included some of the iconic mixing decisions like the hard panned mono guitar parts.

I think the only way you could bolster the deep end would be to use some kick drum samples and possibly even some bass overdubs. I'm not sure what the budget was for the remaster; these additions could have been too much money.

I like this album so much that I'd be interested in doing some work on the original myself and see what I come up with. I wouldn't spend a ton of time but I think it'd be doable to keep the feel of the original but fix some of the original mixing hiccups.

The music on Nonexistent is great. I’ve never had an issue with the production, either. It’s the vocals that let it down. 

At any rate, they’ve never come close to topping their debut, even though I’ve enjoyed all their stuff to some degree.

Pethead wrote:The music on Nonexistent is great. I’ve never had an issue with the production, either. It’s the vocals that let it down. 

At any rate, they’ve never come close to topping their debut, even though I’ve enjoyed all their stuff to some degree.

I've never had a problem with the music either, but I have enjoyed some of the remasters where the volume level and EQ of older albums have been updated to today's standards. 

I have digitized a fair number of cassettes through the years and I always import them into Reaper and do this quick 2 step process on them. 

I know that it's pretty geeky and OCD but I get to choose what I do with my time, right?!

DJ’s vocals worked best with the thrash sound. Bruce’s vocals are better for the more extreme stuff. 

Nonexistent has better vocals than Torn Flesh, though.

strangerhoncho wrote:I'm in the minority here.  I don't care for the remastering at all.  The original is one of the best-sounding death metal albums to me.  I love the low end on it.  It always sounded so resonant, warm, haunting, and powerful.  I used to fall asleep to it in college.  The new version is cold, thin, and abrasive.  It's clearer, sure, but that's not what I like in death metal.  I don't think I would care for this album at all if it had come out with this cold mix originally.  Just a preference, but I'm glad I still have the original to listen to!

Right on Honcho. There is nothing wrong with the original. Would like to hear the remaster just to see what's up, but I am happy with my copy EXCEPT that for some reason the chanting book end of the album has been snipped for some reason, unless I imagined it was there...

I like the vocals on the s/t. 

You can have shouted vocals mixed with death style music. The band Devastation proved that.

Dustofyears wrote:

strangerhoncho wrote:I'm in the minority here.  I don't care for the remastering at all.  The original is one of the best-sounding death metal albums to me.  I love the low end on it.  It always sounded so resonant, warm, haunting, and powerful.  I used to fall asleep to it in college.  The new version is cold, thin, and abrasive.  It's clearer, sure, but that's not what I like in death metal.  I don't think I would care for this album at all if it had come out with this cold mix originally.  Just a preference, but I'm glad I still have the original to listen to!

Right on Honcho. There is nothing wrong with the original. Would like to hear the remaster just to see what's up, but I am happy with my copy EXCEPT that for some reason the chanting book end of the album has been snipped for some reason, unless I imagined it was there...

If you missed it earlier in the thread, I did a short comparison video on YouTube. 

Sevenoneself wrote:

Dustofyears wrote:

strangerhoncho wrote:I'm in the minority here.  I don't care for the remastering at all.  The original is one of the best-sounding death metal albums to me.  I love the low end on it.  It always sounded so resonant, warm, haunting, and powerful.  I used to fall asleep to it in college.  The new version is cold, thin, and abrasive.  It's clearer, sure, but that's not what I like in death metal.  I don't think I would care for this album at all if it had come out with this cold mix originally.  Just a preference, but I'm glad I still have the original to listen to!

Right on Honcho. There is nothing wrong with the original. Would like to hear the remaster just to see what's up, but I am happy with my copy EXCEPT that for some reason the chanting book end of the album has been snipped for some reason, unless I imagined it was there...

If you missed it earlier in the thread, I did a short comparison video on YouTube. 

Hey thanks Seven. Yeah I did miss that. So... this is really the remaster... I am in disbelief... cannot believe what i am hearing... truly losfer words...

Pethead wrote:The music on Nonexistent is great. I’ve never had an issue with the production, either. It’s the vocals that let it down. 

At any rate, they’ve never come close to topping their debut, even though I’ve enjoyed all their stuff to some degree.

I'm fine with the vocals on Nonexistent.  They weren't my favorite when it came out, but I grew to appreciate them as just another instrument adding tone.

Their debut is still my favorite by them by far as well, though.  Everything else they've done is great and gets regular spins, although I rarely listen to Inhabit.

I just got the dl of this and it sounds great!!!

Sevenoneself wrote:

Dustofyears wrote:

strangerhoncho wrote:I'm in the minority here.  I don't care for the remastering at all.  The original is one of the best-sounding death metal albums to me.  I love the low end on it.  It always sounded so resonant, warm, haunting, and powerful.  I used to fall asleep to it in college.  The new version is cold, thin, and abrasive.  It's clearer, sure, but that's not what I like in death metal.  I don't think I would care for this album at all if it had come out with this cold mix originally.  Just a preference, but I'm glad I still have the original to listen to!

Right on Honcho. There is nothing wrong with the original. Would like to hear the remaster just to see what's up, but I am happy with my copy EXCEPT that for some reason the chanting book end of the album has been snipped for some reason, unless I imagined it was there...

If you missed it earlier in the thread, I did a short comparison video on YouTube. 

had another listen to this remix comparison. It's atrocious! I could do this on Audacity. I mean it was bad enough they went all metalcore but did they have to destroy one of the greatest and most unique death metal albums around... $$$ they've ripped the guts out of it and left a tin shed blaring through the smallest set of tiny headphones you could possibly imagine. How could anyone like this?