Learn to Mix From the Best Rock & Metal Producers
Dave Otero mixes "Drone Corpse Aviator" by Archspire, "Dying will be the Death of Me" by Cephalic Carnage & "Somniloquy" by Akhlys
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Archspire’s “Drone Corpse Aviator” is one of the most intense, tightly executed tracks in modern tech death—and arguably one of their most defining songs to date. Featured on the 2021 album *Bleed the Future*, this track embodies surgery-level precision, breakneck tempos, and impossibly dense arrangements that set a new bar for the genre. Between the ten steps-per-second riffing and hyper-mechanical phrasing, this is technical death metal in its most extreme, forward-pushing form.
The mix comes courtesy of longtime Archspire collaborator Dave Otero (Flatline Audio), known for crafting massive, razor-focused productions for bands like Cattle Decapitation, Allegaeon, and Cephalic Carnage. Otero’s ability to preserve articulation in dense, hyper-detailed material makes him one of the go-to engineers for modern high-velocity metal. With Archspire, he strikes a fine balance between surgical clarity and aggressive impact, shaping arrangements packed with non-stop information into a mix that still breathes.
From a production standpoint, this session is a goldmine. The multitracks feature staggered rhythm guitars recorded across several layers, some clocking in at nearly 300 BPM. Drum editing and triggering is extremely meticulous, with complex ghost note handling and fast stereo cymbal movement. Vocally, Oli Peters’ rapid-fire delivery demanded surgical comping and automation to maintain intelligibility without flattening his dynamic expression. You’ll also see how Dave uses parallel saturation, narrow EQ cuts, surgical midrange balancing, and heavy sidechain interplay to make everything translate without frequency collisions.
Download the “Drone Corpse Aviator” multitracks and challenge yourself to mix one of the most technically demanding songs in modern metal. If you’re serious about leveling up your precision and control in extreme genre production, this is a must-study session.
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