Mixing Decapitated’s “Just A Cigarette”: Mastering 118 Tracks of Polish Death Metal

Alright, let's talk about a band that defines Polish death metal: Decapitated. And specifically, their monstrous track "Just A Cigarette." If you've ever wanted to peek behind the curtain of a truly massive and intricate metal session, this is it. We're diving into the raw multi-tracks, as unboxed by Joel Wanasek for Nail The Mix, where the legendary David Castillo (who also produced and recorded these beasts) takes the helm for the mixing session. With a staggering 118 tracks to wrangle, this session is a goldmine for learning how to tackle complex modern metal productions. So, let's break down some of the awesome elements and the mixing puzzles you'll encounter.

Conquering Vogg's Wall of Guitars

First things first: the guitars. Vogg is undeniably one of metal's most respected and technically gifted guitarists. His pick attack is insane, and the sheer power and tightness he delivers are legendary. This session truly showcases that.

The Multi-Mic Juggernaut

When you open this session, prepare for a "holy guitar tracks" moment. We're talking quad-tracked rhythm guitars, and it sounds like there were four or five microphones used per cabinet or amp. Just imagine all those layers summed together – the potential for a colossal tone is immense, but so is the challenge of making it all work. You can hear Vogg's picking articulation cutting through, even with all those doubles. It’s a testament to his precision.

Strategies for Taming the Tones

So, how do you handle this much guitar? One key strategy is to create sub-mixes or stems.

• Blend and Bounce: For each quad-tracked part, you could blend the various mic signals for one amp/cab into a single, cohesive, and "sick" tone. Think about carefully phase-aligning these mic signals (a nudge here, a polarity flip there, or tools like Sound Radix Pi can be your friend) and then EQing them to complement each other. Once you’ve got that killer blend, bounce it down to a new stereo or mono stem.
• Manageable Chunks: This approach reduces your track count significantly, making the overall session much more manageable. You can then process these guitar stems as unified blocks, applying further EQ or compression to glue them into the mix.

Don't forget the clean guitars either! There are some awesome riffs here that are described as "so pretty, but dark and sinister at the same time." These will need their own space and treatment to shine through the heaviness. You can get your hands on these very multi-tracks over at Nail The Mix’s Decapitated session page.

Bass Craft: Balancing Power and Nuance

Underpinning Vogg's guitar onslaught is a formidable bass. The session provides four channels: a DI, a condenser mic, and an amp head signal ("ahead"). This variety is fantastic for tonal shaping.

Given the extreme dynamics in "Just A Cigarette," you'll definitely want some bass distortion to help it cut through and match the intensity of the guitars. However, during the cleaner, more atmospheric sections, you might want to dial back the aggression.

• Automation is Key: Consider automating the levels of your different bass tracks. For instance, you might rely more on the DI for cleaner parts for its fundamental clarity, then bring in the distorted amp and condenser mic signals to add grit and weight when the song kicks into high gear.
• Muting for Clarity: You could even mute some of the more distorted or aggressive bass tracks entirely during sparse sections to maintain dynamic contrast and prevent muddiness.

The producer providing these distinct tonal options right out of the gate gives you a massive head start in crafting a bass sound that can be both brutal and articulate.

Vocal Brutality Meets Clarity

The vocals in "Just A Cigarette" are raw and powerful – exactly what you’d expect from Decapitated. While the recorded tracks are excellent, there are a couple of common challenges in mixing extreme metal vocals:

• Taming Transients: Aggressive plosives (those hard "P" and "B" sounds) and general mouth noise can become distracting if not controlled. Careful editing with clip gain, or the use of a dynamic EQ or a fast-acting compressor on problematic consonants, can work wonders.
• The Clarity vs. Aggression Balance: The eternal quest! You want the vocals to sound absolutely brutal and full of raw energy, but the lyrics still need to be intelligible. This often involves surgical EQ to notch out resonant frequencies or boost presence, and potentially some parallel processing to add aggression without sacrificing clarity.

