Loathe’s ‘New Faces In The Dark’: Cinematic Sound Design & Raw Tracks

Ever cranked up Loathe's "New Faces In The Dark" and wondered how they build that dense, atmospheric, and crushingly heavy sound? We recently got an exclusive peek inside the raw multitracks from their Nail The Mix session with producer George Lever, and it's a goldmine for anyone into modern metal production. Forget polished stems; we're talking about the genuine, unprocessed session files – faders at zero, ready for a deep dive. What we found was a masterclass in blending raw aggression with incredibly detailed and cinematic sound design. Let’s unbox some of these elements.

The Ground Floor: Raw Guitars and Amp Sim Power

Before you even get to the fancy stuff, the foundation has to be solid. This session for "New Faces In The Dark" starts with the core band elements, and the guitars are a great place to begin.

Stripped Back: The Initial Pro Tools View

Imagine opening the Pro Tools session: all the faders are at unity, pans are set for a basic stereo image, and that’s it. This is the real starting point, offering a transparent look at what George Lever had to work with. It’s a reminder that even the most complex mixes begin with individual, unprocessed tracks.

Neuro DSP & The Quest for Loathe's Guitar Tone

George Lever mentioned using Neuro DSP amp sims for the guitars in the original production. In the unboxing, the DIs (Direct Inputs) were fired up with the Fortin Nameless suite from Neuro DSP. What’s cool is that even with no tweaking – literally just loading the plugin on the DI track – the tone was already sounding "pretty sick" and "beefy." This speaks volumes about the quality of the DI signal itself and the power of modern amp sims.

Building the Wall of Sound: DIs and Layering

The core guitar sound relies on these DIs, providing a clean slate for amp sim sculpting. For those ultra-heavy moments, the session reveals additional layers, including quad-tracked guitars with carefully panned octave parts. This isn't just about making it louder; it's about adding width, depth, and serious impact, a common technique for achieving that massive modern metal guitar sound. Getting your EQ right on these layers is crucial to avoid a muddy mess.

Crafting Nightmares: The Art of Production & Sound Design

This Loathe track isn't just guitars, bass, drums, and vocals. It’s teeming with production elements that elevate it into something truly unique and atmospheric. The sheer track count dedicated to these elements is notable, showing how much emphasis was placed on sound design, especially when a relatively simple arrangement gives these production layers space to breathe and create distinct scene changes within the song.

Evocative Textures: The "Shy" and "Silent" Elements

Early on, a track simply labeled "Shy" introduces a "scary effect" that immediately sets a distinct, unsettling mood. Later, another layer dubbed "Silent" brings in what can only be described as a "Silent Hill vibe" – creepy, atmospheric, and perfect for the track's darker moments. It’s these kinds of custom sound design choices, reminiscent of PlayStation 2-era horror games like Silent Hill and Resident Evil, that give the song its cinematic edge.

Percussive Oddities: Beyond the Drum Kit

Loathe and Lever didn't stop at traditional drum sounds. The session includes:

• Drum Piano: Yes, you read that right. A track labeled "Drum Piano" features a sound that appears to be someone literally drumming on a piano. It’s a unique, almost percussive melodic texture that adds an unexpected layer.
• Anvil & Fire Extinguisher: To give the snare hits extra oomph and character, especially in impactful sections, sounds like an anvil and even a fire extinguisher are layered in. These aren't just for show; they’re strategically placed to supplement the main snare, adding weight and a distinct industrial crack. This kind of creative layering is a fantastic way to make your drums cut through a dense mix.

Vocal Presence: Effects, Layers, and Starting Points

The vocals in "New Faces In The Dark" are just as characterful as the instrumentation.

Printed Effects: A Deliberate Choice

Interestingly, some vocal effects, like delays and a megaphone-style distortion, are already printed onto the tracks. This is a bold move, as it commits to a certain sound early on. However, it also provides a clear creative direction and helps the mixer (and anyone learning from these tracks on Nail The Mix) understand the intended vibe from the get-go, ensuring the instrumental complements the vocal's established character.

Layering for Impact and Clarity

Beyond the printed effects, there's clever vocal layering. For instance, a heavily effected stereo vocal track (with that printed delay and megaphone sound) is complemented by another vocal in the center channel that's less distorted. This combination ensures the vocal cuts through with its unique character while still maintaining a degree of intelligibility. Finding the right EQ balance between these layers is key to making them sit well together.

The Drum Conundrum: From Vintage Vibe to Modern Slam

One of the most fascinating insights from George Lever’s notes for the NTM session concerns the drums.

The Original Kit: A Vintage Approach

The raw drum tracks provided were recorded with a very vintage approach. Think toms with no resonant heads, giving them a thuddy, quick decay. While cool and vibey, this sound apparently wasn't quite cutting it for the sheer power needed on the final record.

Augmentation for Impact: The Role of Samples

To achieve that pummeling, modern metal drum sound that Loathe is known for, George had to augment these vintage-sounding shells with samples. This is a common and crucial technique in modern metal production. It’s not about replacing the original performance but enhancing it, adding consistency, punch, and the necessary attack to compete with heavy guitars and intense vocals. Learning how to blend live drums with samples effectively is a skill every metal producer needs. Making these augmented drums feel cohesive often involves careful use of bus compression to glue them together with the original shells, ensuring the final drum sound is both powerful and unified.

Your Turn to Mix Loathe: Learn from the Source

Unboxing these raw tracks is more than just a fun listening exercise; it’s a gateway to understanding professional production on a deeper level.
The beauty of platforms like Nail The Mix is that you get these exact multi-tracks. You can see how George Lever took these elements – the vintage drums, the DIs, the incredible sound design – and sculpted them into the final monster mix of "New Faces In The Dark." Each month, NTM offers a new set of multi-tracks from a top artist, along with a live-streamed class where the original producer mixes the song from scratch, explaining every plugin, every fader move, and every creative decision.

Want to go beyond presets and truly unlock your sound in modern metal mixing? This is how you do it. You get access to exclusive plugins, a massive back catalog of tutorials, and a community of like-minded producers. Plus, there are monthly mix contests with awesome prizes from brands like STL Tones, Neural DSP (who Loathe uses!), Sound Radix, and many more, giving you a chance to test your skills.

Loathe's "New Faces In The Dark" is a testament to creative sound design, impactful layering, and the artful blend of raw performance with meticulous production. From the Neuro DSP-driven guitar tones and eerie atmospheric samples to the cleverly processed vocals and sample-augmented drums, every element serves the song's intense and cinematic vision.
If you're looking to dissect these techniques and apply them to your own music, getting your hands on these multi-tracks and learning directly from producers like George Lever is an unparalleled opportunity.