Since we introduced our “Isolating The Throne” feature a couple months ago, many people have been asking for variations. We have received requests for raw/quality video like you are about to see, we have been asked for drums w/ a scratch guitar, we have been asked for drum-less tracks, tracks with clicks, and many others. Here a re a couple raw video play-through’s from Nathaniel Gould of The Rotted. We hope you enjoy…
The Rotted are a UK-based death metal band who have had 5 releases since 2008 on four different labels: Metal Blade, Anarchogram Industries, Hammerheart Records, and Candlelight Records. The drumming talents of Nate were first noticed by SDM back in August 2008, when his profile page on the website was created.
Nate commented: “The Body Tree is one of my favorite songs off The Rotted’s debut album, ‘Get Dead or Die Trying,’ which was released on Metal Blade Records back in 2008. It was recorded using a Zoom Q2HD placed in front of the bass drum, no triggers or other microphones.”
“Dawn of A New Error” is the song in this second video. It was taken from The Rotted’s self-released 2010 EP ‘Anarchogram,’ and is a tune we never really tried live too often.
Nate Used:
- Mapex Saturn Drums
- Pearl Free Floating Brass 6.5″ x 14″
- Malleus double pedal
- Vater Derek Roddy signature sticks
Some Questions For Nate:
SDM: Do you remember the exact gear you were using during this tracking?
Nate: Originally when we recorded The Body Tree during the Get Dead or Die Trying album I was using a Tama Starclassic Birch, but by the time Dawn of A New Error was done for our Anarchogram EP I’d moved onto a Pearl Masters Birch. The Pearl was a favourite of mine for quite a few years and I ended up using it on the Anarchogram EP, our second album Ad Nauseam and our last single Rotted Fucking Earth. Cymbal wise, its a mixture of Istanbul and Zildjian mainly. On all The Rotted recordings so far I have used a Pearl free floating 6.5/14 maple – an amazing snare. I have moved onto the brass shell, but I just cant get enough of the free floater snares. The main difference between the recorded versions and the videos – other than the drums used on the video’s being Mapex Saturn’s – is probably the pedals. I used to use Axis’ A Longboards for years, but recently moved to Malleus. These are like what you dream would happen if you took the best from Pearl’s Eliminator’s and Axis’ Longboards. Awesome pedals.
SDM: How long did tracking take and how was it tracked? mics, triggers, both, to tape or all digital?
Nate: The two songs came from two different recordings originally. When we recorded our albums GDoDT and Ad Nauseam with Russ Russell over at Parlour Studios it would take something like five days from set up to tear down for the drums; each day 2-4 songs with 2-4 takes and typically 2 takes used for the finished cut. Russ would mic up the kit and for the bass drum would also use trigger signals and sound replace them. It was all recorded digitally and a similar sort of process occurred for the Anarchogram EP, which we did with James Dunkley. Our most recent single Rotted Fucking Earth was all mic’d and I hope this trend can continue.
SDM: Has anything changed in your setup since this tracking?
Nate: Most important change is probably the pedals. I can get away with mic’d bass drums most of the time now with the Malleus pedals as they just confer that much more punch. You can hear in these videos, with just one mic laying in front of the kit, the kind of attack you get with these pedals. I had to use the Axis Ekit triggers before when I was on the Longboards. I love how light Axis are, but it does take away a lot of punch. With the Malleus it is still possible to cut through heavy guitars at high tempo when mic’d well.
SDM: Your thoughts on sound replacement software? wish it never existed?
Nate: Its a bit like CGI in modern films for me. Its great when used in tasteful addition to real life characters and objects in a well written and executed context. I love how old albums, even from the mid nineties, sound much more honest – sound like a band with individual, distinct and unique players. But I do also love how a massive production can be made to flatten you today. It is really a thing for the musicians in a band to take control over. Find your sound, what it is you are aiming for and try and make that happen for real before jumping on to record something that needs a ton of work.
SDM: What’s your favorite old-school raw drum sound? Which band and album or albums?
Nate: I love Clive Burr’s sound on Number of the Beast for punchiness and Cozy Powels sound on Rainbow’s debut. Extreme stuff – Terrorizer’s World Downfall and Sepultura’s Arise.
SDM: One piece of advice to younger kids about to record an album?
Nate: Record everything you play, both separately and as a band, until you are all happy with the level of your playing and the sound you are getting on a consistent basis. This should make things go much smoother when you have to lay things down to record again – this time by the producer and in an expensive studio. Recording yourself this way can be used as practice for just the feel of the situation of being recorded. Sometimes your really cooking but some technical issue kills the take. These things can play a big role in the end. So best prepare yourself by getting used to record everything yourself first – even demoing it and this with the aim of tightening your playing and focusing the sound.
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