Once Dead - Visions of Hell CD?

Once Dead - Visions of Hell CD?

This CD features Glenn Rogers of Hirax, as well as former members of Hirax, Vengeance Rising, Deliverance, Reverend, Fasedown, The Crucified, Die Happy, etc. Tons of metal history behind this one.

Who has it? What do you think?

Two spins = pretty good. I'm not hearing the production problems...maybe because it's Thrash?

scottmitchell74 wrote:

Two spins = pretty good. I'm not hearing the production problems...maybe because it's Thrash?

From what I heard on-line, it's raw and heavy. I think people just expect everyone to have perfect, digital production these days. Thrash metal is about raw power, so I don't think I'll have a problem with the production either. Can't wait for my copy to arrive.

Production = $$$ We had none... We we're using our credit cards to pay for the recording. I still don't have a copy and I dont think Doug is going to give me one...

James from OpenGrave was kind enough to send me a copy.

I have to comment on the printing, it looks as if the inserts were printed on a laser copier instead of on a decent press. A lot of the subtleties have disappeared and that kind of bums me out. And from what I understand the songs are out of order. I want to go on record as saying I didn't do any layout work.

And like my artwork suffered from the printing, the music suffers from the sound quality.....a lot. I couldn't make it all the way through the disc because of it.

I heard it finally. The snare sounds bad and the vocalist sucks. I like a lot of the riffs though. Good job Glenn. Hirax destroys this though without question.

Lurideath wrote:

I heard it finally. The snare sounds bad and the vocalist sucks. I like a lot of the riffs though. Good job Glenn. Hirax destroys this though without question.

I agree, the snare is like St.Anger and i don't care for the singers voice either. Scott was a much better vocalist. It seems like this project was doomed from the get go in all regards.

I haven't heard this. I've purposely skipped out on this due to everything that's went on surrounding this release. I know that's really not a good reason to at least not check out a track or two.

I haven't heard it. It's a shame to hear after all the time and effort that some people aren't digging it. Sorry to hear about the artwork Rex, that is a bummer. Hopefully it will be a grower. I will be ordering a copy regardless.

Well all I can say is "What if."

It's not your fault Glenn!

Glenn Rogers wrote:

Production = $$$ We had none... We we're using our credit cards to pay for the recording. I still don't have a copy and I dont think Doug is going to give me one...

We recorded some demos for clubs and the myspce page on a 24track digital recorder, came out pretty good at little cost.

Reading some other forums, people are really digging the album. Maybe it is all just a matter of opinion. Hey Glenn, was listening to Deliverance self titled the other day and enjoying your shreds man.

VaughanGF wrote:

Reading some other forums, people are really digging the album. Maybe it is all just a matter of opinion. Hey Glenn, was listening to Deliverance self titled the other day and enjoying your shreds man.

Good to hear. The reactions are mixed on the CMR. Most complaints seem to be about the mix, recording quality or the packaging.

Firestream seems to be a little more positive:

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This CD is fantastic! I love the raw, old-school thrash feel to it. This album reminds me A LOT of Mortification's "Primitive Rhythm Machine" (that's a good thing ) with it's vocal style, thrash hybrid sound, and just overall feel. It's a tad short (we waited this long & only 36 minutes!), but I think it turned out great, and it's definitely something I'll be spinning for a while. THRASH LIVES AGAIN!

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After half an hour of having the album in my possession I slipped the headphones in and cranked Visions of Hell for the first time….

The album flowed from track to track and didn’t miss a beat……I could hear the trademark Glenn Rogers riffing, the killer bass work of Angelo Espino, the inimitable Jim Chaffin skin work, the signature Larry Farkas guitar solos, the groove / blues feel courtesy of Doug Thieme and the haunting roars of none other than Devin Schaeffer.

From the grooving riff onslaught of VISIONS OF HELL and the downright evil tone of GRAVE DIGGERS through to lyrics of THE CONTRACT and the lead guitars on FEEDING MY ADDICTION, the hallmarks of each member’s contribution is clear for all to see.

To be honest, I was absolutely BLOWN AWAY by FEEDING MY ADDICTION. Much like many others, I had heard two early demo versions of this track and when it came blaring through my stereo armed with wailing leads, I realised that this was a whole new beast.

I’m not the first to say it but VISIONS OF HELL encapsulates that REAL old school thrash metal sound and ONCE DEAD have definitely delivered. With every track I hear the echoes of Vengeance Rising, Deliverance and Hirax but ONCE DEAD have created a sound of their own. Just like these bands were doing over twenty years ago, VISIONS OF HELL builds on strong musical influences and evolves into it's own.

The album may not break any new ground nor be without it’s own flaws but VISIONS OF HELL is more than an album and more than a sound. Cliched or not, this album is the completion of one hellish ride down a thousand roads….and a testament to the commitment and musicianship of ALL of ONCE DEAD’s members PAST and PRESENT.

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I love the album. I've already played in about a dozen times, if not more (I've actually lost track ). You can really hear some VR type riffs throughout the album. The guitar-work is amazing. Angelo is just a beast on the bass . . . really laying it down. Jim is just insane on the drums. And Devin gives the songs that edge they need. Fantastic album. Not a weak song on the album. I love the gang vocals. Old school!!!!

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The vocals are very metalcore. Other than that, it's vintage Vengeance thrash metal. This album is great! Oh yeah, "The Contract" is actually track 5 on the cd. Everything else is in the same order that's listed in the booklet.

My copy arrived.

Jammin' it right now.

Some great riffs. Excellent solos. Definitely hear some similarities to Hirax, such as the opening moments of "Devotion".

Production is very lacking, as has already been said. Disappointing for a group of metal legends like this. Doesn't sound like it's been mastered either.

Still, it's not so bad I can't enjoy it. I'll have to crank it in the Mustang to get a really good feel for it.

ult, I know you aren't this kind of person but if I were you I know I'd be listening to it saying "I can do that better".

If Rex gets paid for his work I will probably pick this one up. I was hearing a bit of VR vibe in the guitar work on the samples I have heard which interests me. However the vocals are something I'll just have to overlook.

Third spin (this one in my car with better speakers) and I'm really starting to dig this. I'm still not seeing the big deal about the drums and production. This is Thrash, after all, and the 80's vibe is big.

Spec....just today I thought to myself "I little VR, a little Ultimatum...." (for obvious reasons, I guess) it has that sound. The vocals are even O.K. to me.

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Production is very lacking, as has already been said. Disappointing for a group of metal legends like this. Doesn't sound like it's been mastered either.

So in other words it's a glorified demo?? I'm trying to decide whether to get this or not but i haven't seen a real review yet.

My autographed copy arrived in the mail. I'm very very disappointed in this CD. The songwriting is good and I like the guitar work. the production on the other hand is atrocious. It sounds very muddy. Also, I ordered this CDwhen ult was singing for Once dead. I wish he had sang on this cd. I don't like metalcore vocals and that's what Devin delivered. I work for a printing company so I might be a little nitpicky here but the the printing on the cover is not professional at all. Even the track listing on the Cd is out of order. Disappointing. I'm glad Glen went back to Hirax. He's better off there!

biddle wrote:

My autographed copy arrived in the mail. I'm very very disappointed in this CD. The songwriting is good and I like the guitar work. the production on the other hand is atrocious. It sounds very muddy. Also, I ordered this CDwhen ult was singing for Once dead. I wish he had sang on this cd. I don't like metalcore vocals and that's what Devin delivered. I work for a printing company so I might be a little nitpicky here but the the printing on the cover is not professional at all. Even the track listing on the Cd is out of order. Disappointing. I'm glad Glen went back to Hirax. He's better off there!

C'mon! It's not that bad. I listened to my copy on the way to and from work. I really like it. "Body Parts", "Devotion" and "The Contract" already stand out in my mind.

The vocals are a matter of taste. While I am not really a fan of metalcore for the most part, I don't think Devin's vocals are pure metalcore here. Some of the stuff he is doing is downright brutal.

The mix is a bit muddy and the snare isn't the best, but it's friggin' thrash metal! It's suppose to be raw and abrasive. The more I listened, the less the snare sound bothered me.

Yes, I know, I am a fanboy! What can I say? I've been a fan of these guys since the 80's.

I do agree about the printing. The cover looks like it was run on some sort of ink jet printer. It's not offset printing for sure.

ultmetal wrote:

biddle wrote:

My autographed copy arrived in the mail. I'm very very disappointed in this CD. The songwriting is good and I like the guitar work. the production on the other hand is atrocious. It sounds very muddy. Also, I ordered this CDwhen ult was singing for Once dead. I wish he had sang on this cd. I don't like metalcore vocals and that's what Devin delivered. I work for a printing company so I might be a little nitpicky here but the the printing on the cover is not professional at all. Even the track listing on the Cd is out of order. Disappointing. I'm glad Glen went back to Hirax. He's better off there!

C'mon! It's not that bad. I listened to my copy on the way to and from work. I really like it. "Body Parts", "Devotion" and "The Contract" already stand out in my mind.

The vocals are a matter of taste. While I am not really a fan of metalcore for the most part, I don't think Devin's vocals are pure metalcore here. Some of the stuff he is doing is downright brutal.

The mix is a bit muddy and the snare isn't the best, but it's friggin' thrash metal! It's suppose to be raw and abrasive. The more I listened, the less the snare sound bothered me.

Yes, I know, I am a fanboy! What can I say? I've been a fan of these guys since the 80's.

I do agree about the printing. The cover looks like it was run on some sort of ink jet printer. It's not offset printing for sure.

They definately had very little money to work with. I think based on the way this came out it would of been better to go with Larry's idea and just do it through itunes or something. The label didn't give them any money for a professional recording or packaging. Glenn said they paid out of their own pockets with credit cards.

opengraverecords wrote:

I'm not sure why anyone would feel that that printing was not done professionally, the printing was done by the same company that has done our last few releases. But what the hell do I know right? I actually like the gloss print, but once again I probably just ran these off on my laser printer.

I'm just going on reviews of other people and they keep talking about the laser printer look it has. I mean even the artist (Rex) first commented on it and ult who is very forgiving has said it too. I am looking for a thorough review of the disc so i can decide to get it or not.

we live in a sad world when a great and legendary group cant even get any label backing.

opengraverecords wrote:

I'm not sure why anyone would feel that that printing was not done professionally, the printing was done by the same company that has done our last few releases. But what the hell do I know right? I actually like the gloss print, but once again I probably just ran these off on my laser printer.

No one accused you of printing them on your ink jet. Biddle, Rex and I just happen to work for printing companies, so we know the difference between offset printing and digital printers.

The printing was not done on an offset printing press. These were printed on some sort of digital printer. The quality of digital printers are not as good as offset presses. Offset presses use dots to create the color out of CMYK inks. If you look very closely at most CD covers, you can see the dots. The tiny CMYK dots create a rosette pattern. All these little dots create the picture.

On a digital printer, instead of the small dots, you will see strips of color. These are made by the print head on the printer going back and forth and laying down layers of ink. Most of the best digital ink jet printers, those used by printing companies, are 600 dpi. Most offset presses run 150 - 200 dpi, or the equivalent of about 2400 dpi.

I wasn't criticizing, just agreeing with biddle's point.

sam wrote:

we live in a sad world when a great and legendary group cant even get any label backing.

They have a label, but they are not on a big label with tons of money to throw around. Most independent metal labels don't have money to pay for all the studio time it takes to record an album. They are barely making it and are doing it for the love of the music, moreso than the money. I think Open Grave would fall into that category. They are fans of the music and are doing all they can to promote the music and doing the best they can with the resources they have.