Bloodbath’s ‘Zombie Inferno’: Raw Multitracks & Death Metal Mix Tactics

Alright, let's tear into something truly brutal. We're diving deep into the raw multi-tracks for "Zombie Inferno" by the legendary Bloodbath, as featured in a Nail The Mix session with the original mixer, Lawrence McCrory. If you're into a face-melting concoction of thrash and classic death metal, this one's for you. The raw energy in these tracks is insane, and getting your hands on them is a goldmine for any aspiring or seasoned metal producer.

This isn't just about listening to a killer band; it's about understanding how a track this ferocious comes together from the ground up. We're talking about dissecting the tones, the performances, and the production choices that make "Zombie Inferno" an absolute monster.

Guitar Onslaught: Deconstructing the Riffage

Bloodbath is known for its punishing guitar work, and "Zombie Inferno" is no exception. The sheer power and precision are immediately apparent, even in the raw tracks.

Quad-Tracked Brutality & Tone Carving

Right off the bat, we’re hit with quad-tracked rhythm guitars. But it's not just four identical layers. There’s some smart tone carving going on here.
You've got two distinct tones working together:

1. A brutally scooped tone: This provides that classic, aggressive metal chug and low-end power.
2. A mid-range focused tone: This one fills out the sound, adding clarity, punch, and ensuring the guitars don't get lost in a wash of low-end.

Blending these two creates a massive, yet articulate, guitar sound. The scooped tone delivers the weight, while the mid-heavy tone brings in the definition. It's a fantastic example of tonal layering that just works.

The Center Guitar Anomaly

Here's something you don't see every day: a guitar panned right up the center. For "Zombie Inferno," it sounds like a more mid-range focused tone was used for this center guitar. This is a cool trick. Instead of relying solely on a heavily distorted bass top-end to fill the center, adding a dedicated guitar track can provide focus and aggression in a different way. It's a bold move that really beefs up the core of the mix.

DI's: The Reamping Playground (If You Dare)

Of course, you get the DI (Direct Input) tracks for all the guitars. While the provided amped tones are, frankly, perfect for this style – seriously, they're phenomenal – having the DIs offers a fantastic opportunity. Think you can craft something even more fitting or just want to practice your reamping skills? Go for it. But be warned, the bar is set incredibly high with these source tones. The picking articulation alone is ferocious; at 230 BPM with relentless sixteenth and eighth note gallops, that’s some serious right-hand finesse.

Leads & Solos: Channeling Florida Death Metal

The guitar solos and lead lines absolutely shred. There's a distinct vibe that harks back to early 90s Florida death metal, specifically evoking the legendary sound of Morbid Angel's "Covenant" era. It's raw, chaotic, yet perfectly placed. Again, DIs are provided, but the captured tones are dripping with character.

Laying the Low-End Foundation: Bass Dissection

The bass guitar in "Zombie Inferno" is a critical part of its crushing weight. Let's look at what we're working with.

Dissecting the Bass Tracks

You get a couple of key bass tracks:

• Bass DI: The clean, fundamental signal.
• B7K: This likely refers to a track processed with something like the Darkglass Microtubes B7K, known for its aggressive, clanky, and articulate distorted bass tones.
• PRLX: This probably points to a track processed with a plugin like Neural DSP's Parallax, which offers parallel distortion and EQ for versatile bass shaping.

When dealing with a DI and reamped or processed bass tracks, always check the phase relationship. Zoom in on those waveforms. Sometimes, the round trip through converters when reamping can introduce slight latency. Nudging one of the tracks a few milliseconds might tighten up the low-end significantly, or it might sound best as is. Trust your ears, but always investigate. Even out of the box, the combined bass stack sounds super mean.

Drum Annihilation: Home Studio Powerhouse

One of the most impressive aspects of these "Zombie Inferno" multi-tracks is the drum recording. Reportedly tracked at the drummer's home studio, the quality and performance are astounding.

The Drummer's Prowess

The performance is top-tier. The consistency, the dynamics, the control – it's inspiring. The fills are executed with precision and power. This isn't just about hitting hard; it's about controlled aggression. Just look at the snare hit waveforms – insanely consistent. This level of playing makes the recording (and later, the mixing) process so much smoother.

