Unstoppable Recording Machine Podcast

Brian Slagel of Metal Blade Records joins the show to talk about his past, present, and future, and we discuss his new book, For The Sake of Heaviness: The History of Metal Blade Records. Brian and Metal Blade have been a pivotal part of the metal genre for decades. From the early days of Metallica and Slayer to the institution that Metal Blade is today, this man has seen it all. It’s an honor to have him on board to discuss the perseverance his climb has taken, what the place of record labels is in the industry now, and why a love of the music is integral to success. “If you would have told any of us starting in ‘82/‘83, you know - Slayer, Metallica, Motley Crue, anybody that was in L.A. at the time - that this would go on to be such a huge thing, and that we’d still be talking about this stuff 35 years later we all would have said that you were completely nuts.” - Brian Slagel ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - How perseverance played a role in the rise of Metal Blade - The importance of loving what you do - Some of the reasons Brian feels modern bands have a hard time breaking through - Why you shouldn’t burn bridges - Pivoting - Why one person in your band should know business - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kurt Ballou is here to answer your questions and chew bubble gum, and he’s all out of bubble gum. Want Kurt to answer your questions? Send them to eyal@urm.academy with the subject line “Dear Kurt.” The more detailed the better! “Whenever people ask me about what gear they should get when they’re putting together a studio, I tell them they really should not skip on their monitors and monitoring environment, because if you can’t hear what’s going on properly then you’ll never make good decisions.” - Kurt Ballou ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - Kurt’s approach to deciding how much input to give when producing - Switching between engineer and musician hats while recording yourself - Dealing with phase issues between mics - Getting aggressive drum room sounds - Kurt’s essential gear suggestions - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kris Crummett is in the driver’s seat today to answer your production questions. Want Kris to answer your questions? Send them to eyal@urm.academy with the subject line “Dear Kris.” The more detailed the better! “I think it’s really important as a producer to assess songs, and assess a situation one by one, and not really have a mindset going into things that you’re going to do this or that to songs, because that can be pretty detrimental.” - Kris Crummett ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - Kris’s vocal productions secrets - Drum and sample selection - Dealing with the imperfections of guitar tuning - Kris’s perspective on getting in depth with songwriting - Running outboard gear live - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Beau Burchell train keeps on rolling for this discussion with producer Rick King about faking it till you make it, breaking out of genre boxes, and essential gear. We all know that the grind can be rough. It’s important to figure out what your goals are, steps you can take to make them a reality, and to feel confident in your ability to do so. Rick and Beau both impart a lot of knowledge in this discussion on those elements of building one’s career. “All the chaos is crazy to deal with, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.” - Rick King ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - How Rick overcame adversity to establish his studio - Dealing with band arguments about hypotheticals - When it’s ok to say no to projects and why that can be a good thing - The struggles of getting jobs in genres that you don’t already have ties to - Test mixes - Essential gear - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Finn Mckenty has the life and career answers you crave. Want Finn to answer your questions? Send them to eyal@urm.academy with the subject line “Dear Finn.” The more detailed the better! “What is the challenge? Why is it a challenge? How do I overcome the challenge?” - Finn Mckenty ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - Making music a full time career - Marketing yourself - The value of helping others - Strategies for dealing with social anxiety - Passive income strategies - Standing out from the crowd - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Beau Burchell takes the reins for a discussion with producer/mixer/engineer Jeremy SH Griffith about strategies for becoming a well rounded audio professional. Jeremy has purposefully developed his career so that he’s involved in a wide variety of types of music, from worship music to heavy bands such as Norma Jean. In this episode, he and Beau discuss how his career progressed to get there, what it brings to the table, and the parts of his job that it makes more difficult. “I want to enforce the way that I feel about the songs, in a constructive way, but I don’t want to do it in a demeaning or a negative way anymore. Period.” - Jeremy SH Griffith ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - How Jeremy navigated the early stages of his career - The AllMusic credit struggle - The value of working in a variety of genres - Getting bands to come back for more - How does location affect opportunities? - Jeremy and Beau’s hybrid mixing approaches - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this edition, we’re doubling your podcast value with a round table discussion with Nolly Getgood and Ermin Hamidovic. Nolly and Ermin have both been amazing contributors for URM, and it felt like a great time to have both of them back. This time out we’re really digging into the mixing/mastering relationship, learning to maximize focus, mental health and maintaining your well being, and answers to a number of your mixing and mastering questions. It’s a great conversation, that goes way beyond just audio and into topics that really apply to everyone. “I think there comes a certain point where, if you want to be a truly good producer, be very aware of the clients you’re working with and be aiming for whatever it is that’s their goal rather than your personal ones.” - Nolly Getgood ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - The relationship between Nolly’s mixing and Ermin’s mastering - Techniques for focusing - Nolly’s views on meditation - Maintaining mental health - Studio One - Devin Townsend’s vocal tracks - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joey Sturgis provides the answers to your most pressing questions. Want Joey to answer your questions? Send them to joey@urm.academy with the subject line “Dear Joey.” The more detailed the better! “What we do as producers and engineers is not just pressing buttons and stuff; it’s being able to put together content and material in an artistic way. - Joey Sturgis ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - Business resources and phantom mentors - Guitar and vocal secret sauce - Getting more exciting DIs - Apple mastering tools - Getting mixes that translate well - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mick Gordon, the composer and mastermind behind the soundtracks for Doom, Prey, Wolfenstein and a slew of other video games joins us to delve into his creative process. Efficiency, vigorous work ethic, and the ability to craft music that connects on an emotional level are elements that exist very rarely in one artist. Mick has achieved the level of success he has because he encompasses all these traits, and it’s great to have him on board for a discussion about what it takes to get to the top and how to maintain your health and sanity while doing it. “My biggest advice would be to really tap into how music makes you feel, not just the technicalities behind making the music.” - Mick Gordon ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - Coming up with a plan, and being able to alter that plan when needed - Mick’s blocking approach to work scheduling - Bludgeoning your way through projects vs. efficiency - How Mick got into the video game music industry - The importance of getting out of your studio - Writing music that connects on an emotional level - Why Mick initially composes music with crappy tones - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kristian "Kohle" Kohlmannslehner joins us for a long awaited discussion about how to keep things fresh in extreme genres. It’s difficult to stand out from the crowd in extreme metal productions. Conventions often take precedence over experimentation. Kohle is certainly a producer that manages to bring originality to every production he touches. His perspectives on how to keep work fresh and avoid burnout, finding a production’s unique voice, and getting bands to be invested in finding new ways to do things make for some intriguing conversation. “If you keep on working and working and working you get lost and repeat yourself.” - Kohle ON THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: - Producing vs. engineering extreme metal - Gaining client trust - Experimenting to find interesting character, rather than just “better” tone - Avoiding burnout through smart scheduling and varying your tasks - Layering guitar tones - And much, much more Thanks for listening! Leave us a comment or review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices