Lorna Shore “To The Hellfire” Mixing Tutorial: Josh Schroeder’s Masterclass

Will Ramos’s vocal performance on Lorna Shore’s “To The Hellfire” is nothing short of legendary. That ridiculous range, the guttural lows, the piercing highs, and the sheer power just blew everyone away. But how do you take such an immense performance and make it sit perfectly in an already dense and brutal mix? We dove into how Josh Schroeder tackled this monumental task, and there are some killer takeaways for your own metal productions.

If you’re ready to see these techniques in action and get your hands on the multitracks, you can check out the full Lorna Shore “To The Hellfire” session on Nail The Mix.

The Foundation: Heavy Lifting Before the DAW

Josh emphasizes that a lot of the core vocal sound for “To The Hellfire” was achieved before the audio even hit his Pro Tools session. This is a crucial concept many mixers preach: get it right at the source.

Pre-DAW Saturation and Compression

The vocals were already heavily compressed and clipped, with significant saturation, likely from high-end hardware like Neve preamps or similar units). This approach provides a few key benefits:

• Aggressive Character: Heavy compression and saturation right off the bat bake in that aggressive, upfront, and “blown-up” vocal sound that’s essential for modern metal. It brings out the grit and texture in Will’s performance.
• Consistency: By taming the dynamics significantly on the way in, the vocal tracks are much more consistent, making them easier to sit in the mix without constant volume automation later. This is a huge time-saver and helps maintain energy.
• Minimal Track Processing: Because the vocals sound “pretty good right there” (as Josh puts it) coming into the session, the individual vocal tracks themselves often need very little, if any, additional EQ or compression. This keeps the session clean and focused.

This heavy-handed approach to initial compression is a common theme in extreme metal, ensuring the vocals never get lost.

Crafting the Overall Vocal Bus

With the individual tracks already sounding powerful, Josh focuses his efforts on the main vocal bus, where all of Will’s primary vocal layers are sent. This is where the real shaping and polishing happens.

De-Essing and Enhancing Grit

First up, a de-esser is used, but not just to tame sibilance (‘s’ and ‘sh’ sounds). It’s about finding a balance. The goal is to enhance the “disgusting texture” and grit in Will’s voice, making sure it’s upfront, while simultaneously controlling those harsh frequencies that can be fatiguing or unpleasant. This allows the character of the vocal to shine without the unwanted sonic artifacts.

Sculpting with EQ and Multiband Compression

Next, some strategic EQ and multiband compression come into play.

• Initial Multiband: A touch of multiband compression helps keep frequencies from building up in problematic areas that might clash with other instruments. This is a proactive move to ensure clarity.
• EQ for Foundation and Brightness: Further EQ sculpts the core foundation of the vocals, adding brightness and rolling off some more low-end to ensure the vocals cut through without muddying the mix.
• Targeted Multiband for Layers (FabFilter Pro-MB): Josh uses another instance of FabFilter Pro-MB specifically to address issues that arise when multiple vocal layers start stacking up, particularly in sections like the chorus. As layers combine, certain frequencies can become overbearing and start to “compete” with drums or bass. This Pro-MB dynamically tames those build-ups only when they occur, keeping the overall vocal sound consistent and powerful without becoming overwhelming.

Adding Width and Space

To give the vocals some stereo presence and prevent them from sounding too dry or mono, a couple of classic techniques are employed:

• Vocal Doubler: A subtle vocal doubler is used across the entire vocal bus to widen the stereo image, making the vocals feel larger and more enveloping.
• Reverb (Waves R-Verb – New York Plate): Good old Waves R-Verb, specifically a “New York Plate” preset or similar, is used to give the vocals a sense of space. It’s not about drenching them in reverb, but just enough to lift them out of the mix slightly and prevent them from sounding unnaturally dry against the rest of the heavily processed instrumentation.

Taming Peaks

Finally, a gentle compressor on the main vocal bus helps to tame any remaining offensive peaks that might stick out, further controlling the dynamic range and ensuring a smooth, consistent vocal delivery.

Creative Layering and Panning for Maximum Impact

One of the standout aspects of “To The Hellfire” is the dynamic use of vocal layers. Josh Schroeder masterfully manipulates these layers to build intensity and create distinct sonic landscapes for different sections of the song.

Building Density and Mono Compatibility

Josh often starts with a more focused vocal sound, perhaps a main vocal with another layer tucked underneath it, but kept relatively mono in its spatial occupation. This is achieved by bussing some layers to a stereo pair but keeping the panning tight. This keeps the initial vocal presence powerful and centered.

Widening for Breakdowns

When the song hits a breakdown, like the first big one, the approach shifts. This is where Will Ramos has numerous layers stacked. Instead of keeping them narrow, Josh pans these layers out wide.

• Creating Dynamics: This shift from a narrower vocal in the verse or pre-chorus to a wide, massive vocal in the breakdown creates a huge dynamic impact. It makes the breakdown feel even bigger and more crushing.
• Making Room: In sections with intricate guitar work, keeping vocals narrower allows the guitars to occupy more of the stereo field. In chug-heavy breakdowns, the guitars are often more rhythmically focused and less melodically complex, freeing up stereo space for the vocals to expand and dominate.

The goal is to make each part of the song feel unique and avoid a monotonous wall of sound. In a song as dense as “To The Hellfire,” these creative panning and layering choices are essential for taking the listener on a “nice ride.”

Navigating Transitions and Vocal Density

Adding layers is easy, but how do you transition out of a massively layered section back into something more restrained without it sounding abrupt or weak? Josh employs some clever “sleight of hand.”

The “Sleight of Hand” Transition

After a huge, wide breakdown, the song might need to transition to a pre-chorus that requires a smaller, more focused vocal sound to set up an even bigger chorus. Josh uses the song’s tempo change as a distraction.

• Tempo Change as Misdirection: When a significant tempo shift occurs, it naturally grabs the listener’s attention. During this moment of focus on the rhythm change, Josh subtly fades out some of the extra vocal layers from the breakdown.
• Adding Delay: A touch of delay (like a quarter note ping-pong or similar) can also be introduced on the vocals during this transition. This helps to smooth out the fading layers and create a sense of movement into the new section.

Thinning Out Vocals for Contrast

To further prepare for a more restrained pre-chorus after a heavy section, Josh might discuss with Will having him perform a line that transitions from low to extremely high. This serves multiple purposes:

• Natural Thinning: A very high vocal performance will naturally have less body and low-end, making it sound “thinner.”
• EQ and Reverb Enhancement: Josh can then use EQ to further thin out this transitional high vocal, perhaps rolling off more lows and mids, and add more reverb to send it into the “stratosphere.” This creates a stark contrast to the previous dense layers.
• Setting Up the Next Section: This thinned-out, reverberant high vocal then transitions smoothly into a pre-chorus that might feature a single, powerful high-mid vocal. This pre-chorus vocal, even as a single layer, will feel strong and impactful because of the contrast with the transitional element.

By the time the pre-chorus hits, the vocals are back to basics (e.g., a single powerful layer), allowing the subsequent chorus to hit with full force, utilizing “every single vocal layer trick in the book.”

Bringing It All Together

Mixing vocals like Will Ramos’s in a track as intense as Lorna Shore’s “To The Hellfire” is a masterclass in balancing raw power with intelligibility and dynamic interest. Josh Schroeder’s approach relies on:

• Solid Pre-Processing: Getting the vocal sound aggressive and controlled before it even hits the DAW.
• Strategic Bus Processing: Using tools like de-essers, EQs (check out our EQ strategies for metal), and multiband compressors to sculpt the overall vocal character.
• Dynamic Layering and Panning: Using width and density to make different sections hit with unique impact.
• Clever Transitions: Employing “sleight of hand” techniques to move between sections seamlessly.

These are powerful techniques you can apply to your own metal mixes. Imagine getting to see exactly how Josh Schroeder dials in these settings, automates his tracks, and makes every decision from start to finish. With Nail The Mix, you get exactly that – access to the raw multitracks from huge metal songs and the chance to watch the original producers mix them, explaining their entire process.

If you want to dive deeper into the specific techniques used on “To The Hellfire,” including all the plugin settings and routing, be sure to check out the full Lorna Shore mixing session with Josh Schroeder. And if you’re looking to truly elevate your productions beyond presets, explore how you can Unlock Your Sound: Mixing Modern Metal Beyond Presets.