It’s going to be exciting to see how David Castillo tackles this balance in his Nail The Mix session.

Drum Dissection: The Art of Separation

Now, for the drums – holy moly, there are a LOT of drum tracks! And there's a particularly cool recording technique at play here that offers incredible flexibility.

The Split Performance Technique

You'll notice two kick drums (left and right) and some extra kick tracks recorded separately. But the really impressive part is how David Castillo, as the producer/engineer, approached the core drum recording: he split the performance.

• Hands and Feet Apart: This means the drummer recorded their hands (playing the snare, toms, cymbals, captured by overheads and spot mics) in separate passes from their feet (playing the kick drums).
• Why Do This? For extreme metal with blisteringly fast double kick patterns, this technique allows for maximum cleanliness and control. It minimizes kick drum bleed into overheads and cymbal mics, and vice-versa. Imagine trying to get a tight, punchy kick sound when it’s swimming in cymbal wash – this method helps avoid that.
• Olympic Level Drumming: Pulling this off requires an insane level of skill and ambidexterity from the drummer. They essentially have to "turn off" half their body and play complex parts perfectly in time, then do the same for the other half. It's a testament to the drummer's incredible talent.

Benefits for the Mix Engineer

This separation is a gift for the mix engineer:

• Ultimate Control: You can process the kicks (think gating, EQ, compression) without worrying about how it affects the cymbals, and vice-versa for the overheads.
• Cleaner, Punchier Sound: The result is often a much tighter, more defined, and powerful drum sound, which is crucial for a dense, aggressive mix like this. The tightness of the performance captured this way is described as "just ridiculous."

Beyond the Core: Leads and Polish

Of course, there are also some killer lead guitar parts, noted for their clean picking and articulation. All these elements – the layered guitars, the dynamic bass, the brutal-yet-clear vocals, and the meticulously recorded drums – come together to create the sonic assault that is "Just A Cigarette."

Mix Decapitated Yourself with Nail The Mix

Feeling inspired? Or maybe a little intimidated? The best way to learn how to tackle a session like this is to dive in yourself.
You can get the full multi-tracks for Decapitated's "Just A Cigarette" when you subscribe to Nail The Mix. For October 2022, you get to watch the original producer/mixer, David Castillo, mix this beast from scratch, explaining his every move live. Plus, once you've got a month's content, you have lifetime access to it.

And it gets better! Nail The Mix hosts a monthly mix competition with an insane prize package. We're talking top-tier headphones, cables, plugins, microphones (like a JZ Microphone up to $1000!), mastering services, URM Academy courses, JST Tone bundles, Drumforge samples, Sonnox bundles, Submission Audio collections, and more! Someone’s going to walk away with a serious studio upgrade.

Your Nail The Mix subscription also unlocks:

• Mix Lab: Over 150 bite-sized video tutorials on specific topics like guitar tones, vocal processing, drum mixing, and much more.
• Portfolio Builder: A collection of multi-tracks in various genres (including mastering practice tracks) you can use to hone your skills and build your professional portfolio.

Supercharge Your Skills with URM Enhanced

If you're ready to get super serious and deep-dive into the art and science of mixing, check out URM Enhanced. You can try your first month for just $1!
URM Enhanced includes:

• Fast Track Library: Over 150 hours of in-depth courses on crucial topics like mastering EQ, taming dynamics with compression, fader balancing, and more. These aren't just quick tips; they're comprehensive, structured learning paths.
• One-on-Ones: Book 20-minute sessions with URM staff for personalized feedback on your mixes, career advice, or to discuss any production hurdles you're facing.
• Mix Rescue: Submit your mix (in your DAW of choice!), and a pro mixer will open it up, identify areas for improvement, and show you how to take it to the next level.

You can learn more and upgrade at Nail The Mix: Unlock Your Sound.

So, there you have it – a glimpse into the massive and exciting session for Decapitated's "Just A Cigarette." Enjoy the challenge, learn from David Castillo, and happy mixing!