Danny Danzi - "Countdown to Insanity" *Metal* (CHB Cover)

Absolutely brilliant guitar work. Cool zack wyldish riffing, and great lead.

Great song, great chorus!

Trad metal at its best.

Damm, this one made me smile. and dance. and headbang. ten thumbs up. Mr Danzi, im a fan!

Fantastic world class production.  The mix is, of course, as good as it gets.  The lyrics are really cool- great humor in there - very clever writing!  Vocals are top notch - I like the different effects on the voice and the vocal distortion / screams you are using here and there.  And the guitar works is incredible as it is on everything you do.  I like those "flight of the bumblebee" riffs toward the end.  Your technique is mind boggling to say the least.  The rhythm guitar is so smooth and clear - sounds like an "on-axis" mic placement?  And it's got a nice amount of reverb or whatever - maybe a little delay?  Is that nice ambience on the rhythm guitar coming from your "guitar room" buss?  It is so big, yet not overpowering at all.  Thanks for putting this up on the forum.

Wow! This was great! Sounding awesome and great playing!

Geez Danny, every time I hear you play I feel like I should have become a bricklayer or something.....
Outstanding tunage hear, guitar work is as always spectacular, you're singing is quite good, IMHO, although, yeah, I could easily hear Ozzie singing this.
Great arrangement and recording, +1 on the slowdown after the solo, great effect.
Really enjoyed this, thanks for sharing it.

OUCH... damn
holy mackerel andy
serious stuff Danny.
great work.

Damn dude, just when I thought I had a mix good enough to post too...I think I gotta go back and re-examine my mix. LOL
Peace

Wow

So '80s

So Greatl

Love it

Thank you all for the listens and kind words. :)
 
Vallhagen: Thanks a lot...I'm glad you enjoyed it. I've listened to your stuff too and think it's top notch in production and song structure/quality. I'll comment in your thread as well I promise. Thanks!
 
James: I was actually afraid to read what you might have said when I saw your name pop up. LOL! I know you're not an easy sell on anything and you are picky like I am. Thanks so much for your kind words....I really appreciate them. As for the rhythm/lead guitars, I use a Digitech 2101 tube pre-amp. Sometimes I mic it with a 57 and a 421, other times I go out of it via XLR into my console using the built in speaker sim in the 2101...which is what I did on this recording. There's not much difference believe it or not due to how I have my speaker sim, impulses and "room within a room" stuff set up. But I DO like the mic'd sound for certain things. It's just a little different, but not much at all. I get a bit more "goirth" to it as I say here in NJ. :) But the core of the tone remains. Really glad you liked this...thanks again...and thanks for the guitar props. :)
 
Geno: Thanks brother!!! Funny how this mix turned out...but that's why I went with it. I just really was trying to show the band my idea with fair production at first...but in its "fair" state, it just had that little something that I had a feeling I would have lost if I would have redone it the way I normally record. Yeah I dig the lyrics too...I so wish I wrote them. Ed and Phil have a knack for brilliance in writing words. Though I always tend to commercialize what they do, I personally feel we make a good little team even though I know those guys prefer things a little less on the poppy side with more of a darker vibe. Yeah this was my first attempt at vocal distortion as well as all the assorted effects going on there. I normally don't use stuff like that...but was really trying to go for something weird/eerie and a bit abstract. Actually the guitar was direct. It has the up front sound, yet breathes to where it has some ambience in the tone...not just the room it's in. And yes, that sound comes from my "guitar buss" technique I showed you in the past. There are no delays on the rhythm guitars. Just the room within a room trick, the guitar bus impulse/compression squash on the room and a UAD bus compressor on the main guitar bus. There are 4 rhythm guitars. 2 just dry with a slight carpeted room sound panned wider, 2 with the carpeted room sound with a chorus on them panned tigher. Thanks for the kind words bro..much appreciated. :)
 
Herb: Thanks for the kind words and the listen. The slow-down thing was actually harder to pull off than I thought it would be. I had some major editing that needed to be done within the song to make that work first because the actual slow-down had to be included after the song was mixed-down. Mess with it a bit...it doesn't work, back to the drawing board in the mix to edit some stuff...export, try it again...no go, back to the mix. It's still not as tight as I would like it to be, but for me to get it where I feel it should be, I'd have to rework that entire section there as well as when it comes back in. But it works for the most part. Glad you liked it...thanks man!
 
ProjectM: Thanks a lot...glad you enjoyed it, Thanks for the playing props. :)
 
James1213: Aww thanks man. I try. Honest and I mean this...I'm just a guy that hacks at things until I get them right or close to right. Sometimes I get lucky, sometimes I fail miserably. I'm brutal on myself to the point of depression at times and never really considered myself "good" at anything. I think I can pull things off fair for the most part, but I always strive to be as good as I can be. Easier said than done though. I'm glad you liked the tune and the solo section. I beat myself up over that for the longest time thinking of changing it. Like it was too abrupt or something. Then I figured..."just stop it and move on...so it's a bit abrupt and may not fit too well....it's just different." Thanks bro. :)
 
rscain: Thanks a lot! You know...I laid a little brick in my time...stick to playing guitar...it's way easier! I don't know what killed me more...brick/block work or roofing/hot roofing...they both suck equally. LOL! Glad you liked it and thanks for the voice/guitar props. If I had a connection to Ozzy, I sure would love to send him this. I really think it would suit him perfectly. My pop voice is my downfall for stuff like this...but it was so different for me, it was worth the try. I kinda sing a bit like Geno (guitartrek) but not as good, not as high and not as clean...but I have more of that type of sound when I sing on my normal stuff. Glad you liked it, thanks so much!
 
Venus: Thanks for the kind words. Love your stuff as well. Listened to quite a few of your songs after checking out MEGABOMB....really great stuff and you have an awesome voice. Thanks again.
 
Tim: Thanks brother..much appreciated. Glad ya liked it!
 
PGShadow: Thank you for the kind words. Hahaha...you're the only person that's mentioned the circus thing. All my buds that I let hear it...none of them picked up on it. LOL! I thought that was a fun little thing to add in there. And please post your mix...I'd love to hear it and would give you a few pointers if you wanted me to. Thanks! :)
 
markno: Thanks a lot brother...glad you enjoyed it. Yeah it's definitely not easy...I know you know that all too well. I still got callouses on my hands from playing the drums to this over and over and over. I must have played them and replayed them 30 times in one day only to say "I hate it...try again tomorrow." Most of the other stuff (thank God) was pretty easy though as far as the playing. There's nothing too crazy in the chord changes...pretty straight forward on the bass and rhythms...lead was a bit challenging...but I got it after like 400 takes I think. LOL!!! Thanks again!
 
Karyn: Thanks for the listen...glad you enjoyed it. Uggh....80's...bapu said the same thing. I tried so hard to not be as 80's sounding on this. I really did. I felt this was so different for me if you've ever heard my stuff. I'm definitely an 80's man both lyrically and the way I write and go about my production...but darn it...lol....I tried so hard not to do that this time. I guess no matter how hard I try, I can't run or escape from my roots. I have really been doing my best to alter that a bit. I know any guitar solo type stuff is definitely going to have that effect. I've even not included solo's in some of my newer stuff when I didn't feel there was a need. But this one...I just felt a nice solo would be a nice touch because the CHB always has an awesome solo attack in their tunes. I even stayed away from high stacked harmonies on this and only did a few lower ones. I usually do 3 and 4 part harmonies, whisper tracks, the whole 9 yards. I made sure not to do that and only ran 3 vocals on this. A lead vocal, a low and one middle and then I put effects on with a low pitch transposer as well as Clone Ensemble using the newer version with the vocal "sexes" option. I'm glad you liked it though...thanks again for the listen. I'll try even harder next time to lose the 80's vibe...darn it's so hard though.
 
Scotty: Thanks for the listen! :)
 
-Danny

Ya know, I really hate when my stuff is pegged as "80's". I still can't quite put a handle on what "That" IS.
It's a BIG dilemma with me.
Sorry, just sayin...
I wish I could type like you Danny.....

Let me get this straight.  Saying it sounds '80s was not meant as an insult.  It's simply a difinitive style that is easily recognised when heard. Doesn't make it bad.

Danny,  baring in mind your CV and talent I hesitate to offer advice, however....

You said in your reply to me that you made a distinct effort to leave out things that you thought made it "sound '80s".  My oppinion is that you went about it the wrong way.  When you take stuff away you're still left with the core sound, and it's that which defines what the track sounds like.

To change you need to work towards a new style rather than working away from the old one.  Pick a style that is way more extreem than you intend and add in elements of that into what you're currently doing. Replace elements with new rather than just omit them.

The guitar sounds you're using on this track are awsome. Can't fault them in any way. But that doesn't make them the right sounds if you're trying to get away from that '80s commercial polished rock feel.   Dirty up the rythm sound. You have some wicked drum beats in there, match the guitars to them with heavier "chuggy" 2 or 3 string palm muted mayhem.   The lead is too "clinical". Perfectly played, but the tone is almost synth like in its purity.   The playing isn't the issue but the sound.  Think in terms of the difference between (say) Steve Vai and Angus Young...

Just a few thoughts from an engineer/producer pov.