Individual Drum Breakdown

Let's peek at the individual channels:

• Kick: A very clean, punchy signal. It sounds like it might have been gated during tracking, or just expertly muffled. You could potentially get away without using samples on this kick and still achieve a brutal sound.
• Snare Top & Bottom: Both are very well-recorded with a great signal-to-noise ratio. As always with snare bottom, check the polarity. Flip it and see if it sounds fuller or hollows out. In this case, the original polarity seemed to work best, but it's a crucial check every time.
• Toms: Four toms of absolute fury, plus some Roto Toms for that classic percussive spice. They sound huge and well-captured, especially during those lightning-fast fills.
• Overheads (Left & Right): The cymbals sound really good – clear and not overly harsh.
• Hi-Hat & Ride: Dedicated mics for both, providing excellent separation and control. The hi-hat is crisp, and the ride has a nice ping.
• Chinas: Essential for this style, and they cut through nicely.

To Sample or Not to Sample?

With drums this well-played and well-recorded, the question arises: why even use samples? The natural attack, decay, and dynamic range are all there. This is the kind of session where you can confidently go for a more organic, yet still powerful, drum sound. The drummer's skill directly contributes to how good these raw tracks sound; high skill means better signal-to-noise and more impactful hits.

Room Mics (Or Lack Thereof)

Interestingly, there are no dedicated room mics. This often indicates recording in a smaller, more controlled space. For a thrashy, death-metally song like this, a dryer, more direct drum sound can be very effective. It keeps things tight and aggressive, especially at such high tempos. You can always create your own ambience with reverbs or room simulators if needed, but starting dry gives you maximum flexibility.

Capturing the Undead: Vocal Mayhem

The vocals on "Zombie Inferno" are distinctive and perfectly suit the theme.

The Spoken-Word Guttural

The vocal style is a kind of heavy, gritty, spoken-word delivery rather than sustained screams. The raw tracks appear to be largely uncompressed, which is great as it gives you full control. The challenge here will be to achieve a loud, clear, and upfront vocal that cuts through the dense instrumentation without the natural compression and projection that comes from a full-throated scream. Careful automation and strategic processing will be key.

The Zombie Mob & VHS Vibe

Adding to the character, there's a "Zombie Mob" track in the bridge – pure, unadulterated fun that shows the band doesn't take itself too seriously. And to top it off, a "VHS" intro track. These creative touches add so much personality and are a blast to incorporate into the mix. It's "level 99 cred" right there.

The Mix Challenge: Enhancing, Not Overdoing

These Bloodbath tracks are a masterclass in raw production. Everything sits surprisingly well together even before any faders are moved. This presents a unique challenge:

• Preserving Raw Energy: The tracks are ferocious on their own. Your job is to enhance that, not tame it.
• Avoiding Overprocessing:1 With such quality source material, it's easy to get carried away with EQ and compression. Sometimes, less is more. Overdoing it can paradoxically make the mix sound smaller.
• Balance and Clarity: At 230 BPM with this much going on, achieving clarity while maintaining the aggression is crucial.

The main goal is to take the existing energy and skillfully amplify it, ensuring every element has its place without sacrificing the overall vibe.

Get Your Hands on These Tracks & Learn from the Pros with Nail The Mix

So, you've had a glimpse into the raw power of Bloodbath's "Zombie Inferno." These are the kinds of high-quality, professionally recorded multi-tracks you get access to every month with Nail The Mix. Imagine not just hearing about these techniques, but watching the original mixer, Lawrence McCrory, build the mix from scratch, explaining every decision along the way.

When you sign up for Nail The Mix, you get:

• Monthly Multi-Tracks: From bands like Bloodbath, Gojira, Periphery, and more. Download the Bloodbath "Zombie Inferno" multi-tracks here.
• Live Mixing Sessions: Watch the pros mix these songs live, ask questions, and learn their workflows.
• Portfolio Builder: Access a massive library of additional multi-tracks across various rock and metal subgenres to practice your skills and build your professional portfolio.
• The Mix Lab: Bite-sized tutorials on specific topics like EQ, compression, mastering, and more.

And if you're serious about taking your mixing skills to an elite level, check out NTM Enhance. This upgrade unlocks:

• The Fast Track Vault: Deep-dive courses on every aspect of mixing, from foundational concepts to advanced techniques.
• Mix Rescue: Watch pros open up subscriber mixes and show how they'd improve them.
• One-on-Ones: Get personalized feedback and guidance from experienced mixing engineers.
• Supportive Community: Connect with thousands of like-minded producers in a positive and helpful environment.

Ready to transform your mixes? Don't just read about it. Dive in, download the Bloodbath multi-tracks, and start learning how to mix modern metal beyond presets. If you truly want to unlock your sound and elevate your productions, this is your chance. Happy mixing!