Is something changing? (Edguy & Loudness War inside...)

I was surfing on the web searching for news about the upcoming Edguy's album, "Age Of The Joker" and I found something really interesting...

From an update on recording sessions made by Tobias Sammet (singer and frontman):

"We have chosen the Peppermint Park to record the basics there. I had done a few little bits and pieces for AVANTASIA there, but it's so great to record drums and stuff like Hammond B3 with a big bad fat mean Leslie there. The room is big and the sound is mean! We were always striving for a powerful but natural sound. I guess we had a good sound recently, but I think there is always room to improve. The more I listen to what's going on in the Heavy Metal world these days, the more I long for drums that sound like drums. I want them to sound powerful without sounding like Atari. Sascha and I came to the conclusion that we have to start from scratch and do things the way they have to be done, not the fashionable way. I don't want a distorted master-copy, just so it is loud enough on an iPhone or on PC-speakers. If you talk to your most fancy producer he will say something like: 'Well, it's the sign of the times, you have to be able to compete in the loudness war…' What the ****?! If I want it to be loud I turn up the stereo. I want dynamics, room, a real big sound, not that distorted trendy compression. Why don't we all move back a little and record great sounding music, not loud sounding music? Do a Google search for 'loudness war' and you'll see what I mean. [...]"

I was very curious so, when I found a leaked version of the album (ehm...), I "tested" it with a ReplayGain scan and a DR analysis (both made with foobar2000 plugins), with very good results: a -6.04 dB in ReplayGain and... wait for it... DR11!!!! I was like , a 2011 METAL album on CD with these values???? Maybe something is changing...

P.S. the attached image is the first track waveform...

 

never heard of Edguy, but i like him already!

 

They're a German Power Metal Band...

 

Quite a few albums with DR8 and higher recently: Intergalactic Lovers (this one sounds amazing), Rumer, Paul Kalkbrenner, Jamie Woon, Jonathan Jeremiah, Lady Linn, Black Dub,...

Fleet Foxes, Arctic Monkey is around DR7-8 and sounds acceptable.

Seems like it's getting a little bit better.

 

...but it's a little bit sad that we have to be satisfied with "...sounds acceptable..." and paying for it...

 

+1

When I read what their frontman had to say about sound, I thought they are already members on this forum

Could an earlier album be the reason for avoiding the loudness war now?
The title makes me wonder. http://www.dr.loudness-war.info/details.php?id=2050

 

Rumer, Intergalactic Lovers, Black Dub, Jamie Woon and Paul Kalkbrenner is "better than acceptable".

 

Which kind of music do they play?

 

Intergalactic Lovers: Album: Greetings & Salutations, Single: Fade Away
album mastered by Steve Rooke (Beatles 2009 Remasters)


Rumer: Album: Seasons of My Soul, Single: Am I Forgiven


Black Dub: Album: Black Dub, Single: I Believe in You


Jamie Woon: Album "Mirrorwriting", Single: Night Air


Paul Kalkbrenner: Icke Wieder - album preview


The first Ariel Abshire "Exclamation Love" was extremely good too. Americana-Countrypop.
Dr. Results: Link

Her new album is just released, I'll post the DR-results in the near future. I highly recommend the first album.

 

Oh it seems that also the latest one by Lenny Kravitz has a good DR index...

 

That would be cool. Seems more and more artists getting aware of the loudness wars.

Loud = artists with big egos?

 

Big egos like "The CD sounds fu***n' awesome in my car?"

 

Uhm... Here's the Red Hot Chili Peppers big ego... (from another thread)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Analyzed folder: F:\FLACCD\Red Hot Chili Peppers\I'm With You\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR Peak RMS Filename
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DR3 over -4.36 dB 01 - Monarchy of Roses.wav
DR4 over -5.67 dB 02 - Factory of Faith.wav
DR3 over -5.19 dB 03 - Brendan's Death Song.wav
DR4 over -5.58 dB 04 - Ethiopia.wav
DR4 over -4.99 dB 05 - Annie Wants a Baby.wav
DR4 over -5.03 dB 06 - Look Around.wav
DR4 over -6.10 dB 07 - The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie.wav
DR4 over -4.64 dB 08 - Did I Let You Know.wav
DR3 over -3.85 dB 09 - Goodby Hooray.wav
DR4 over -4.99 dB 10 - Happiness Loves Company.wav
DR3 over -5.39 dB 11 - Police Station.wav
DR4 over -5.40 dB 12 - Even You Brutus¿.wav
DR4 over -6.30 dB 13 - Meet Me at the Corner.wav
DR4 over -5.69 dB 14 - Dance, Dance, Dance.wav
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of files: 14
Official DR value: DR4

======================================== ======================================== ==============

 

Wow - new music that actually sounds nice. What a novel idea! Thanks for the links PanaPlasma. The singer for Black Dub reminds me a little of Amy Winehouse.

 

It's Trixie Whitley. Daughter of Chris Whitley.

 

I think so: http://www.dr.loudness-war.info/details.php?id=10682. I was surprised that Nuclear Blast(a label that has been brickwalling releases ever since the mid 90's) actually allowed a dynamic release.

This quote explains it perfectly :

 

I love this guy

 

The "Robin Hood" single is currently available on Spotify. Not bad. The aforementioned singer kind of sounds like Marc Storace (no offense) but the band itself is clearly more musical than Krokus ever was.

 

I am a HUGE fan of Avantasia (Tobias Sammet's other "band"/project). I find the Avantasia material more to my liking than the Edguy stuff. But, I would get the new Edguy album based on these comments alone.

 

Iron Maiden's most recent album (The Final Frontier) has a DR of 8.
Their 2005 album (A Matter Of Life and Death) had a DR of 12.

 

Indeed the new Edguy album sounds quite nice.

 

According to dr.loudness-war.info "A Matter Of Life And Death" had a DR of 9 (http://www.dr.loudness-war.info/details.php?id=1868).

 

New Ariel Abshire-album (available as lossless download or cd - you may choose your price min. 10$):



Analyzed folder: C:\Ariel Abshire Still So New\wav\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR Peak RMS Filename
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DR9 -0.11 dB -11.45 dB Ariel Abshire - Still So New - 01 She's On Your Mind.wav
DR10 -0.11 dB -12.21 dB Ariel Abshire - Still So New - 02 No Great Pretender.wav
DR8 -0.11 dB -10.98 dB Ariel Abshire - Still So New - 03 Nothing New.wav
DR12 -0.11 dB -14.62 dB Ariel Abshire - Still So New - 04 Essex.wav
DR10 -0.11 dB -11.77 dB Ariel Abshire - Still So New - 05 Cardboard.wav
DR9 -0.11 dB -13.06 dB Ariel Abshire - Still So New - 06 If This Is All I Get.wav
DR11 -0.12 dB -14.45 dB Ariel Abshire - Still So New - 07 Every Man.wav
DR9 -0.11 dB -10.78 dB Ariel Abshire - Still So New - 08 Cheat.wav
DR12 -0.11 dB -13.97 dB Ariel Abshire - Still So New - 09 I Can't Remember You.wav
DR11 -0.11 dB -12.39 dB Ariel Abshire - Still So New - 10 Good Life.wav
DR10 -0.11 dB -13.31 dB Ariel Abshire - Still So New - 11 Fourth of July.wav
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of files: 11
Official DR value: DR10

 

Maybe a different mastering? Maybe a different meter? I used the standalone TT DR meter. I'll do it again and see.

 

Maybe... I'll test it again too...