+ + + + +  1

Hi Danny. This is Great. Guitars sound fantastic. There are hints of lynch, Lee but I think you've got your own flavor as well. The cool thing I've noticed with you on this, other stuff out here and your songs on youtube is that the song always comes first but you always manage to get the guitar guy stuff in as part of it. Really makes for an all round killer tune. Hats off to Philz, Bapu and Steve as well. It has an 80's feel, which I love, but there is a still a nice amalgamation of eras here. Philz keyboard parts are super, fit the tune perfect and really add to that amalgamation. Very enjoyable listen.

timidi: I don't really mind the 80's thing when I know I'm doing it. LOL!! That's to be expected. I just thought this had a bit of a twist and didn't blatantly scream 80's like my other stuff. LOL! :)
 
Glen: thanks for the kind words and for listening....much appreciated. :)
 
Janet: LOL!!! I'll git you for that! I'm glad you liked it...thanks. I still have to send you something all pretty one of these days. Glad you liked this though...thanks a lot. :)
 
Serious Noise: That's fine...no offense taken. It's just an mp3 that is on my dropbox server. Everyone else here has downloaded it and their comupters didn't catch a virus. I don't like Soundcloud...the quality is not very good to my ears on some things. You don't like to download....go to Soundcloud and then open up your temporary internet folder. All the tunes you listened to are stored there in mp3 format. You ARE downloading. But that's fine...I accept your decision even though I think your thinking is slightly flawed...no offense. Drop Box is a free host and has millions of users. Happy holidays to you also.
 
BIABDude: Thank you for the listen.
 
Robert: Glad you liked it, thanks. Thanks for the kind words and the advice. Unfortunately I probably won't be editing or remixing the tune. I put enough time into it as is and was really happy with the outcome. That bass line thing you mentioned does sound like it would be pretty cool though. Thanks. :)
 
rhynosynth: Thanks! Yeah, I dig Lynch and Lee...tried to give a bit of my own flavor....always try...sometimes I win, sometimes I lose. You're so right...it's always about the song for me. If I can fit in a little cool solo for the guitar players out there, I like to do that. When I got my record deal in 1999, part of the reason I was signed was the guitar playing stuff. I tried to scale it down actually before the release of the first album and the label said "no you don't!!! You leave that stuff in there!" Then again, it was a melodic rock label and the people they push to expect that stuff. So that's where I ended up. So you're hearing the 80's feel too eh? LOL!!! Ok, I give up....*comes out of the closet*....I'm 80's and I'm proud! Hahahahaha! Yeah, no mistake without Phil, Ed and Steve....I would have never came close to making this song sound the way it does. They all gave me the inspiration for it. Glad you liked it...thanks a lot. :)

Thanks mgh, I really appreciate that! Yeah...90's is more what I was thinking myself with the production being closer to "now". I guess everyone will hear things differently...and that's ok too. Glad you enjoyed it and sure man, I'll help you with anything you want if I can. Your mixes always sound good brother...but that space you're talking about will definitely make a difference. It basically fills in the gaps and is never hard panned. You fill in the gaps with effects by panning them differently than the actual tracks. For example...

Say we have a rhythm guitar panned at like 80% left. I'll run a room impulse on that 80 L via send, squash it good and pan the impulse 60 left or maybe even 55 left. This fills in the space from 80 left to 55 left making the guitar appear bigger. From not using hard pans, it doesn't push your sound all the way to one side making it sound smaller. When you get a minute..listen to one of your guitar tones panned all the way left or right...then decrease that pan so it's not all the way...and you'll notice it literally gains some size from not being sent all the way to one side. Add 2 guitars left and right that aren't hard panned and it just sounds bigger than if you went all the way panned....and it also stops the mix from being too separated.

That's one thing I find that a lot of people do that never sits right with me...and that is, hard pans on rhythm guitars. Sure, there are times when I do it too...like during a solo section I may automate or maybe fly in an additional rhythm and pan it hard on a chorus....but I really like saving that space on the outsides for special effects when we want something to truly come out of nowhere. So try some of that and see how you make out. If you have any questions or whatever, feel free to send me a pm or post them up. I got no secrets brother...if you like what you heard and I can help you achieve some of it...I'll do the best I can. Thanks so much again for the listen and the kind words. :)

-Danny

Hi Randy, thanks for the listen and the kind words. Much appreciated. Glad you enjoyed it. Meant to tell you....someone posted a song you had done in another thread referencing it. It had all you guys talking at a bar or something with a waitress....I freakin' loved it man! The capture of that was pure bliss and the song was killer! How the heck did you do that talking in the bar or whatever so convincing like that? Did you guys all send parts and you edited them to fit into a conversation like that, or did you guys actually get together for that? It was so convincing I couldn't tell....awesome job on that....I listened to that like 3 times back to back. Thanks again. :)

-Danny