Heaviness in
Metal Music
Production

'Heaviness in Metal Music Production' (HiMMP) explores heaviness as the metal genre's central quality feature. Our aim is to show how heaviness is created sonically, how leading metal producers define it, and how they meticulously control its various aspects when mixing recordings.

Project Archive & Key Outputs

The Complete Dataset

Access the full multitrack of 'In Solitude', all producer mixes, stems, and video interviews.

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Project Publications

Explore academic articles, book chapters, and other scholarly resources from the project.

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Producer Videos & Mixes

Watch in-depth interviews and compare the final audio mixes from our producers.

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Project Completed

The HiMMP research project has now concluded. Several outputs are still forthcoming and will be made available on this website as they are finalized. This website will be regularly updated and remain online as a resource for metal music (production) scholars, producers, artists, and anybody else who may be interested in the topic of heaviness in metal music production.

About HiMMP

Ever since Black Sabbath released their self-titled debut album in 1970, metal music has been on a quest for greater heaviness. This pursuit has led to increasingly extreme performances and specialised recording techniques. But it is not just about pushing the limits of human performance; advancements in music production, such as layering guitar sounds, enhancing drums, and digital editing, have played a crucial role in creating hyperreal performances and powerful, 'heavy' sounds. Our aim was to gain a better understanding of what defines 'heaviness', exploring how it is captured and conveyed in the production process.

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Our Approach

Heaviness in metal music results from a complex interplay of genre, composition, performance, and mixing techniques. We explored this intricate relationship to understand how these elements shape the producer's personal style, aesthetic vision, and adherence to genre conventions. By collaborating with eight producers on a single song, 'In Solitude', we studied the diverse approaches to mixing the track and creating heaviness.

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Forthcoming Books

Heaviness in Metal Music Production, Volume 1

Volume 1: How and Why It Works

Heaviness in Metal Music Production, Volume 2

Volume 2: Learn from the Masters

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Access the Dataset

The dataset comprises the raw multi-track recording for own mixing experiments, the mixes and mixing stems of the producers, the video interviews, and many other things.

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The Researchers

Our research team comprises two experts in popular music and music technology, both with extensive experience in performing, producing, and studying music and audio engineering. They are joined by an international advisory board of music and music production specialists from Australia to Germany. More importantly, the project relied on the collaboration of eight world-renowned metal music producers, whose involvement is key to broadening our understanding of 'heaviness'.

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