Lamb Of God Vocal Grit: Machine’s Decapitator & De-Esser Tricks

Lamb Of God. The name alone conjures images of relentless riffs and, of course, Randy Blythe’s iconic, aggressive vocals. But how do you take that raw power and make it sit perfectly in a dense metal mix, adding thickness and presence without losing clarity? We got an inside look at how legendary producer Machine (known for his work with LoG, Clutch, Every Time I Die) tackled Randy’s vocals for "Redneck," specifically using some killer distortion and de-essing techniques. If you’re looking to add some serious character to your heavy vocals, these insights are gold.

This comes straight from Machine's Nail The Mix session, where he broke down his entire mix of this monumental track. You can dive even deeper and get the full session with multitracks over at Nail The Mix – Lamb Of God.

The Decapitator Difference: Distortion as EQ for Vocal Thickness

When Randy’s lead vocal track for "Redneck" came up, Machine’s first thought wasn’t subtle EQ. It was, "This could definitely benefit from distortion." For him, this wasn't just about adding fuzz; it was a "motherfucking invitation" to sculpt the tone in a way clean processing can't.

Why Distortion on Vocals?

Sometimes, a vocal needs more than just a frequency boost; it needs character, attitude, and density. This is where a versatile distortion plugin like Soundtoys Decapitator becomes a secret weapon. Machine considers Decapitator his "best friend," often using it almost like a channel strip due to its powerful tone-shaping capabilities.

Decapitator as a Channel Strip

Instead of just blending in a little distortion, Machine often cranks Decapitator to be mostly wet. Why? Because this allows its built-in EQ and tone controls (like the "Tone" knob, "High Cut," and "Low Cut") to work much more effectively on the distorted signal. He focuses the distortion around specific areas to enhance the vocal. For Randy's lead, he wanted to add power and presence.

For more on how EQ shapes metal, check out our EQ Strategies for Mixing Modern Metal hub.

Targeting Low-End Beef with Attitude

For a section of Randy's vocals that felt a bit "brittle on the mid and highs," Machine had a specific goal: add beef to the low end, but distortion beef for that extra attitude. He compared it to the difference between a Marshall and a Mesa Boogie amp.

• Marshall: Tends to focus its distortion and punch around the mid-range, with a cleaner low end. Randy's vocal initially had this character – crunchy in the mids, but cleaner in the lows.
• Mesa Boogie: Known for its full-range shred, distorting lows, mids, and highs.

Machine wanted that Mesa Boogie-style low-end distortion for Randy's vocals to give them thickness and presence without making the mids or highs harsher. With Decapitator, he could isolate the distortion to the lower frequencies of Randy's voice. By engaging the "Punish" button for more intensity and then using the "Low Cut" and "Tone" controls, he sculpted that distorted low-end, then blended it in subtly with the wet/dry mix knob.

This technique is a prime example of distortion as EQ. You're not just adding harmonics; you're shaping the tonal balance with an aggressive edge that a standard EQ can't replicate. This adds weight and character that helps the vocal command attention in a busy mix. While distortion adds harmonic content, thoughtful use can also introduce a type of dynamic control, similar to what you might achieve with advanced compression techniques.

Taming Sung Doubles: The Over-De-Essing Trick

Lamb Of God isn't exactly known for clean, melodic singing. So, when you encounter sung parts, especially doubles meant to subtly support the main vocal, making them blend in seamlessly is key. Machine shared a brilliant trick for a sung bridge section where Randy layered some melodic doubles.

The Challenge of Sung Parts in Heavy Vocals

According to Machine, Randy might even be a bit "insecure" about these sung parts, so the goal is to hide them effectively. You want their melodic contribution and thickness without them obviously sounding like layered, clean singing.

De-Essing to the Extreme with Soothe2

One of the biggest giveaways for layered vocals, especially sung ones, can be the sibilance – those "S" and "T" sounds. If they're not perfectly aligned, you get a flamming effect that sounds amateur. Machine’s solution? Over de-ess the doubles, almost to the point where the singer sounds like they have a speech impediment if you solo the track.

He mentioned using a powerful de-essing tool, specifically referencing oeksound Soothe2, which is fantastic for taming resonant frequencies and sibilance dynamically. By really clamping down on the sibilance of the doubles, you achieve a very specific effect.

Why It Works

When you aggressively de-ess the doubles:

1. The "S" sounds don't flam: The sharp, cutting edge of the sibilance is dulled, preventing it from clashing with the lead vocal's sibilance.
2. The doubles blend and disguise: The lack of sharp transients in the high frequencies helps the doubles tuck under the lead vocal. They add harmonic content and thickness without drawing attention to themselves as separate vocal lines.

Machine applied this heavy de-essing (using Soothe2) to both doubled tracks in the sung bridge, ensuring those "S" sounds didn't compete or stick out. It’s a purposeful way to make the doubles do their job subtly.

Putting It All Together

These vocal mixing techniques from Machine showcase how thoughtful use of distortion and de-essing can elevate a powerful vocal performance like Randy Blythe's:

• Use Soundtoys Decapitator as a surgical tool: Don't just slap it on. Use it mostly wet and engage its tone-shaping features to add character and presence precisely where needed.
• Think of distortion as EQ: Add low-end "beef" with attitude by focusing distortion on specific frequency ranges.
• Tame sung doubles with extreme de-essing: Use a plugin like Soothe2 to heavily de-ess backing or doubled sung vocals to make them blend seamlessly and avoid sibilance issues.

These are just a couple of the killer insights Machine dropped during his Lamb Of God "Redneck" Nail The Mix session.

Learn From The Pros & Mix Real Metal Tracks

Want to see exactly how Machine dials in Decapitator, sets up his de-essers, and makes countless other critical mixing decisions on a track like "Redneck"? At Nail The Mix, you get to watch world-class producers mix iconic metal songs from scratch, using the actual multitracks. You get the raw tracks, the producer's guidance, and a community of fellow metalheads to learn with.

If you're ready to move beyond presets and truly understand how to craft pro-level metal mixes, explore how you can Unlock Your Sound: Mixing Modern Metal Beyond Presets. Stop guessing and start learning from the best in the business.